Population of Minnesota 2021
Population
Before the European colonization, Minnesota was populated by the Anishinabe, the Sioux and other indigenous people. The first European settlers were French fur traders who arrived at the beginning of the 17th century.
Minnesota’s population rose from 6,100 in 1850 to 1.75 million in 1900. Within the next six decades, the population grew by 15 percent, so that in 1960 the number had risen to 3.41 million residents. In the years that followed, population growth slowed to rates of around 10 percent per decade. As of April 1, 2010, there were 5,303,925 people in Minnesota, according to the US Census Bureau.
Although ethnic minorities make up a significantly smaller proportion of the total population, they have shown above-average growth.
Over two-thirds of Minnesota’s population descended from ancestors in Western Europe. With 34 percent, people of German origin form the largest group, with 15.3 percent of Norwegian, 10.4 percent of Irish and 8.0 percent of Swedish descent. (Status 2014)
The composition has changed over the past few years. Forecasts predict a significantly above-average increase in the black and Hispanic population groups from a total of 9 in 2000 to 22 percent in 2030, but also in immigrants from Asia, the Middle East and from the areas of the former Soviet Union.
Top Counties by Population in Minnesota
| Rank | County Name | Population | Population Density (per km²) |
| 1 | Hennepin County | 1,152,436 | 799.19 |
| 2 | Ramsey County | 508,651 | 1,262.16 |
| 3 | Dakota County | 398,563 | 270.21 |
| 4 | Anoka County | 330,855 | 301.60 |
| 5 | Washington County | 238,147 | 234.86 |
| 6 | Saint Louis County | 200,237 | 12.42 |
| 7 | Stearns County | 150,653 | 43.27 |
| 8 | Olmsted County | 144,259 | 85.31 |
| 9 | Scott County | 129,939 | 140.63 |
| 10 | Wright County | 124,711 | 72.89 |
| 11 | Carver County | 91,053 | 98.44 |
| 12 | Sherburne County | 88,510 | 78.33 |
| 13 | Rice County | 64,153 | 49.77 |
| 14 | Blue Earth County | 64,024 | 32.85 |
| 15 | Crow Wing County | 62,511 | 24.22 |
| 16 | Clay County | 59,010 | 21.80 |
| 17 | Otter Tail County | 57,314 | 11.18 |
| 18 | Chisago County | 53,898 | 49.81 |
| 19 | Winona County | 51,472 | 31.73 |
| 20 | Goodhue County | 46,194 | 23.52 |
| 21 | Itasca County | 45,069 | 6.53 |
| 22 | Beltrami County | 44,453 | 6.85 |
| 23 | Kandiyohi County | 42,250 | 20.49 |
| 24 | Mower County | 39,174 | 21.26 |
| 25 | Benton County | 38,462 | 36.39 |
| 26 | Isanti County | 37,827 | 33.27 |
| 27 | McLeod County | 36,662 | 28.78 |
| 28 | Steele County | 36,587 | 32.87 |
| 29 | Douglas County | 36,020 | 21.92 |
| 30 | Carlton County | 35,397 | 15.89 |
| 31 | Morrison County | 33,209 | 11.40 |
| 32 | Nicollet County | 32,738 | 27.96 |
| 33 | Becker County | 32,515 | 9.58 |
| 34 | Polk County | 31,611 | 6.19 |
| 35 | Freeborn County | 31,266 | 17.06 |
| 36 | Pine County | 29,761 | 8.14 |
| 37 | Cass County | 28,578 | 5.47 |
| 38 | Le Sueur County | 27,714 | 23.85 |
| 39 | Mille Lacs County | 26,108 | 17.55 |
| 40 | Brown County | 25,904 | 16.37 |
| 41 | Lyon County | 25,868 | 13.98 |
| 42 | Todd County | 24,906 | 10.21 |
| 43 | Meeker County | 23,311 | 14.79 |
| 44 | Wabasha County | 21,687 | 15.95 |
| 45 | Nobles County | 21,389 | 11.54 |
| 46 | Fillmore County | 20,877 | 9.36 |
| 47 | Martin County | 20,851 | 11.35 |
| 48 | Hubbard County | 20,439 | 8.56 |
| 49 | Dodge County | 20,098 | 17.66 |
| 50 | Waseca County | 19,147 | 17.47 |
| 51 | Houston County | 19,038 | 13.17 |
| 52 | Kanabec County | 16,250 | 11.95 |
| 53 | Aitkin County | 16,213 | 3.44 |
| 54 | Redwood County | 16,070 | 7.05 |
| 55 | Renville County | 15,741 | 6.18 |
| 56 | Roseau County | 15,640 | 3.63 |
| 57 | Sibley County | 15,237 | 9.99 |
| 58 | Faribault County | 14,564 | 7.88 |
| 59 | Pennington County | 13,941 | 8.73 |
| 60 | Wadena County | 13,854 | 10.00 |
| 61 | Koochiching County | 13,322 | 1.66 |
| 62 | Chippewa County | 12,452 | 8.25 |
| 63 | Cottonwood County | 11,698 | 7.06 |
| 64 | Watonwan County | 11,222 | 9.98 |
| 65 | Pope County | 11,006 | 6.34 |
| 66 | Lake County | 10,877 | 2.00 |
| 67 | Yellow Medicine County | 10,449 | 5.32 |
| 68 | Jackson County | 10,277 | 5.66 |
| 69 | Swift County | 9,794 | 5.09 |
| 70 | Stevens County | 9,737 | 6.69 |
| 71 | Rock County | 9,698 | 7.76 |
| 72 | Pipestone County | 9,607 | 7.96 |
| 73 | Marshall County | 9,450 | 2.06 |
| 74 | Murray County | 8,736 | 4.79 |
| 75 | Clearwater County | 8,706 | 3.38 |
| 76 | Lac qui Parle County | 7,270 | 3.67 |
| 77 | Norman County | 6,863 | 3.02 |
| 78 | Wilkin County | 6,587 | 3.38 |
| 79 | Grant County | 6,029 | 4.26 |
| 80 | Lincoln County | 5,907 | 4.25 |
| 81 | Mahnomen County | 5,424 | 3.77 |
| 82 | Big Stone County | 5,280 | 4.10 |
| 83 | Cook County | 5,187 | 1.38 |
| 84 | Kittson County | 4,563 | 1.61 |
| 85 | Red Lake County | 4,100 | 3.66 |
| 86 | Lake of the Woods County | 4,056 | 1.21 |
| 87 | Traverse County | 3,569 | 2.40 |