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Blue Earth County, MN: population growth, jobs and income

Blue Earth County gained 434 residents between 2024 and 2025 (+0.6%).

Blue Earth County had an estimated 70,634 residents in 2025, up 2.1% (1,432 more people) since 2020. That is about as fast than Minnesota as a whole (+2.1%), and the 28th fastest growth of 87 counties in Minnesota.

Data as of 2025 · updated

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In the Blue Earth County report

One-time $99 PDF: everything on this page for Blue Earth County, ranked against Minnesota and the U.S., plus these figures that are not on the free page:

  • Median gross rent$1,123/mo2020–24
  • Vacant homes, incl. seasonal and second homes7.6%2020–24
  • New homes permitted, last 12 months5792025-10/2026-09
  • Rent growth, 5 yearsIn the report
  • Permits in 5+ unit buildingsIn the report
  • IRS income moving in (net AGI)In the report
  • Neighbouring-county comparison tableIn the report

What's inside: 5 pages

  1. 1 Summary, headline numbers and ranks (free preview)
  2. 2 Ranks and the neighbouring-county table
  3. 3 Migration, with IRS mover and income flows
  4. 4 Rent, vacant homes, permits and employers
  5. 5 Every source and the methods
See every page of a sample report

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Headline numbers

What the numbers say

Net domestic migration added 175 people in 2025: more people moved in from other U.S. counties than moved out.

Private employers had 35,883 paid employees in mid-March 2023, −1.9% since 2018 (County Business Patterns).

Unemployment averaged 3.4% in 2025, 0.5 points higher than in 2019 (before the pandemic).

Builders were authorized to start 274 new homes in 2025, or 3.9 per 1,000 residents.

Median household income was $74,477 in the 2020–24 American Community Survey, +22.0% since 2016–20.

Across the 3,107 U.S. counties with a comparable estimate, its population growth ranks 1,259th.

Part of the Mankato, MN metro area.

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Blue Earth County population by year

Resident population, July 1 estimate (Census Bureau)
YearPopulationChange
202570,634+434
202470,200−128
202370,328+220
202270,108+721
202169,387+185
202069,202–

Census Bureau population estimates, July 1 of each year.

What drove the change in Blue Earth County

Blue Earth County grew by 1,432 people since 2020 even though 198 more residents moved to other U.S. counties than came from them: births outnumbered deaths by 498, and net international migration added 1,075.

Components of population change, people (Census Bureau)
Component20252020–25Share
Natural changebirths minus deaths+57+498
International migrationfrom and to other countries+199+1,075
Domestic migrationfrom and to other U.S. counties+175−198
Census adjustmentbalancing residual+3+57
Total change+434+1,432

Census Bureau population estimates, components of change, each year July 1 to June 30. The components add up to the change in the estimate; the Census adjustment is the small balancing figure the Bureau publishes.

How it ranks

MeasureIn MinnesotaAmong U.S. counties
Population growth28th of 871,259th of 3,107
Net domestic migration per 1,000 residents31st of 871,480th of 3,108
Private-sector job growth52nd of 872,145th of 3,092
Median household income40th of 87866th of 3,107
Lowest unemployment rate7th of 87798th of 3,108
New homes permitted per 1,000 residents30th of 87858th of 3,005

1st = highest (lowest for unemployment). Counties are ranked only against others with a figure for the same period.

Get the county report — $99

The County Growth and Demographics Report for Blue Earth County, MN as a PDF, from federal data: population and migration, housing and rents, permits, private employers and jobs, unemployment, ranks in the state and the country, and neighbouring counties, with a source next to every number. Pay once, no subscription.

Add 2 neighbouring counties for $50: the Nicollet County and Le Sueur County reports too, $149 for all 3.

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Neighbouring counties

Over 2020–25, Blue Earth County's population change (+2.1%) was ahead of 6 of its 7 neighbouring counties and behind 1 (Le Sueur County).

3 of its 7 neighbouring counties had a higher median household income than Blue Earth County's $74,477 (2020–24).

Blue Earth County, MN and its 7 neighbouring counties: public federal figures
CountyPopulation2025Population change2020–25Net domestic migration per 1,000 residents2025Homes permitted per 1,000 residents2025Median household income2020–24
Blue Earth County, MN This county70,634+2.1%2.53.9$74,477
Nicollet County, MN34,273−0.7%−1.12.4$79,756
Faribault County, MN13,888−0.1%1.30.4$66,815
Le Sueur County, MN29,453+2.9%−1.92.3$94,968
Waseca County, MN18,688−1.5%2.03.3$76,261
Watonwan County, MN11,459+2.0%−2.81.0$71,699
Martin County, MN19,440−2.8%−3.10.7$59,507
Brown County, MN25,517−1.5%0.01.3$69,378

Census Bureau population estimates and building permits, American Community Survey 5-year income. Rates per 1,000 residents. – means no figure, or a base too small for a change or rate (it would swing on a few people). A figure from another period shows its year and is left out of the comparison.

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Questions

Is Blue Earth County growing?

Yes. Its population grew 2.1% between 2020 and 2025, about 1,432 more people (Census Bureau population estimates). Minnesota as a whole changed +2.1% over the same years. That ranks 28th of 87 counties in Minnesota for population growth.

How many people moved to Blue Earth County?

On net, about 175 people in 2025: that many more moved in from other U.S. counties than moved out (Census Bureau net domestic migration estimate).

What is the unemployment rate in Blue Earth County?

It averaged 3.4% in 2025 (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual average).

What is the population of Blue Earth County?

About 70,634 people, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's population estimate for July 1, 2025.

How many jobs are in Blue Earth County?

Private employers there had 35,883 paid employees in mid-March 2023, −1.9% since 2018 (Census Bureau County Business Patterns; government jobs and the self-employed are not counted).

What Beacon CRE covers in Minnesota

Map, parcel and listing layers cover North and South Carolina only for now. This page and the other Minnesota county pages carry the public federal growth figures.

Blue Earth County data alerts

Email me when Blue Earth County gets new Census numbers: population, building permits, jobs and income. About 4 emails a year, one click to stop.

We use your address only to email you when new data for Blue Earth County is out: what changed, with a link to that county's report. No newsletter, no other sales emails. Delete it any time with the link in every email. We'll email you a link to confirm first; nothing starts until you click it. Privacy notice.

Sources and method

Each number shows its own period. Changes compare the latest period with five years earlier (or the earliest period available). Beacon CRE last refreshed these figures on 2026-11-05. Figures come from public federal statistics and are informational only, not investment advice. Check the source before relying on a number. Methodology: how we compute every number. More on every layer: data sources and licences.

Jobs outside North and South Carolina use County Business Patterns (paid private-sector employees in mid-March); wages and government jobs are not included.