Skip to content
Beacon CRE

Murray County, MN: population growth, jobs and income

Murray County lost 85 residents between 2024 and 2025 (−1.1%).

Murray County had an estimated 7,942 residents in 2025, down 2.9% (235 fewer people) since 2020. That is slower than Minnesota as a whole (+2.1%), and the 82nd fastest growth of 87 counties in Minnesota.

Data as of 2025 · updated

See page 1 free (PDF)

14-day full refund · Stripe, Apple Pay or Google Pay · Instant PDF + CSV · Sold by Simply Stats LLC (NC)

How we compute every number · Refund terms

In the Murray County report

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

  • Median gross rent$810/mo2020–24
  • Vacant homes, incl. seasonal and second homes18.0%2020–24
  • New homes permitted, last 12 months112025-10/2026-09
  • 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

Want Pro for Minnesota? Get notified

Headline numbers

New homes permitted

18

2025

2.3 per 1,000 residents

Small base: the change swings on a few homes or people, so we don't show it.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2025. Housing units authorized by building permits in the year.

What the numbers say

Net domestic migration was negative in 2025: 73 more people moved out to other U.S. counties than moved in.

Private employers had 2,175 paid employees in mid-March 2023, −15.3% since 2018 (County Business Patterns).

Unemployment averaged 5.0% in 2025, 0.3 points higher than in 2019 (before the pandemic).

Builders were authorized to start 18 new homes in 2025, or 2.3 per 1,000 residents.

Median household income was $74,033 in the 2020–24 American Community Survey, +17.8% since 2016–20.

Across the 3,107 U.S. counties with a comparable estimate, its population growth ranks 2,654th.

Get Murray County’s next numbers by email

Email me when Murray 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 Murray 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.

Murray County population by year

Resident population, July 1 estimate (Census Bureau)
YearPopulationChange
20257,942−85
20248,027−63
20238,090+29
20228,061−85
20218,146−31
20208,177–

Census Bureau population estimates, July 1 of each year.

What drove the change in Murray County

Murray County lost 235 people since 2020; the biggest drag was domestic migration (−166).

Components of population change, people (Census Bureau)
Component20252020–25Share
Natural changebirths minus deaths−18−107
International migrationfrom and to other countries+6+36
Domestic migrationfrom and to other U.S. counties−73−166
Census adjustmentbalancing residual+0+2
Total change−85−235

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 growth82nd of 872,654th of 3,107
Net domestic migration per 1,000 residents84th of 872,841st of 3,108
Private-sector job growth85th of 872,965th of 3,092
Median household income44th of 87900th of 3,107
Lowest unemployment rate65th of 872,520th of 3,108
New homes permitted per 1,000 residents48th of 871,417th 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 Murray 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 Lyon County and Nobles County reports too, $149 for all 3.

Choose other neighbouring counties

Preview page 1 of the Murray County report (free, PDF) · See a full 5-page sample (PDF) · Other counties and options

Every purchase also includes a CSV of every table in the report, ready for a spreadsheet.

Refund terms: Terms. · How we compute every number

Neighbouring counties

Murray County lost population faster than all 6 of its neighbouring counties (−2.9%, 2020–25).

Only Lyon County had a higher median household income (2020–24) among its 6 neighbouring counties; Murray County's was $74,033.

Murray County, MN and its 6 neighbouring counties: public federal figures
CountyPopulation2025Population change2020–25Net domestic migration per 1,000 residents2025Homes permitted per 1,000 residents2025Median household income2020–24
Murray County, MN This county7,942−2.9%−9.22.3$74,033
Nobles County, MN22,338+0.6%−8.74.2$66,101
Lyon County, MN25,684+1.0%−7.70.9$75,303
Pipestone County, MN9,260−1.7%0.11.4$69,628
Rock County, MN9,524−1.7%−1.01.7$71,295
Cottonwood County, MN11,405−1.0%−4.90.9$72,941
Redwood County, MN15,265−1.0%−0.10.5$67,866

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.

All 87 Minnesota counties · Every state

Questions

Is Murray County growing?

No. Its population fell 2.9% between 2020 and 2025, about 235 fewer people (Census Bureau population estimates). Minnesota as a whole changed +2.1% over the same years. That ranks 82nd of 87 counties in Minnesota for population growth.

How many people moved to Murray County?

On net, none in 2025: about 73 more people moved out to other U.S. counties than moved in (Census Bureau net domestic migration estimate).

What is the unemployment rate in Murray County?

It averaged 5.0% in 2025 (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual average).

What is the population of Murray County?

About 7,942 people, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's population estimate for July 1, 2025.

How many jobs are in Murray County?

Private employers there had 2,175 paid employees in mid-March 2023, −15.3% 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.

Murray County data alerts

Email me when Murray 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 Murray 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.