Which counties in Minnesota are building the most new homes?
Aitkin County (13.2 per 1,000 residents), Cook County (11.6 per 1,000 residents) and Crow Wing County (9.0 per 1,000 residents) permitted the most new homes for their size in Minnesota in 2025.
Data as of 2025 · updated
All 87 ranked Minnesota counties
| Rank | County | Per 1,000 residents, 2025 | Homes permitted 2025 | Residents |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aitkin County | 13.2 | 214 | 16,252 |
| 2 | Cook County | 11.6 | 64 | 5,522 |
| 3 | Crow Wing County | 9.0 | 625 | 69,132 |
| 4 | Cass County | 8.6 | 271 | 31,430 |
| 5 | Carver County | 8.4 | 960 | 114,379 |
| 6 | Washington County | 8.3 | 2,382 | 286,895 |
| 7 | Douglas County | 8.0 | 319 | 40,120 |
| 8 | Lake County | 7.7 | 83 | 10,746 |
| 9 | Stevens County | 7.6 | 74 | 9,747 |
| 10 | Wright County | 7.3 | 1,156 | 157,559 |
| 11 | Pine County | 7.0 | 213 | 30,472 |
| 12 | Lake of the Woods County | 6.6 | 25 | 3,770 |
| 13 | Jackson County | 6.3 | 62 | 9,857 |
| 14 | Isanti County | 6.2 | 276 | 44,386 |
| 15 | Wadena County | 5.7 | 82 | 14,388 |
| 16 | McLeod County | 5.6 | 206 | 36,631 |
| 17 | Scott County | 5.6 | 883 | 159,017 |
| 18 | Itasca County | 5.5 | 249 | 45,404 |
| 19 | Becker County | 5.1 | 182 | 35,497 |
| 20 | Dakota County | 5.1 | 2,330 | 457,710 |
| 21 | Clay County | 5.1 | 344 | 67,734 |
| 22 | Kanabec County | 5.0 | 83 | 16,628 |
| 23 | Morrison County | 4.5 | 156 | 34,620 |
| 24 | Carlton County | 4.2 | 155 | 36,711 |
| 25 | Yellow Medicine County | 4.2 | 40 | 9,477 |
| 26 | Nobles County | 4.2 | 94 | 22,338 |
| 27 | Chisago County | 4.1 | 240 | 59,142 |
| 28 | Stearns County | 3.9 | 648 | 164,110 |
| 29 | Dodge County | 3.9 | 83 | 21,376 |
| 30 | Blue Earth County | 3.9 | 274 | 70,634 |
| 31 | Mille Lacs County | 3.7 | 103 | 27,753 |
| 32 | Beltrami County | 3.6 | 168 | 47,055 |
| 33 | Swift County | 3.5 | 34 | 9,763 |
| 34 | Benton County | 3.3 | 139 | 41,744 |
| 35 | Mower County | 3.3 | 136 | 40,971 |
| 36 | Waseca County | 3.3 | 62 | 18,688 |
| 37 | Olmsted County | 3.3 | 542 | 166,731 |
| 38 | Todd County | 3.2 | 84 | 26,060 |
| 39 | Sherburne County | 3.1 | 319 | 104,194 |
| 40 | Lincoln County | 3.0 | 17 | 5,583 |
| 41 | Pope County | 2.9 | 33 | 11,420 |
| 42 | Koochiching County | 2.8 | 33 | 11,587 |
| 43 | Hennepin County | 2.7 | 3,491 | 1,284,784 |
| 44 | Fillmore County | 2.7 | 58 | 21,540 |
| 45 | Nicollet County | 2.4 | 82 | 34,273 |
| 46 | Wabasha County | 2.4 | 51 | 21,537 |
| 47 | Le Sueur County | 2.3 | 67 | 29,453 |
| 48 | Murray County | 2.3 | 18 | 7,942 |
| 49 | St. Louis County | 2.1 | 412 | 200,518 |
| 50 | Meeker County | 2.0 | 48 | 23,603 |
| 51 | Anoka County | 2.0 | 774 | 381,605 |
| 52 | Houston County | 2.0 | 37 | 18,400 |
| 53 | Traverse County | 1.9 | 6 | 3,130 |
| 54 | Sibley County | 1.8 | 28 | 15,356 |
| 55 | Goodhue County | 1.7 | 84 | 48,195 |
| 56 | Kittson County | 1.7 | 7 | 4,031 |
| 57 | Rock County | 1.7 | 16 | 9,524 |
| 58 | Kandiyohi County | 1.6 | 73 | 44,720 |
| 59 | Norman County | 1.6 | 10 | 6,336 |
| 60 | Steele County | 1.4 | 54 | 37,464 |
| 61 | Wilkin County | 1.4 | 9 | 6,288 |
| 62 | Rice County | 1.4 | 100 | 69,939 |
| 63 | Pipestone County | 1.4 | 13 | 9,260 |
| 64 | Roseau County | 1.4 | 21 | 15,246 |
| 65 | Polk County | 1.4 | 42 | 30,545 |
| 66 | Ramsey County | 1.3 | 708 | 541,623 |
| 67 | Brown County | 1.3 | 33 | 25,517 |
| 68 | Otter Tail County | 1.2 | 72 | 61,041 |
| 69 | Grant County | 1.2 | 7 | 6,085 |
| 70 | Hubbard County | 1.1 | 25 | 22,369 |
| 71 | Watonwan County | 1.0 | 11 | 11,459 |
| 72 | Lyon County | 0.9 | 23 | 25,684 |
| 73 | Lac qui Parle County | 0.9 | 6 | 6,704 |
| 74 | Chippewa County | 0.9 | 11 | 12,406 |
| 75 | Cottonwood County | 0.9 | 10 | 11,405 |
| 76 | Winona County | 0.8 | 42 | 50,523 |
| 77 | Renville County | 0.7 | 10 | 14,356 |
| 78 | Martin County | 0.7 | 13 | 19,440 |
| 79 | Redwood County | 0.5 | 7 | 15,265 |
| 80 | Faribault County | 0.4 | 6 | 13,888 |
| 81 | Freeborn County | 0.4 | 13 | 30,440 |
| 82 | Big Stone County | 0.4 | 2 | 5,054 |
| 83 | Marshall County | 0.3 | 3 | 8,798 |
| 84 | Pennington County | 0.1 | 1 | 13,686 |
| 85 | Red Lake County | 0.0 | 0 | 3,940 |
| 86 | Mahnomen County | 0.0 | 0 | 5,153 |
| 87 | Clearwater County | 0.0 | 0 | 8,647 |
How this is ranked
Housing units authorized by building permits in 2025 (Census Bureau Building Permits Survey), per 1,000 residents. Permits count homes authorized, not finished. Counties with fewer than 1,000 residents, or without a figure for the same period as the others, are not ranked.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey. Figures come from public federal statistics and are informational only, not investment advice. Check the source before relying on a number. Methodology: how ranks and figures are built. More on every layer: data sources and licences.
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Questions
Which county in Minnesota is building the most new homes?
Aitkin County: 13.2 per 1,000 residents, ahead of Cook County (11.6 per 1,000 residents) and Crow Wing County (9.0 per 1,000 residents), of 87 Minnesota counties ranked.
How is this ranking calculated?
Housing units authorized by building permits in 2025 (Census Bureau Building Permits Survey), per 1,000 residents. Permits count homes authorized, not finished. Counties with fewer than 1,000 residents, or without a figure for the same period as the others, are not ranked.
More county rankings for Minnesota
New homes permitted per 1,000 residents in other states
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