Aitkin County, Minnesota: commercial real estate data.
Aitkin County, Minnesota has a population of 16,056 across 1,822 square miles, up 4.1 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $673.7 m in 2024, 415 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 30 7(a) approvals worth $7.2 m.
119 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Aitkin County
How many people live in Aitkin County
- Population16,056
- Households7,222
- Average household size2.22
- Median household income$60,833
- Median age56.9
- Median gross rent$869 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$255,800
- Home value to household income4.2 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income17.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher20.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree6.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over12,673
- Population under 182,510
- Share under 1815.6 percent
- Population 65 and over5,522
- Share 65 and over34.4 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 648,024
- Civilian labor force6,666
- Unemployment rate5.8 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over49.2 percent
- Rank by population among Minnesota counties53rd of 87
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents2096th
Aitkin County is the 53rd largest of 87 Minnesota counties by population. A median home costs 4.2 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 34.4 percent against 15.6 percent, which points demand at health care, services and single storey product rather than schools.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Aitkin County
Is Aitkin County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base4.07 percent
- Census 2020 base population15,696
- Births, 2024124
- Deaths, 2024223
- Natural change, 2024-99
- Net domestic migration, 2024292
- Net international migration, 20247
- Total net migration, 2024299
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20241,086
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents677th
The county has grown 4.07 percent since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration alone is more sensitive to a change in relative cost than one growing from household formation.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Aitkin County
Where people moving to Aitkin County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving560
- People arriving, from those returns960
- Adjusted gross income arriving$48.0 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$85,718
- Largest single originAitkin County Non-migrants (6,293 households)
- Largest single destination (6,293 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aitkin County Non-migrants | 6,293 | 11,889 | $435.4 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 196 | 345 | $13.1 m |
| Hennepin County | 76 | 126 | $8.4 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 74 | 125 | $7.1 m |
| Crow Wing County | 60 | 107 | $4.4 m |
| Anoka County | 53 | 87 | $5.2 m |
| Other flows - West | 43 | 80 | $3.3 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 31 | 45 | $3.9 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Aitkin County Non-migrants, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Aitkin County
What the Aitkin County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$673.7 m
- County GDP, 2023$620.7 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 20248.5 percent
- GDP change over five years33.2 percent
- Rank by GDP among Minnesota counties69th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents2181st
- GDP per resident$41,956
Output grew 8.5 percent in the latest year and 33.2 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Aitkin County
Who employs people in Aitkin County
- Covered employment, annual average4,328
- Establishments reporting476
- Average annual pay$47,689
- Average weekly wage$917
- Sector 44-45, employment624
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$30,820
- Sector 72, employment567
- Sector 72, average annual pay$19,321
- Sector 31-33, employment346
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$59,961
- Sector 23, employment207
- Sector 23, average annual pay$55,003
- Sector 81, employment159
- Sector 42, employment121
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 44-45 | 624 | 68 | $30,820 |
| Sector 72 | 567 | 60 | $19,321 |
| Sector 31-33 | 346 | 20 | $59,961 |
| Sector 23 | 207 | 64 | $55,003 |
| Sector 81 | 159 | 42 | $22,713 |
| Sector 42 | 121 | 11 | $53,284 |
| Sector 52 | 98 | 18 | $56,613 |
| Sector 71 | 90 | 15 | $29,767 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 624 jobs, 14.4 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Aitkin County
What businesses operate in Aitkin County
- Establishments, all industries415
- Employment at those establishments3,632
- Annual payroll$181.5 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents25.8
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Aitkin County
What is being built in Aitkin County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024135
- Declared construction value permitted$42.7 m
- Single family units authorised135
- Multifamily units authorised0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$316,632
- Units authorised per 1,000 households18.7
Multifamily is 0.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Aitkin County
How much SBA lending happens in Aitkin County
- 7(a) approvals recorded30
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$7.2 m
- Average 7(a) approval$238,447
- Median 7(a) approval$88,400
- 10th percentile approval$25,000
- 90th percentile approval$965,000
- Largest single approval$1,784,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)406
- Jobs per approval13.5
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active13
- Distinct industries receiving approvals21
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer20.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms6
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter24
- Franchise loans2
- Franchise share of approvals6.7 percent
- Leading industry by approval countMotor Vehicle Towing (3)
- Most active lenderSecurity State Bank of Aitkin (8)
- 504 approvals recorded9
- 504 gross approval dollars$6.5 m
- Average 504 approval$717,667
- Median 504 approval$268,000
- Distinct CDCs active3
- 504 jobs per approval7.7
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved10.7
- Most active CDCMidwest Business Finance Corporation (5)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals76.9 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$13.6 m
The average approval of $238,447 sits well above the median of $88,400, so a small number of large deals is pulling the mean up. The median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here actually gets. Only 20.0 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Aitkin County
Do SBA loans in Aitkin County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded12
- Paid in full12
- Charged off0
- Charge off rate on resolved loans0.0 percent
- Status: Exempt from disclosure15
- Status: Paid in full12
- Status: Cancelled2
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed1
Of the 12 loans that have reached a final outcome, 0.0 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Aitkin County
Which parts of Aitkin County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending3
- AITKIN, approvals25
- McGregor, approvals4
- Hill City, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| AITKIN | 25 | $5,523,500 |
| McGregor | 4 | $664,900 |
| Hill City | 1 | $965,000 |
AITKIN accounts for 25 approvals against 4 in McGregor. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Aitkin County
How big is Aitkin County
- Land area1,822 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Minnesota counties9th of 87
- Width, east to west36 mi
- Height, north to south60.5 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary8
- Residents per square mile of land9
- Establishments per square mile0.23
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- No NFIP communities are listed for this county in the FEMA Community Status Book.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
Feasibility studies
When a Aitkin County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Aitkin County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population16,056
- Households7,222
- Average household size2.22
- Median household income$60,833
- Median age56.9
Common questions
Aitkin County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Aitkin County, Minnesota?
16,056, in 7,222 households, ranking 53rd of 87 Minnesota counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Aitkin County growing?
The population has grown 4.07 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 124 births against 223 deaths, with net migration of 299. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Aitkin County?
$60,833. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $255,800, which is 4.2 times income, and median gross rent is $869 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Aitkin County?
415 establishments, employing 3,632 people with an annual payroll of $181.5 m. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Aitkin County?
Average annual pay is $47,689, or $917 a week, across 4,328 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Aitkin County?
30 7(a) approvals totalling $7.2 m since FY2020, across 13 lenders, with a median approval of $88,400, plus 9 504 approvals worth $6.5 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Aitkin County get paid back?
Of the 12 loans that have reached a final outcome, 12 were paid in full and 0 charged off, a charge off rate of 0.0 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
What is being built in Aitkin County?
135 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $42.7 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Aitkin County?
Zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Aitkin County come from?
The largest single origin is Aitkin County Non-migrants, with 6,293 households. Arriving households report an average income of $85,718 against null for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Aitkin County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Aitkin County?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.