Big Stone County, Minnesota: commercial real estate data.
Big Stone County, Minnesota has a population of 5,127 across 499 square miles, down 2.0 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $336.4 m in 2024, 178 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 5 7(a) approvals worth $3.9 m.
116 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Big Stone County
How many people live in Big Stone County
- Population5,127
- Households2,136
- Average household size2.40
- Median household income$70,400
- Median age47.0
- Median gross rent$745 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$169,100
- Home value to household income2.4 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income12.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher25.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree9.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over3,700
- Population under 181,127
- Share under 1822.0 percent
- Population 65 and over1,378
- Share 65 and over26.9 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 642,622
- Civilian labor force2,340
- Unemployment rate1.8 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over58.5 percent
- Rank by population among Minnesota counties83rd of 87
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents2888th
Big Stone County is the 83rd largest of 87 Minnesota counties by population. A median home costs 2.4 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 26.9 percent against 22.0 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.
Big Stone County
Is Big Stone County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-1.97 percent
- Census 2020 base population5,169
- Births, 202453
- Deaths, 202483
- Natural change, 2024-30
- Net domestic migration, 2024-1
- Net international migration, 20242
- Total net migration, 20241
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20241
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2492nd
The county has lost 1.97 percent of its population 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.
Big Stone County
Where people moving to Big Stone County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving92
- People arriving, from those returns159
- Adjusted gross income arriving$5.6 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$61,011
- Largest single originBig Stone County Non-migrants (1,979 households)
- Largest single destination (1,979 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Big Stone County Non-migrants | 1,979 | 4,046 | $142.9 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 62 | 110 | $3.8 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 30 | 49 | $1.8 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 30 | 49 | $1.8 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Big Stone 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.
Big Stone County
What the Big Stone County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$336.4 m
- County GDP, 2023$315.8 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 20246.5 percent
- GDP change over five years41.0 percent
- Rank by GDP among Minnesota counties82nd
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents2644th
- GDP per resident$65,621
Output grew 6.5 percent in the latest year and 41.0 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.
Big Stone County
Who employs people in Big Stone County
- Covered employment, annual average1,694
- Establishments reporting221
- Average annual pay$53,377
- Average weekly wage$1,026
- Sector 23, employment185
- Sector 23, average annual pay$104,178
- Sector 44-45, employment156
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$30,078
- Sector 42, employment82
- Sector 42, average annual pay$72,760
- Sector 81, employment55
- Sector 81, average annual pay$23,987
- Sector 11, employment50
- Sector 48-49, employment30
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 23 | 185 | 27 | $104,178 |
| Sector 44-45 | 156 | 24 | $30,078 |
| Sector 42 | 82 | 9 | $72,760 |
| Sector 81 | 55 | 25 | $23,987 |
| Sector 11 | 50 | 13 | $58,914 |
| Sector 48-49 | 30 | 11 | $61,889 |
| Sector 54 | 17 | 7 | $50,463 |
| Sector 51 | 16 | 3 | $36,481 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 185 jobs, 10.9 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.
Big Stone County
What businesses operate in Big Stone County
- Establishments, all industries178
- Employment at those establishments1,372
- Annual payroll$70.7 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents34.7
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.
Big Stone County
What is being built in Big Stone County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 20243
- Declared construction value permitted$1.7 m
- Single family units authorised3
- Multifamily units authorised0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$566,667
- Units authorised per 1,000 households1.4
Multifamily is 0.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Big Stone County
How much SBA lending happens in Big Stone County
- 7(a) approvals recorded5
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$3.9 m
- Average 7(a) approval$770,000
- Median 7(a) approval$210,000
- 10th percentile approval$40,000
- 90th percentile approval$3,000,000
- Largest single approval$3,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)60
- Jobs per approval12.0
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active4
- Distinct industries receiving approvals4
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer20.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms1
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter3
- Franchise loans1
- Franchise share of approvals20.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countConstruction Sand and Gravel Mining (2)
- Most active lenderMinnwest Bank (2)
- 504 approvals recorded5
- 504 gross approval dollars$1.4 m
- Average 504 approval$270,400
- Median 504 approval$280,000
- Distinct CDCs active1
- 504 jobs per approval5.2
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved19.2
- Most active CDCMidwest Business Finance Corporation (5)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals50.0 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$5.2 m
The average approval of $770,000 sits well above the median of $210,000, 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.
Big Stone County
Do SBA loans in Big Stone County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded2
- Paid in full2
- Charged off0
- Status: Cancelled3
- Status: Paid in full2
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 2 resolved loans, too few to publish a rate. A rate computed on a handful of loans is noise, so none is shown.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Big Stone County
Which parts of Big Stone County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending3
- Ortonville, approvals2
- BEARDSLEY, approvals2
- Clinton, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Ortonville | 2 | $140,000 |
| BEARDSLEY | 2 | $3,500,000 |
| Clinton | 1 | $210,000 |
Ortonville accounts for 2 approvals against 2 in BEARDSLEY. 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.
Big Stone County
How big is Big Stone County
- Land area499 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Minnesota counties67th of 87
- Width, east to west35.6 mi
- Height, north to south28.3 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary4
- Residents per square mile of land10
- Establishments per square mile0.36
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 Big Stone 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 Big Stone County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population5,127
- Households2,136
- Average household size2.40
- Median household income$70,400
- Median age47.0
Common questions
Big Stone County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Big Stone County, Minnesota?
5,127, in 2,136 households, ranking 83rd of 87 Minnesota counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Big Stone County growing?
The population has fallen 1.97 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 53 births against 83 deaths, with net migration of 1. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Big Stone County?
$70,400. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $169,100, which is 2.4 times income, and median gross rent is $745 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Big Stone County?
178 establishments, employing 1,372 people with an annual payroll of $70.7 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 Big Stone County?
Average annual pay is $53,377, or $1,026 a week, across 1,694 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Big Stone County?
5 7(a) approvals totalling $3.9 m since FY2020, across 4 lenders, with a median approval of $210,000, plus 5 504 approvals worth $1.4 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Big Stone County?
3 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $1.7 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Big Stone County?
Zone 1, a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 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 Big Stone County come from?
The largest single origin is Big Stone County Non-migrants, with 1,979 households. Arriving households report an average income of $61,011 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 Big Stone 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 Big Stone 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.