Brown County, Minnesota: commercial real estate data.
Brown County, Minnesota has a population of 25,800 across 611 square miles, down 0.8 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $2.01 bn in 2024, 786 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 19 7(a) approvals worth $5.7 m.
117 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Brown County
How many people live in Brown County
- Population25,800
- Households11,027
- Average household size2.34
- Median household income$69,378
- Median age42.0
- Median gross rent$890 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$191,200
- Home value to household income2.8 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income15.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher24.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree8.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over17,816
- Population under 185,639
- Share under 1821.9 percent
- Population 65 and over5,730
- Share 65 and over22.2 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6414,431
- Civilian labor force13,593
- Unemployment rate2.9 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over67.4 percent
- Rank by population among Minnesota counties40th of 87
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents1623rd
Brown County is the 40th largest of 87 Minnesota counties by population. A median home costs 2.8 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 22.2 percent against 21.9 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.
Brown County
Is Brown County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-0.79 percent
- Census 2020 base population25,915
- Births, 2024263
- Deaths, 2024281
- Natural change, 2024-18
- Net domestic migration, 2024-24
- Net international migration, 202454
- Total net migration, 202430
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-158
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2116th
The county has lost 0.79 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.
Brown County
Where people moving to Brown County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving515
- People arriving, from those returns914
- Adjusted gross income arriving$27.0 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$52,384
- Largest single originBrown County Non-migrants (10,799 households)
- Largest single destination (10,799 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brown County Non-migrants | 10,799 | 21,441 | $937.9 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 190 | 319 | $9.5 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 141 | 274 | $7.9 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 72 | 132 | $4.3 m |
| Nicollet County | 63 | 106 | $4.0 m |
| Blue Earth County | 47 | 86 | $1.7 m |
| Other flows - West | 37 | 74 | $1.9 m |
| Other flows - South | 32 | 68 | $1.8 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Brown 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.
Brown County
What the Brown County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$2.01 bn
- County GDP, 2023$1.87 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20247.0 percent
- GDP change over five years40.5 percent
- Rank by GDP among Minnesota counties32nd
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents1277th
- GDP per resident$77,755
Output grew 7.0 percent in the latest year and 40.5 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.
Brown County
Who employs people in Brown County
- Covered employment, annual average13,221
- Establishments reporting902
- Average annual pay$55,442
- Average weekly wage$1,066
- Sector 31-33, employment2,367
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$70,898
- Sector 62, employment1,968
- Sector 62, average annual pay$56,168
- Sector 44-45, employment1,537
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$34,285
- Sector 72, employment967
- Sector 72, average annual pay$17,176
- Sector 48-49, employment784
- Sector 23, employment621
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 31-33 | 2,367 | 42 | $70,898 |
| Sector 62 | 1,968 | 110 | $56,168 |
| Sector 44-45 | 1,537 | 100 | $34,285 |
| Sector 72 | 967 | 70 | $17,176 |
| Sector 48-49 | 784 | 48 | $46,715 |
| Sector 23 | 621 | 108 | $73,778 |
| Sector 54 | 534 | 53 | $59,510 |
| Sector 52 | 426 | 52 | $74,440 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 2,367 jobs, 17.9 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.
Brown County
What businesses operate in Brown County
- Establishments, all industries786
- Employment at those establishments12,995
- Annual payroll$663.4 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents30.5
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.
Brown County
What is being built in Brown County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 202435
- Declared construction value permitted$11.2 m
- Single family units authorised27
- Multifamily units authorised8
- Multifamily share of units22.9 percent
- Average declared value per unit$320,156
- Units authorised per 1,000 households3.2
Multifamily is 22.9 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Brown County
How much SBA lending happens in Brown County
- 7(a) approvals recorded19
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$5.7 m
- Average 7(a) approval$298,305
- Median 7(a) approval$150,000
- 10th percentile approval$20,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,600,000
- Largest single approval$1,625,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)119
- Jobs per approval6.3
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active6
- Distinct industries receiving approvals18
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer0.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms0
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter17
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countOther Construction Material Merchant Wholesalers (2)
- Most active lenderBank Midwest (6)
- 504 approvals recorded20
- 504 gross approval dollars$8.2 m
- Average 504 approval$410,650
- Median 504 approval$329,000
- Distinct CDCs active4
- 504 jobs per approval3.5
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved8.6
- Most active CDCMidwest Business Finance Corporation (11)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals48.7 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$13.9 m
The average approval of $298,305 sits well above the median of $150,000, 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 0.0 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.
Brown County
Do SBA loans in Brown County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded5
- Paid in full5
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure13
- Status: Paid in full5
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed1
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 5 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.
Brown County
Which parts of Brown County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending3
- NEW ULM, approvals17
- SPRINGFIELD, approvals1
- SLEEPY EYE, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| NEW ULM | 17 | $5,499,800 |
| SPRINGFIELD | 1 | $150,000 |
| SLEEPY EYE | 1 | $18,000 |
NEW ULM accounts for 17 approvals against 1 in SPRINGFIELD. 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.
Brown County
How big is Brown County
- Land area611 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Minnesota counties51st of 87
- Width, east to west36.6 mi
- Height, north to south26.9 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land42
- Establishments per square mile1.29
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 Brown 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 Brown County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population25,800
- Households11,027
- Average household size2.34
- Median household income$69,378
- Median age42.0
Common questions
Brown County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Brown County, Minnesota?
25,800, in 11,027 households, ranking 40th of 87 Minnesota counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Brown County growing?
The population has fallen 0.79 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 263 births against 281 deaths, with net migration of 30. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Brown County?
$69,378. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $191,200, which is 2.8 times income, and median gross rent is $890 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Brown County?
786 establishments, employing 12,995 people with an annual payroll of $663.4 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 Brown County?
Average annual pay is $55,442, or $1,066 a week, across 13,221 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Brown County?
19 7(a) approvals totalling $5.7 m since FY2020, across 6 lenders, with a median approval of $150,000, plus 20 504 approvals worth $8.2 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Brown County?
35 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $11.2 m. Multifamily was 22.9 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Brown 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 Brown County come from?
The largest single origin is Brown County Non-migrants, with 10,799 households. Arriving households report an average income of $52,384 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 Brown 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 Brown 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.