Cass County, Minnesota: commercial real estate data.
Cass County, Minnesota has a population of 30,992 across 2,022 square miles, up 4.5 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $1.36 bn in 2024, 891 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 64 7(a) approvals worth $18.2 m.
121 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Cass County
How many people live in Cass County
- Population30,992
- Households12,874
- Average household size2.41
- Median household income$68,874
- Median age49.9
- Median gross rent$863 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$288,300
- Home value to household income4.2 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income15.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher26.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree7.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over22,923
- Population under 186,190
- Share under 1820.0 percent
- Population 65 and over8,508
- Share 65 and over27.5 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6416,294
- Civilian labor force14,110
- Unemployment rate6.6 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over56.9 percent
- Rank by population among Minnesota counties34th of 87
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents1449th
Cass County is the 34th 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 27.5 percent against 20.0 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.
Cass County
Is Cass County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base4.51 percent
- Census 2020 base population30,084
- Births, 2024245
- Deaths, 2024429
- Natural change, 2024-184
- Net domestic migration, 2024218
- Net international migration, 202413
- Total net migration, 2024231
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20241,864
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents614th
The county has grown 4.51 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.
Cass County
Where people moving to Cass County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving1,173
- People arriving, from those returns2,203
- Adjusted gross income arriving$114.5 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$97,603
- Largest single originCass County Non-migrants (11,823 households)
- Largest single destination (11,823 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cass County Non-migrants | 11,823 | 23,948 | $983.0 m |
| Crow Wing County | 241 | 513 | $24.4 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 235 | 449 | $17.9 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 220 | 391 | $22.0 m |
| Hennepin County | 114 | 195 | $21.1 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 85 | 158 | $9.1 m |
| Other flows - West | 85 | 154 | $8.2 m |
| Beltrami County | 54 | 111 | $2.4 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Cass 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.
Cass County
What the Cass County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$1.36 bn
- County GDP, 2023$1.29 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20245.9 percent
- GDP change over five years33.3 percent
- Rank by GDP among Minnesota counties44th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents1587th
- GDP per resident$43,976
Output grew 5.9 percent in the latest year and 33.3 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.
Cass County
Who employs people in Cass County
- Covered employment, annual average10,661
- Establishments reporting965
- Average annual pay$43,904
- Average weekly wage$844
- Sector 72, employment1,880
- Sector 72, average annual pay$26,565
- Sector 44-45, employment1,152
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$33,422
- Sector 31-33, employment650
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$51,030
- Sector 23, employment434
- Sector 23, average annual pay$59,444
- Sector 53, employment274
- Sector 81, employment248
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 72 | 1,880 | 140 | $26,565 |
| Sector 44-45 | 1,152 | 131 | $33,422 |
| Sector 31-33 | 650 | 44 | $51,030 |
| Sector 23 | 434 | 152 | $59,444 |
| Sector 53 | 274 | 35 | $40,486 |
| Sector 81 | 248 | 68 | $25,650 |
| Sector 54 | 222 | 52 | $60,829 |
| Sector 71 | 221 | 23 | $20,587 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 1,880 jobs, 17.6 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.
Cass County
What businesses operate in Cass County
- Establishments, all industries891
- Employment at those establishments7,493
- Annual payroll$323.8 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents28.7
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.
Cass County
What is being built in Cass County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024294
- Declared construction value permitted$96.3 m
- Single family units authorised286
- Multifamily units authorised8
- Multifamily share of units2.7 percent
- Average declared value per unit$327,550
- Units authorised per 1,000 households22.8
Multifamily is 2.7 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Cass County
How much SBA lending happens in Cass County
- 7(a) approvals recorded64
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$18.2 m
- Average 7(a) approval$283,798
- Median 7(a) approval$100,000
- 10th percentile approval$25,000
- 90th percentile approval$741,900
- Largest single approval$3,477,200
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)402
- Jobs per approval6.3
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active24
- Distinct industries receiving approvals40
- Median 7(a) term86 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer9.4 percent
- Loans on real estate terms6
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter53
- Franchise loans3
- Franchise share of approvals4.7 percent
- Leading industry by approval countRecreational and Vacation Camps (except Campgrounds) (4)
- Most active lenderSecurity Bank USA (16)
- 504 approvals recorded52
- 504 gross approval dollars$27.4 m
- Average 504 approval$527,673
- Median 504 approval$376,000
- Distinct CDCs active3
- 504 jobs per approval4.3
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved8.1
- Most active CDCMidwest Business Finance Corporation (47)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals55.2 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$45.6 m
The average approval of $283,798 sits well above the median of $100,000, 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 9.4 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.
Cass County
Do SBA loans in Cass County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded29
- Paid in full29
- Charged off0
- Charge off rate on resolved loans0.0 percent
- Status: Paid in full29
- Status: Exempt from disclosure34
- Status: Cancelled1
Of the 29 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.
Cass County
Which parts of Cass County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending14
- Pine River, approvals15
- CASS LAKE, approvals14
- WALKER, approvals9
- HACKENSACK, approvals7
- LONGVILLE, approvals4
- BRAINERD, approvals3
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Pine River | 15 | $4,665,300 |
| CASS LAKE | 14 | $656,000 |
| WALKER | 9 | $1,485,800 |
| HACKENSACK | 7 | $3,271,000 |
| LONGVILLE | 4 | $3,247,100 |
| BRAINERD | 3 | $350,000 |
| BENA | 3 | $291,000 |
| BACKUS | 2 | $3,587,200 |
Pine River accounts for 15 approvals against 14 in CASS LAKE. 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.
Cass County
How big is Cass County
- Land area2,022 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Minnesota counties6th of 87
- Width, east to west47.9 mi
- Height, north to south82.9 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary8
- Residents per square mile of land15
- Establishments per square mile0.44
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 Cass 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 Cass County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population30,992
- Households12,874
- Average household size2.41
- Median household income$68,874
- Median age49.9
Common questions
Cass County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Cass County, Minnesota?
30,992, in 12,874 households, ranking 34th of 87 Minnesota counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Cass County growing?
The population has grown 4.51 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 245 births against 429 deaths, with net migration of 231. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Cass County?
$68,874. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $288,300, which is 4.2 times income, and median gross rent is $863 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Cass County?
891 establishments, employing 7,493 people with an annual payroll of $323.8 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 Cass County?
Average annual pay is $43,904, or $844 a week, across 10,661 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Cass County?
64 7(a) approvals totalling $18.2 m since FY2020, across 24 lenders, with a median approval of $100,000, plus 52 504 approvals worth $27.4 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Cass County get paid back?
Of the 29 loans that have reached a final outcome, 29 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 Cass County?
294 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $96.3 m. Multifamily was 2.7 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Cass 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 Cass County come from?
The largest single origin is Cass County Non-migrants, with 11,823 households. Arriving households report an average income of $97,603 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 Cass 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 Cass 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.