HomeMinnesotaClearwater County
Clearwater County, Minnesota: commercial real estate data.
Clearwater County, Minnesota has a population of 8,616 across 999 square miles, up 1.4 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $393.4 m in 2024, 202 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 31 7(a) approvals worth $9.4 m.
120 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Clearwater County
How many people live in Clearwater County
- Population8,616
- Households3,339
- Average household size2.58
- Median household income$64,475
- Median age41.6
- Median gross rent$742 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$192,100
- Home value to household income3.0 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income13.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher19.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree5.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over5,867
- Population under 182,158
- Share under 1825.0 percent
- Population 65 and over1,830
- Share 65 and over21.2 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 644,628
- Civilian labor force3,871
- Unemployment rate7.7 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over59.9 percent
- Rank by population among Minnesota counties74th of 87
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents2597th
Clearwater County is the 74th largest of 87 Minnesota counties by population. A median home costs 3.0 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 25.0 percent against 21.2 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Clearwater County
Is Clearwater County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base1.35 percent
- Census 2020 base population8,515
- Births, 202495
- Deaths, 202483
- Natural change, 202412
- Net domestic migration, 2024-62
- Net international migration, 20242
- Total net migration, 2024-60
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 202496
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1381st
The county has grown 1.35 percent since the 2020 census base. Births exceeded deaths in 2024 but more people left than arrived, so the population is being sustained internally rather than attracting.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Clearwater County
Where people moving to Clearwater County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving182
- People arriving, from those returns326
- Adjusted gross income arriving$9.4 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$51,687
- Largest single originClearwater County Non-migrants (3,136 households)
- Largest single destination (3,136 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clearwater County Non-migrants | 3,136 | 6,687 | $227.4 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 86 | 162 | $4.8 m |
| Beltrami County | 54 | 82 | $2.4 m |
| Polk County | 21 | 44 | $1.0 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 21 | 38 | $1.1 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 21 | 38 | $1.1 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Clearwater 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.
Clearwater County
What the Clearwater County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$393.4 m
- County GDP, 2023$372.7 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 20245.5 percent
- GDP change over five years39.4 percent
- Rank by GDP among Minnesota counties77th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents2556th
- GDP per resident$45,662
Output grew 5.5 percent in the latest year and 39.4 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.
Clearwater County
Who employs people in Clearwater County
- Covered employment, annual average2,536
- Establishments reporting231
- Average annual pay$58,036
- Average weekly wage$1,116
- Sector 31-33, employment490
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$70,711
- Sector 23, employment437
- Sector 23, average annual pay$91,989
- Sector 44-45, employment220
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$26,646
- Sector 81, employment50
- Sector 81, average annual pay$30,549
- Sector 42, employment49
- Sector 54, employment23
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 31-33 | 490 | 12 | $70,711 |
| Sector 23 | 437 | 40 | $91,989 |
| Sector 44-45 | 220 | 32 | $26,646 |
| Sector 81 | 50 | 20 | $30,549 |
| Sector 42 | 49 | 6 | $32,537 |
| Sector 54 | 23 | 8 | $55,912 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 490 jobs, 19.3 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.
Clearwater County
What businesses operate in Clearwater County
- Establishments, all industries202
- Employment at those establishments2,107
- Annual payroll$144.1 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents23.4
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.
Clearwater County
What is being built in Clearwater County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 20247
- Declared construction value permitted$1.9 m
- Single family units authorised3
- Multifamily units authorised4
- Multifamily share of units57.1 percent
- Average declared value per unit$268,757
- Units authorised per 1,000 households2.1
Multifamily is 57.1 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is being built for renters rather than buyers.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Clearwater County
How much SBA lending happens in Clearwater County
- 7(a) approvals recorded31
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$9.4 m
- Average 7(a) approval$302,600
- Median 7(a) approval$85,000
- 10th percentile approval$26,500
- 90th percentile approval$500,000
- Largest single approval$2,500,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)152
- Jobs per approval4.9
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active5
- Distinct industries receiving approvals18
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer25.8 percent
- Loans on real estate terms8
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter20
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countBeef Cattle Ranching and Farming (9)
- Most active lenderUltima Bank Minnesota (15)
- 504 approvals recorded6
- 504 gross approval dollars$4.5 m
- Average 504 approval$745,667
- Median 504 approval$637,000
- Distinct CDCs active1
- 504 jobs per approval2.5
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved3.4
- Most active CDCMidwest Business Finance Corporation (6)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals83.8 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$13.9 m
The average approval of $302,600 sits well above the median of $85,000, 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 25.8 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.
Clearwater County
Do SBA loans in Clearwater County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded13
- Paid in full13
- Charged off0
- Charge off rate on resolved loans0.0 percent
- Status: Exempt from disclosure16
- Status: Paid in full13
- Status: Cancelled2
Of the 13 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.
Clearwater County
Which parts of Clearwater County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending5
- BAGLEY, approvals17
- SHEVLIN, approvals5
- Clearbrook, approvals5
- LEONARD, approvals3
- Gonvick, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| BAGLEY | 17 | $1,849,500 |
| SHEVLIN | 5 | $765,000 |
| Clearbrook | 5 | $5,075,000 |
| LEONARD | 3 | $750,000 |
| Gonvick | 1 | $941,100 |
BAGLEY accounts for 17 approvals against 5 in SHEVLIN. 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.
Clearwater County
How big is Clearwater County
- Land area999 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Minnesota counties20th of 87
- Width, east to west19.3 mi
- Height, north to south60 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land9
- Establishments per square mile0.20
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 Clearwater 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 Clearwater County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population8,616
- Households3,339
- Average household size2.58
- Median household income$64,475
- Median age41.6
Common questions
Clearwater County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Clearwater County, Minnesota?
8,616, in 3,339 households, ranking 74th of 87 Minnesota counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Clearwater County growing?
The population has grown 1.35 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 95 births against 83 deaths, with net migration of -60. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Clearwater County?
$64,475. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $192,100, which is 3.0 times income, and median gross rent is $742 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Clearwater County?
202 establishments, employing 2,107 people with an annual payroll of $144.1 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 Clearwater County?
Average annual pay is $58,036, or $1,116 a week, across 2,536 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Clearwater County?
31 7(a) approvals totalling $9.4 m since FY2020, across 5 lenders, with a median approval of $85,000, plus 6 504 approvals worth $4.5 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Clearwater County get paid back?
Of the 13 loans that have reached a final outcome, 13 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 Clearwater County?
7 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $1.9 m. Multifamily was 57.1 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Clearwater 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 Clearwater County come from?
The largest single origin is Clearwater County Non-migrants, with 3,136 households. Arriving households report an average income of $51,687 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 Clearwater 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 Clearwater 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.