Houston County, Minnesota: commercial real estate data.
Houston County, Minnesota has a population of 18,653 across 552 square miles, down 2.5 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $810.3 m in 2024, 394 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 14 7(a) approvals worth $9.8 m.
119 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Houston County
How many people live in Houston County
- Population18,653
- Households8,134
- Average household size2.29
- Median household income$79,825
- Median age45.1
- Median gross rent$879 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$239,000
- Home value to household income3.0 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income13.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher30.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree8.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over13,430
- Population under 183,992
- Share under 1821.4 percent
- Population 65 and over4,396
- Share 65 and over23.6 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6410,265
- Civilian labor force9,792
- Unemployment rate1.6 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over66.8 percent
- Rank by population among Minnesota counties51st of 87
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents1953rd
Houston County is the 51st 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 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 23.6 percent against 21.4 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.
Houston County
Is Houston County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-2.47 percent
- Census 2020 base population18,817
- Births, 202422
- Deaths, 2024226
- Natural change, 2024-204
- Net domestic migration, 2024-25
- Net international migration, 20244
- Total net migration, 2024-21
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-43
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2621st
The county has lost 2.47 percent of its population since the 2020 census base.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Houston County
Where people moving to Houston County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving386
- People arriving, from those returns648
- Adjusted gross income arriving$22.5 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$58,280
- Largest single originHouston County Non-migrants (7,897 households)
- Largest single destination (7,897 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Houston County Non-migrants | 7,897 | 15,968 | $627.9 m |
| La Crosse County | 136 | 228 | $8.0 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 109 | 179 | $6.2 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 84 | 129 | $4.8 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 66 | 127 | $4.7 m |
| Winona County | 47 | 78 | $2.2 m |
| Fillmore County | 28 | 36 | $1.4 m |
| Other flows - West | 25 | 50 | $1.4 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Houston 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.
Houston County
What the Houston County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$810.3 m
- County GDP, 2023$752.8 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 20247.6 percent
- GDP change over five years38.6 percent
- Rank by GDP among Minnesota counties60th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents2020th
- GDP per resident$43,441
Output grew 7.6 percent in the latest year and 38.6 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.
Houston County
Who employs people in Houston County
- Covered employment, annual average5,031
- Establishments reporting471
- Average annual pay$47,489
- Average weekly wage$913
- Sector 44-45, employment485
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$28,393
- Sector 48-49, employment444
- Sector 48-49, average annual pay$69,409
- Sector 31-33, employment375
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$53,054
- Sector 23, employment358
- Sector 23, average annual pay$69,412
- Sector 72, employment323
- Sector 81, employment191
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 44-45 | 485 | 55 | $28,393 |
| Sector 48-49 | 444 | 17 | $69,409 |
| Sector 31-33 | 375 | 26 | $53,054 |
| Sector 23 | 358 | 60 | $69,412 |
| Sector 72 | 323 | 29 | $14,095 |
| Sector 81 | 191 | 45 | $27,833 |
| Sector 11 | 152 | 26 | $31,575 |
| Sector 51 | 145 | 10 | $66,832 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 485 jobs, 9.6 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.
Houston County
What businesses operate in Houston County
- Establishments, all industries394
- Employment at those establishments4,309
- Annual payroll$204.6 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents21.1
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.
Houston County
What is being built in Houston County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 202444
- Declared construction value permitted$15.0 m
- Single family units authorised34
- Multifamily units authorised10
- Multifamily share of units22.7 percent
- Average declared value per unit$340,956
- Units authorised per 1,000 households5.4
Multifamily is 22.7 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Houston County
How much SBA lending happens in Houston County
- 7(a) approvals recorded14
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$9.8 m
- Average 7(a) approval$703,429
- Median 7(a) approval$255,500
- 10th percentile approval$50,000
- 90th percentile approval$2,800,000
- Largest single approval$2,850,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)180
- Jobs per approval12.9
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active8
- Distinct industries receiving approvals11
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer21.4 percent
- Loans on real estate terms3
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter10
- Franchise loans1
- Franchise share of approvals7.1 percent
- Leading industry by approval countHighway, Street, and Bridge Construction (2)
- Most active lenderMerchants Bank, National Association (3)
- 504 approvals recorded1
- 504 gross approval dollars$139,000
- Average 504 approval$139,000
- Median 504 approval$139,000
- Distinct CDCs active1
- 504 jobs per approval2.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved14.4
- Most active CDCSoutheastern Minnesota 504 Development Corporation (1)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals93.3 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$10.0 m
The average approval of $703,429 sits well above the median of $255,500, 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 21.4 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.
Houston County
Do SBA loans in Houston County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded5
- Paid in full5
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure9
- Status: Paid in full5
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.
Houston County
Which parts of Houston County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending6
- Houston, approvals4
- Spring Grove, approvals3
- La Crescent, approvals3
- Brownsville, approvals2
- HOKAH, approvals1
- Caledonia, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Houston | 4 | $545,700 |
| Spring Grove | 3 | $4,220,500 |
| La Crescent | 3 | $905,500 |
| Brownsville | 2 | $1,189,500 |
| HOKAH | 1 | $136,800 |
| Caledonia | 1 | $2,850,000 |
Houston accounts for 4 approvals against 3 in Spring Grove. 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.
Houston County
How big is Houston County
- Land area552 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Minnesota counties61st of 87
- Width, east to west25.7 mi
- Height, north to south23.9 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary2
- Residents per square mile of land34
- Establishments per square mile0.71
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 Houston 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 Houston County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population18,653
- Households8,134
- Average household size2.29
- Median household income$79,825
- Median age45.1
Common questions
Houston County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Houston County, Minnesota?
18,653, in 8,134 households, ranking 51st of 87 Minnesota counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Houston County growing?
The population has fallen 2.47 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 22 births against 226 deaths, with net migration of -21. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Houston County?
$79,825. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $239,000, which is 3.0 times income, and median gross rent is $879 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Houston County?
394 establishments, employing 4,309 people with an annual payroll of $204.6 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 Houston County?
Average annual pay is $47,489, or $913 a week, across 5,031 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Houston County?
14 7(a) approvals totalling $9.8 m since FY2020, across 8 lenders, with a median approval of $255,500, plus 1 504 approvals worth $139,000. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Houston County?
44 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $15.0 m. Multifamily was 22.7 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Houston 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 Houston County come from?
The largest single origin is Houston County Non-migrants, with 7,897 households. Arriving households report an average income of $58,280 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 Houston 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 Houston 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.