Ramsey County, Minnesota: commercial real estate data.
Ramsey County, Minnesota has a population of 542,945 across 152 square miles, down 1.9 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $56.26 bn in 2024, 13,677 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 991 7(a) approvals worth $464.3 m.
123 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Ramsey County
How many people live in Ramsey County
- Population542,945
- Households221,327
- Average household size2.45
- Median household income$81,568
- Median age36.1
- Median gross rent$1,329 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$326,600
- Home value to household income4.0 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income19.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher45.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree18.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over366,857
- Population under 18125,157
- Share under 1823.1 percent
- Population 65 and over85,596
- Share 65 and over15.8 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 64332,192
- Civilian labor force295,340
- Unemployment rate4.9 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over70.7 percent
- Rank by population among Minnesota counties2nd of 87
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents132nd
Ramsey County is the 2nd largest of 87 Minnesota counties by population. A median home costs 4.0 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 23.1 percent against 15.8 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Ramsey County
Is Ramsey County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-1.87 percent
- Census 2020 base population552,345
- Births, 20246,557
- Deaths, 20244,858
- Natural change, 20241,699
- Net domestic migration, 2024-3,292
- Net international migration, 20245,142
- Total net migration, 20241,850
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-30,484
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2470th
The county has lost 1.87 percent of its population since the 2020 census base. Migration contributed more to 2024 change than births over deaths, so demand here follows people arriving rather than families forming.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Ramsey County
Where people moving to Ramsey County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving19,325
- People arriving, from those returns29,853
- Adjusted gross income arriving$1.20 bn
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$61,963
- Largest single originRamsey County Non-migrants (207,795 households)
- Largest single destination (207,795 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ramsey County Non-migrants | 207,795 | 399,803 | $19.67 bn |
| Hennepin County | 6,163 | 9,282 | $380.7 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 2,818 | 4,529 | $177.3 m |
| Washington County | 2,087 | 3,281 | $164.0 m |
| Dakota County | 1,764 | 2,688 | $92.3 m |
| Anoka County | 1,705 | 2,740 | $98.4 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 1,007 | 1,553 | $57.9 m |
| Other flows - South | 962 | 1,591 | $61.0 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Ramsey 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.
Ramsey County
What the Ramsey County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$56.26 bn
- County GDP, 2023$52.71 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20246.7 percent
- GDP change over five years27.8 percent
- Rank by GDP among Minnesota counties2nd
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents105th
- GDP per resident$103,613
Output grew 6.7 percent in the latest year and 27.8 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.
Ramsey County
Who employs people in Ramsey County
- Covered employment, annual average325,226
- Establishments reporting15,457
- Average annual pay$77,908
- Average weekly wage$1,498
- Sector 62, employment69,520
- Sector 62, average annual pay$63,608
- Sector 31-33, employment27,466
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$101,690
- Sector 44-45, employment23,130
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$41,890
- Sector 72, employment22,441
- Sector 72, average annual pay$29,707
- Sector 56, employment14,733
- Sector 55, employment14,244
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 62 | 69,520 | 2,824 | $63,608 |
| Sector 31-33 | 27,466 | 626 | $101,690 |
| Sector 44-45 | 23,130 | 1,430 | $41,890 |
| Sector 72 | 22,441 | 1,240 | $29,707 |
| Sector 56 | 14,733 | 658 | $50,246 |
| Sector 55 | 14,244 | 166 | $173,147 |
| Sector 52 | 13,869 | 670 | $122,308 |
| Sector 54 | 13,846 | 1,722 | $110,855 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 69,520 jobs, 21.4 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.
Ramsey County
What businesses operate in Ramsey County
- Establishments, all industries13,677
- Employment at those establishments294,664
- Annual payroll$20.39 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents25.2
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.
Ramsey County
What is being built in Ramsey County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 20241,084
- Declared construction value permitted$290.6 m
- Single family units authorised202
- Multifamily units authorised882
- Multifamily share of units81.4 percent
- Average declared value per unit$268,079
- Units authorised per 1,000 households4.9
Multifamily is 81.4 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is being built for renters rather than buyers.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Ramsey County
How much SBA lending happens in Ramsey County
- 7(a) approvals recorded991
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$464.3 m
- Average 7(a) approval$468,532
- Median 7(a) approval$176,800
- 10th percentile approval$25,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,225,300
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)15,492
- Jobs per approval15.6
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active98
- Distinct industries receiving approvals273
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer9.3 percent
- Loans on real estate terms92
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter858
- Franchise loans76
- Franchise share of approvals7.7 percent
- Leading industry by approval countFull-Service Restaurants (37)
- Most active lenderU.S. Bank, National Association (164)
- 504 approvals recorded350
- 504 gross approval dollars$227.5 m
- Average 504 approval$649,943
- Median 504 approval$460,000
- Distinct CDCs active7
- 504 jobs per approval11.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved16.9
- Most active CDCTwin Cities-Metro Certified Development Company (153)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals73.9 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$691.8 m
The average approval of $468,532 sits well above the median of $176,800, 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 9.3 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.
Ramsey County
Do SBA loans in Ramsey County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded239
- Paid in full226
- Charged off13
- Charge off rate on resolved loans5.4 percent
- Status: Paid in full226
- Status: Exempt from disclosure586
- Status: Cancelled125
- Status: Charged off13
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed41
Of the 239 loans that have reached a final outcome, 5.4 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.
Ramsey County
Which parts of Ramsey County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending27
- SAINT PAUL, approvals724
- ROSEVILLE, approvals48
- White Bear Lake, approvals43
- MAPLEWOOD, approvals31
- Vadnais Heights, approvals29
- Shoreview, approvals25
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| SAINT PAUL | 724 | $325,674,900 |
| ROSEVILLE | 48 | $35,530,400 |
| White Bear Lake | 43 | $16,747,900 |
| MAPLEWOOD | 31 | $12,096,100 |
| Vadnais Heights | 29 | $14,834,900 |
| Shoreview | 25 | $10,750,700 |
| New Brighton | 18 | $5,482,600 |
| Little Canada | 17 | $18,848,900 |
SAINT PAUL accounts for 724 approvals against 48 in ROSEVILLE. 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.
Ramsey County
How big is Ramsey County
- Land area152 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Minnesota counties87th of 87
- Width, east to west11.9 mi
- Height, north to south16.3 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary4
- Residents per square mile of land3,572
- Establishments per square mile89.98
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 Ramsey 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 Ramsey County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population542,945
- Households221,327
- Average household size2.45
- Median household income$81,568
- Median age36.1
Common questions
Ramsey County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Ramsey County, Minnesota?
542,945, in 221,327 households, ranking 2nd of 87 Minnesota counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Ramsey County growing?
The population has fallen 1.87 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 6,557 births against 4,858 deaths, with net migration of 1,850. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Ramsey County?
$81,568. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $326,600, which is 4.0 times income, and median gross rent is $1,329 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Ramsey County?
13,677 establishments, employing 294,664 people with an annual payroll of $20.39 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Ramsey County?
Average annual pay is $77,908, or $1,498 a week, across 325,226 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Ramsey County?
991 7(a) approvals totalling $464.3 m since FY2020, across 98 lenders, with a median approval of $176,800, plus 350 504 approvals worth $227.5 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Ramsey County get paid back?
Of the 239 loans that have reached a final outcome, 226 were paid in full and 13 charged off, a charge off rate of 5.4 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
What is being built in Ramsey County?
1,084 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $290.6 m. Multifamily was 81.4 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Ramsey 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 Ramsey County come from?
The largest single origin is Ramsey County Non-migrants, with 207,795 households. Arriving households report an average income of $61,963 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 Ramsey 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 Ramsey 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.