St. Louis County, Minnesota: commercial real estate data.
St. Louis County, Minnesota has a population of 200,123 across 6,247 square miles, up 0.3 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $13.87 bn in 2024, 5,360 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 302 7(a) approvals worth $117.4 m.
123 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
St. Louis County
How many people live in St. Louis County
- Population200,123
- Households87,115
- Average household size2.30
- Median household income$70,069
- Median age41.2
- Median gross rent$1,013 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$221,400
- Home value to household income3.2 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income17.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher33.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree12.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over138,424
- Population under 1837,130
- Share under 1818.6 percent
- Population 65 and over42,751
- Share 65 and over21.4 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 64120,242
- Civilian labor force102,280
- Unemployment rate4.6 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over62.8 percent
- Rank by population among Minnesota counties6th of 87
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents349th
St. Louis County is the 6th largest of 87 Minnesota counties by population. A median home costs 3.2 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 21.4 percent against 18.6 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.
St. Louis County
Is St. Louis County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base0.28 percent
- Census 2020 base population200,231
- Births, 20241,779
- Deaths, 20242,275
- Natural change, 2024-496
- Net domestic migration, 2024426
- Net international migration, 2024246
- Total net migration, 2024672
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20242,197
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1726th
The county has grown 0.28 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.
St. Louis County
Where people moving to St. Louis County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving4,192
- People arriving, from those returns6,605
- Adjusted gross income arriving$257.1 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$61,324
- Largest single originSt. Louis County Non-migrants (77,864 households)
- Largest single destination (77,864 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. Louis County Non-migrants | 77,864 | 147,072 | $6.32 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 1,455 | 2,416 | $98.5 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 576 | 941 | $33.9 m |
| Other flows - West | 444 | 767 | $33.3 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 386 | 576 | $19.8 m |
| Hennepin County | 378 | 533 | $28.5 m |
| Other flows - South | 340 | 562 | $23.3 m |
| Douglas County | 292 | 461 | $12.5 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is St. Louis 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.
St. Louis County
What the St. Louis County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$13.87 bn
- County GDP, 2023$13.65 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20241.6 percent
- GDP change over five years32.5 percent
- Rank by GDP among Minnesota counties7th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents341st
- GDP per resident$69,326
Output grew 1.6 percent in the latest year and 32.5 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.
St. Louis County
Who employs people in St. Louis County
- Covered employment, annual average95,504
- Establishments reporting5,646
- Average annual pay$60,452
- Average weekly wage$1,163
- Sector 62, employment24,190
- Sector 62, average annual pay$68,738
- Sector 44-45, employment11,325
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$35,175
- Sector 72, employment9,418
- Sector 72, average annual pay$23,060
- Sector 31-33, employment5,523
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$69,885
- Sector 23, employment4,551
- Sector 54, employment3,894
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 62 | 24,190 | 682 | $68,738 |
| Sector 44-45 | 11,325 | 762 | $35,175 |
| Sector 72 | 9,418 | 557 | $23,060 |
| Sector 31-33 | 5,523 | 208 | $69,885 |
| Sector 23 | 4,551 | 601 | $81,268 |
| Sector 54 | 3,894 | 412 | $88,119 |
| Sector 21 | 3,373 | 21 | $113,334 |
| Sector 81 | 3,285 | 633 | $36,562 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 24,190 jobs, 25.3 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.
St. Louis County
What businesses operate in St. Louis County
- Establishments, all industries5,360
- Employment at those establishments84,223
- Annual payroll$4.71 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents26.8
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.
St. Louis County
What is being built in St. Louis County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024637
- Declared construction value permitted$177.9 m
- Single family units authorised293
- Multifamily units authorised344
- Multifamily share of units54.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$279,347
- Units authorised per 1,000 households7.3
Multifamily is 54.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is being built for renters rather than buyers.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
St. Louis County
How much SBA lending happens in St. Louis County
- 7(a) approvals recorded302
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$117.4 m
- Average 7(a) approval$388,658
- Median 7(a) approval$150,000
- 10th percentile approval$29,400
- 90th percentile approval$947,500
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)3,091
- Jobs per approval10.2
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active46
- Distinct industries receiving approvals139
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer22.2 percent
- Loans on real estate terms67
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter216
- Franchise loans20
- Franchise share of approvals6.6 percent
- Leading industry by approval countLimited-Service Restaurants (18)
- Most active lenderNortheast Entrepreneur Fund, Inc. (83)
- 504 approvals recorded125
- 504 gross approval dollars$84.8 m
- Average 504 approval$678,656
- Median 504 approval$461,000
- Distinct CDCs active5
- 504 jobs per approval10.2
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved15.0
- Most active CDCMidwest Business Finance Corporation (80)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals70.7 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$202.2 m
The average approval of $388,658 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 22.2 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.
St. Louis County
Do SBA loans in St. Louis County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded98
- Paid in full97
- Charged off1
- Charge off rate on resolved loans1.0 percent
- Status: Paid in full97
- Status: Exempt from disclosure159
- Status: Cancelled34
- Status: Charged off1
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed11
Of the 98 loans that have reached a final outcome, 1.0 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.
St. Louis County
Which parts of St. Louis County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending24
- Duluth, approvals170
- Virginia, approvals24
- Hermantown, approvals23
- Ely, approvals17
- Hibbing, approvals17
- TOWER, approvals10
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Duluth | 170 | $61,782,500 |
| Virginia | 24 | $11,880,100 |
| Hermantown | 23 | $9,481,500 |
| Ely | 17 | $10,328,700 |
| Hibbing | 17 | $5,477,700 |
| TOWER | 10 | $2,718,100 |
| Chisholm | 7 | $3,055,400 |
| EVELETH | 6 | $1,779,900 |
Duluth accounts for 170 approvals against 24 in Virginia. 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.
St. Louis County
How big is St. Louis County
- Land area6,247 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Minnesota counties1st of 87
- Width, east to west61.3 mi
- Height, north to south136.6 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land32
- Establishments per square mile0.86
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 St. Louis 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 St. Louis County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population200,123
- Households87,115
- Average household size2.30
- Median household income$70,069
- Median age41.2
Common questions
St. Louis County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in St. Louis County, Minnesota?
200,123, in 87,115 households, ranking 6th of 87 Minnesota counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is St. Louis County growing?
The population has grown 0.28 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 1,779 births against 2,275 deaths, with net migration of 672. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in St. Louis County?
$70,069. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $221,400, which is 3.2 times income, and median gross rent is $1,013 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in St. Louis County?
5,360 establishments, employing 84,223 people with an annual payroll of $4.71 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 St. Louis County?
Average annual pay is $60,452, or $1,163 a week, across 95,504 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in St. Louis County?
302 7(a) approvals totalling $117.4 m since FY2020, across 46 lenders, with a median approval of $150,000, plus 125 504 approvals worth $84.8 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in St. Louis County get paid back?
Of the 98 loans that have reached a final outcome, 97 were paid in full and 1 charged off, a charge off rate of 1.0 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
What is being built in St. Louis County?
637 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $177.9 m. Multifamily was 54.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for St. Louis 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 St. Louis County come from?
The largest single origin is St. Louis County Non-migrants, with 77,864 households. Arriving households report an average income of $61,324 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 St. Louis 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 St. Louis 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.