Stearns County, Minnesota: commercial real estate data.
Stearns County, Minnesota has a population of 160,865 across 1,343 square miles, up 3.6 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $12.62 bn in 2024, 4,474 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 369 7(a) approvals worth $161.3 m.
123 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Stearns County
How many people live in Stearns County
- Population160,865
- Households61,403
- Average household size2.62
- Median household income$77,066
- Median age35.1
- Median gross rent$1,068 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$273,400
- Home value to household income3.5 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income16.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher28.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree9.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over99,770
- Population under 1838,011
- Share under 1823.6 percent
- Population 65 and over25,871
- Share 65 and over16.1 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6496,983
- Civilian labor force88,499
- Unemployment rate4.1 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over72.0 percent
- Rank by population among Minnesota counties8th of 87
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents430th
Stearns County is the 8th largest of 87 Minnesota counties by population. A median home costs 3.5 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 23.6 percent against 16.1 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Stearns County
Is Stearns County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base3.60 percent
- Census 2020 base population158,299
- Births, 20242,069
- Deaths, 20241,189
- Natural change, 2024880
- Net domestic migration, 2024-481
- Net international migration, 20241,531
- Total net migration, 20241,050
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-1,682
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents754th
The county has grown 3.60 percent 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.
Stearns County
Where people moving to Stearns County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving4,378
- People arriving, from those returns7,397
- Adjusted gross income arriving$247.9 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$56,619
- Largest single originStearns County Non-migrants (61,455 households)
- Largest single destination (61,455 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stearns County Non-migrants | 61,455 | 126,797 | $7.86 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 966 | 1,712 | $58.3 m |
| Benton County | 747 | 1,329 | $38.2 m |
| Sherburne County | 423 | 719 | $20.2 m |
| Hennepin County | 373 | 561 | $24.5 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 372 | 636 | $18.9 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 356 | 544 | $17.7 m |
| Other flows - South | 276 | 504 | $19.9 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Stearns 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.
Stearns County
What the Stearns County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$12.62 bn
- County GDP, 2023$11.76 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20247.3 percent
- GDP change over five years37.1 percent
- Rank by GDP among Minnesota counties8th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents369th
- GDP per resident$78,439
Output grew 7.3 percent in the latest year and 37.1 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.
Stearns County
Who employs people in Stearns County
- Covered employment, annual average87,252
- Establishments reporting4,733
- Average annual pay$62,313
- Average weekly wage$1,198
- Sector 62, employment16,483
- Sector 62, average annual pay$68,706
- Sector 31-33, employment11,532
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$67,375
- Sector 44-45, employment11,347
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$39,344
- Sector 72, employment6,059
- Sector 72, average annual pay$21,221
- Sector 23, employment5,448
- Sector 42, employment4,127
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 62 | 16,483 | 587 | $68,706 |
| Sector 31-33 | 11,532 | 260 | $67,375 |
| Sector 44-45 | 11,347 | 619 | $39,344 |
| Sector 72 | 6,059 | 382 | $21,221 |
| Sector 23 | 5,448 | 520 | $93,145 |
| Sector 42 | 4,127 | 182 | $72,349 |
| Sector 52 | 3,573 | 276 | $95,839 |
| Sector 48-49 | 3,301 | 151 | $64,198 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 16,483 jobs, 18.9 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.
Stearns County
What businesses operate in Stearns County
- Establishments, all industries4,474
- Employment at those establishments84,123
- Annual payroll$4.89 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents27.8
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.
Stearns County
What is being built in Stearns County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024572
- Declared construction value permitted$170.4 m
- Single family units authorised356
- Multifamily units authorised216
- Multifamily share of units37.8 percent
- Average declared value per unit$297,915
- Units authorised per 1,000 households9.3
Multifamily is 37.8 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Stearns County
How much SBA lending happens in Stearns County
- 7(a) approvals recorded369
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$161.3 m
- Average 7(a) approval$437,207
- Median 7(a) approval$200,000
- 10th percentile approval$33,400
- 90th percentile approval$1,104,400
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)4,911
- Jobs per approval13.3
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active45
- Distinct industries receiving approvals152
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer11.9 percent
- Loans on real estate terms44
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter297
- Franchise loans22
- Franchise share of approvals6.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countFull-Service Restaurants (16)
- Most active lenderFalcon National Bank (67)
- 504 approvals recorded184
- 504 gross approval dollars$114.3 m
- Average 504 approval$621,288
- Median 504 approval$412,000
- Distinct CDCs active7
- 504 jobs per approval8.5
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved13.8
- Most active CDCMidwest Business Finance Corporation (162)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals66.7 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$275.6 m
The average approval of $437,207 sits well above the median of $200,000, 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 11.9 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.
Stearns County
Do SBA loans in Stearns County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded109
- Paid in full105
- Charged off4
- Charge off rate on resolved loans3.7 percent
- Status: Paid in full105
- Status: Exempt from disclosure225
- Status: Cancelled24
- Status: Charged off4
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed11
Of the 109 loans that have reached a final outcome, 3.7 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.
Stearns County
Which parts of Stearns County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending27
- Saint Cloud, approvals134
- WAITE PARK, approvals39
- Saint Joseph, approvals30
- RICHMOND, approvals28
- SARTELL, approvals25
- COLD SPRING, approvals21
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Saint Cloud | 134 | $55,435,900 |
| WAITE PARK | 39 | $20,460,200 |
| Saint Joseph | 30 | $12,822,700 |
| RICHMOND | 28 | $11,303,300 |
| SARTELL | 25 | $5,298,500 |
| COLD SPRING | 21 | $10,764,100 |
| ALBANY | 12 | $4,981,300 |
| PAYNESVILLE | 10 | $2,041,100 |
Saint Cloud accounts for 134 approvals against 39 in WAITE PARK. 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.
Stearns County
How big is Stearns County
- Land area1,343 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Minnesota counties14th of 87
- Width, east to west52.9 mi
- Height, north to south34 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary9
- Residents per square mile of land120
- Establishments per square mile3.33
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 Stearns 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 Stearns County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population160,865
- Households61,403
- Average household size2.62
- Median household income$77,066
- Median age35.1
Common questions
Stearns County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Stearns County, Minnesota?
160,865, in 61,403 households, ranking 8th of 87 Minnesota counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Stearns County growing?
The population has grown 3.60 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 2,069 births against 1,189 deaths, with net migration of 1,050. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Stearns County?
$77,066. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $273,400, which is 3.5 times income, and median gross rent is $1,068 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Stearns County?
4,474 establishments, employing 84,123 people with an annual payroll of $4.89 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 Stearns County?
Average annual pay is $62,313, or $1,198 a week, across 87,252 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Stearns County?
369 7(a) approvals totalling $161.3 m since FY2020, across 45 lenders, with a median approval of $200,000, plus 184 504 approvals worth $114.3 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Stearns County get paid back?
Of the 109 loans that have reached a final outcome, 105 were paid in full and 4 charged off, a charge off rate of 3.7 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
What is being built in Stearns County?
572 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $170.4 m. Multifamily was 37.8 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Stearns 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 Stearns County come from?
The largest single origin is Stearns County Non-migrants, with 61,455 households. Arriving households report an average income of $56,619 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 Stearns 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 Stearns 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.