City · Minnesota
Crookston, Minnesota
Crookston, city, in Polk County, Minnesota. Crookston had 7,375 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 1.7% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 7,482 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 7,344 (±58). GEOID 2713870.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
7,375
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 7,482 · ACS 2020-2024: 7,344 ±58
Median household income
$57,315
±$9,094 (90% margin)
Minnesota: $89,062
Median home value
$185,600
±$12,247 (90% margin)
Minnesota: $329,300
Median gross rent
$848
±$65 (90% margin)
Minnesota: $1,280
Where is Crookston and what county is it in?
Crookston is a city in Polk County, Minnesota. It covers 5.1 square miles of land, 1,463 residents per square mile in 2020.
Crookston is in the Grand Forks, ND-MN metropolitan statistical area, which takes in 2 counties (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Crookston, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 7,375 people lived in Crookston on July 1, 2025, down 1.7% since 2020, while Minnesota grew 2.2%. The 2020 Census counted 7,482 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 7,344 (±58).
| Measure | Crookston | Polk County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 7,344 ±58 | 30,705 | −412 |
| Households | 3,332 ±167 | 12,360 | +343 |
| Average household size | 2.00 ±0.10 | 2.38 | −0.34 |
| Housing units | 3,843 ±224 | 14,697 | +520 |
Crookston's population since 2000
From 8,192 in 2000 to 7,375 in 2025: down 10.0%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Crookston as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Crookston?
The median resident of Crookston is 41.9 years old; 18.5% are under 18 and 20.7% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 80.8%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 9.6%. 1.8% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Crookston | Polk County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 41.9 ±2.4 | 39.8 | +6.5 |
| Under 18 years | 18.5% ±2.2 pts | 24.5% | – |
| 65 years and over | 20.7% ±2.4 pts | 19.1% | – |
| Male | 50.2% ±2.6 pts | 51.4% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 9.6% ±2.8 pts | 6.9% | no clear change |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 80.8% ±3.3 pts | 84.0% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 1.3% ±1.1 pts | 2.0% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 1.1% ±0.6 pts | 0.8% | −1.7 pts |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 1.6% ±1.0 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.3 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 5.0% ±2.1 pts | 4.7% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.5% ±0.6 pts | 0.9% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 1.8% ±1.1 pts | 2.1% | −6.6 pts |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 5.7% ±2.5 pts | 6.0% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 6.3% ±1.9 pts | 6.2% | – |
| With a disability | 13.8% ±2.4 pts | 11.7% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 5.3% ±3.4 pts | 5.8% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 94.3% ±2.5 pts | 93.8% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 34.7% ±5.8 pts | 28.0% | +7.9 pts |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 13.8% ±4.2 pts | 9.0% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 88.0% ±3.7 pts | 89.3% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 3.1% ±2.8 pts | 3.5% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Crookston earn?
Half of Crookston's 3,332 households earn less than $57,315 a year (±$9,094), against $73,107 in Polk County and $89,062 in Minnesota. In 2015-2019 it was $68,270 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 15.6% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Crookston | Polk County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $57,315 ±$9,094 | $73,107 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $79,666 ±$8,947 | $90,262 | – |
| Per capita income | $37,845 ±$3,848 | $37,371 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 15.6% ±4.0 pts | 11.9% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 17.7% ±9.8 pts | 12.9% | no clear change |
| Households receiving SNAP | 10.4% ±3.8 pts | 10.0% | – |
| Households with a computer | 91.7% ±3.4 pts | 94.1% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 90.8% ±3.4 pts | 90.4% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Crookston?
Owners occupy 56.6% of Crookston's occupied homes and renters 43.4%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $185,600 by its owner (±$12,247). The median renter pays $848 a month including utilities, and 48.5% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Crookston | Polk County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $185,600 ±$12,247 | $222,800 | +$25,364 |
| Median gross rent | $848 ±$65 | $855 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 48.5% ±11.1 pts | 47.4% | +23.0 pts |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,454 ±$187 | $1,617 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 56.6% ±6.0 pts | 71.3% | −8.4 pts |
| Renter-occupied homes | 43.4% ±6.0 pts | 28.7% | – |
| Housing units | 3,843 ±224 | 14,697 | +520 |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.2% ±0.3 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 8.5% ±7.9 pts | 9.3% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 57.0% ±5.4 pts | 72.1% | – |
| Mobile homes | 4.1% ±2.3 pts | 5.4% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.8% ±1.4 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 7.3% ±3.2 pts | 6.5% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 24.6% ±5.6 pts | 22.1% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 11.1% ±4.9 pts | 7.4% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How many new homes is Crookston building?
Builders took permits for 1 new housing units in Crookston in 2025 (1 in single-family houses), 0.1 per 1,000 residents against 3.6 across Minnesota.
Counts of units in permits a local office issued; not every permitted unit is built. A year marked with months was reported for part of the year.
Source: Building Permits Survey, annual place files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey
How do people in Crookston work and get to work?
78.1% of Crookston's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 16.9 minutes.
| Measure | Crookston | Polk County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 66.4% ±3.9 pts | 66.3% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 3.4% ±2.8 pts | 3.6% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 78.1% ±5.2 pts | 78.3% | – |
| Carpooled | 5.8% ±3.5 pts | 6.7% | – |
| Public transportation | 4.4% ±3.1 pts | 1.6% | – |
| Walked | 8.2% ±2.5 pts | 6.2% | – |
| Worked from home | 3.4% ±2.3 pts | 5.8% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 16.9 min ±2.2 | 18.6 min | +3.8 min |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Crookston?
2 census tracts lie mostly in Crookston, and 1 more reaches into it (2020 census blocks). Their median household incomes run from $56,905 (Tract 207) to $58,338 (Tract 206).
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Crookston) · Census block assignment files
How does Crookston compare with other places in Minnesota?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Crookston is the 3,939th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 128th-most populous of 855 in Minnesota.
Crookston ranks 516th of 558 places in Minnesota with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 128th | 855 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 453rd | 556 |
| Residents per square mile | 122nd | 562 |
| Median household income | 516th | 558 |
| Per capita income | 396th | 562 |
| Median home value | 462nd | 559 |
| Median gross rent | 357th | 465 |
| Poverty rate | 64th | 461 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 204th | 559 |
| Median age | 257th | 561 |
| Owner-occupied share | 534th | 561 |
| Travel time to work | 500th | 562 |
Crookston's figures with every place in Minnesota (CSV)
Every place in Minnesota, sortable · Compare Crookston with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Crookston?
10 of the 57 figures for Crookston on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Crookston are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' public schools in Crookston.