City · Minnesota
Foreston, Minnesota
Foreston, city, in Mille Lacs County, Minnesota. Foreston had 581 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 4.1% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 559 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 757 (±178). GEOID 2721824.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
581
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 559 · ACS 2020-2024: 757 ±178
Median household income
$92,000
±$31,732 (90% margin)
Minnesota: $89,062
Median home value
$253,600
±$22,536 (90% margin)
Minnesota: $329,300
Median gross rent
$1,278
±$133 (90% margin)
Minnesota: $1,280
Where is Foreston and what county is it in?
Foreston is a city in Mille Lacs County, Minnesota. It covers 1.4 square miles of land, 390 residents per square mile in 2020.
Foreston is in the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI metropolitan statistical area, which takes in 15 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 Foreston, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 581 people lived in Foreston on July 1, 2025, up 4.1% since 2020, faster than Minnesota (+2.2%). The 2020 Census counted 559 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 757 (±178).
| Measure | Foreston | Mille Lacs County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 757 ±178 | 27,125 | +286 |
| Households | 270 ±53 | 10,672 | +88 |
| Average household size | 2.80 ±0.43 | 2.50 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 275 ±53 | 13,069 | +73 |
Foreston's population since 2000
From 389 in 2000 to 581 in 2025: up 49.4%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Foreston 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 Foreston?
The median resident of Foreston is 34.6 years old; 32.8% are under 18 and 6.9% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 93.5%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 2.9%.
| Measure | Foreston | Mille Lacs County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 34.6 ±5.9 | 41.2 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 32.8% ±7.4 pts | 23.1% | – |
| 65 years and over | 6.9% ±3.2 pts | 18.6% | – |
| Male | 54.0% ±5.7 pts | 50.9% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 2.9% ±3.2 pts | 2.3% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 93.5% ±4.6 pts | 88.0% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.9 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.8% ±1.2 pts | 0.9% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.4% ±0.6 pts | 4.2% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.9 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 2.4% ±2.1 pts | 3.6% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.9 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 2.1% ±1.8 pts | 1.4% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 2.9% ±2.2 pts | 3.5% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 5.1% ±2.7 pts | 7.9% | – |
| With a disability | 7.8% ±3.1 pts | 15.7% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 1.5% ±1.1 pts | 4.9% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 90.0% ±4.7 pts | 91.6% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 26.1% ±13.8 pts | 18.2% | +15.8 pts |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 10.2% ±7.3 pts | 5.4% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 96.8% ±2.3 pts | 88.4% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.0% ±2.9 pts | 0.7% | – |
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 Foreston earn?
Half of Foreston's 270 households earn less than $92,000 a year (±$31,732), against $72,729 in Mille Lacs County and $89,062 in Minnesota. In 2015-2019 it was $70,150 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart.
| Measure | Foreston | Mille Lacs County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $92,000 ±$31,732 | $72,729 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $104,758 ±$11,586 | $90,096 | – |
| Per capita income | $36,610 ±$6,166 | $36,173 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 7.1% ±6.1 pts | 10.4% | – |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 12.1% ±13.9 pts | 12.7% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 2.2% ±3.4 pts | 11.0% | – |
| Households with a computer | 93.3% ±5.9 pts | 93.4% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 92.2% ±5.8 pts | 87.4% | – |
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 Foreston?
Owners occupy 85.6% of Foreston's occupied homes and renters 14.4%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $253,600 by its owner (±$22,536). The median renter pays $1,278 a month including utilities.
| Measure | Foreston | Mille Lacs County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $253,600 ±$22,536 | $258,300 | +$69,734 |
| Median gross rent | $1,278 ±$133 | $903 | +$300 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 5.1% ±8.1 pts | 34.0% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,781 ±$265 | $1,733 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 85.6% ±8.5 pts | 77.9% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 14.4% ±8.5 pts | 22.1% | – |
| Housing units | 275 ±53 | 13,069 | +73 |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±9.3 pts | 1.2% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 11.4% ±20.1 pts | 5.9% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 89.8% ±5.6 pts | 73.6% | – |
| Mobile homes | 5.8% ±4.6 pts | 9.9% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 2.5% ±2.2 pts | 1.9% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 0.7% ±1.1 pts | 5.7% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 21.5% ±9.0 pts | 15.2% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 0.7% ±1.1 pts | 5.5% | – |
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 Foreston building?
Builders took permits for 1 new housing units in Foreston in 2025 (1 in single-family houses), 1.7 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 Foreston work and get to work?
69.5% of Foreston's workers drive alone and 18.6% work from home. The average trip to work takes 33.0 minutes.
| Measure | Foreston | Mille Lacs County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 81.7% ±6.1 pts | 64.3% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 2.6% ±2.4 pts | 4.0% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 69.5% ±7.7 pts | 76.4% | – |
| Carpooled | 10.9% ±4.9 pts | 9.9% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±5.0 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Walked | 0.9% ±1.8 pts | 2.1% | – |
| Worked from home | 18.6% ±8.3 pts | 10.2% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 33.0 min ±5.6 | 32.0 min | no clear change |
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 Foreston?
No census tract lies mostly in Foreston; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 1704Mille Lacs County | 5,527 | $86,774 |
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 Foreston) · Census block assignment files
How does Foreston compare with other places in Minnesota?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Foreston is the 12,597th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 459th-most populous of 855 in Minnesota.
Foreston is not ranked by income or the other survey measures: those rankings include places of 1,000 or more residents (2020 Census) with a reliable estimate.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 459th | 855 |
Foreston's figures with every place in Minnesota (CSV)
Every place in Minnesota, sortable · Compare Foreston 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 Foreston?
25 of the 57 figures for Foreston 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 Foreston 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 Foreston.