City · Minnesota
Kiester, Minnesota
Kiester, city, in Faribault County, Minnesota. Kiester had 487 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 0.4% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 488 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 494 (±64). GEOID 2733056.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
487
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 488 · ACS 2020-2024: 494 ±64
Median household income
$52,727
±$5,520 (90% margin)
Minnesota: $89,062
Median home value
$58,800
±$7,177 (90% margin)
Minnesota: $329,300
Median gross rent
$820
±$484 (90% margin)
Minnesota: $1,280
Where is Kiester and what county is it in?
Kiester is a city in Faribault County, Minnesota. It covers 0.4 square miles of land, 1,140 residents per square mile in 2020.
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Kiester, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 487 people lived in Kiester on July 1, 2025, down 0.4% since 2020, while Minnesota grew 2.2%. The 2020 Census counted 488 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 494 (±64).
| Measure | Kiester | Faribault County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 494 ±64 | 13,914 | no clear change |
| Households | 230 ±36 | 6,079 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.15 ±0.22 | 2.24 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 312 ±50 | 6,897 | no clear change |
Kiester's population since 2000
From 540 in 2000 to 487 in 2025: down 9.8%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Kiester 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 Kiester?
The median resident of Kiester is 44.8 years old; 16.4% are under 18 and 21.1% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 93.1%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 5.5%.
| Measure | Kiester | Faribault County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 44.8 ±2.8 | 44.3 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 16.4% ±4.1 pts | 22.1% | – |
| 65 years and over | 21.1% ±5.8 pts | 23.7% | – |
| Male | 47.0% ±5.1 pts | 50.7% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 5.5% ±3.9 pts | 8.1% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 93.1% ±4.2 pts | 88.0% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±4.4 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±4.4 pts | 0.6% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.8% ±0.9 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±4.4 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 0.6% ±1.1 pts | 2.1% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±4.4 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 0.2% ±0.4 pts | 1.9% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 3.7% ±3.8 pts | 5.2% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 6.3% ±2.7 pts | 8.2% | – |
| With a disability | 18.4% ±4.3 pts | 15.1% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 9.1% ±4.0 pts | 5.8% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 90.3% ±4.1 pts | 92.0% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 9.7% ±2.7 pts | 21.8% | −11.8 pts |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 2.2% ±1.4 pts | 5.4% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 90.3% ±5.7 pts | 90.4% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.4% ±0.5 pts | 1.5% | – |
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 Kiester earn?
Half of Kiester's 230 households earn less than $52,727 a year (±$5,520), against $66,815 in Faribault County and $89,062 in Minnesota. In 2015-2019 it was $59,483 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 21.5% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Kiester | Faribault County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $52,727 ±$5,520 | $66,815 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $66,231 ±$11,114 | $86,181 | – |
| Per capita income | $32,574 ±$4,691 | $38,110 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 21.5% ±6.8 pts | 10.4% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 28.4% ±12.9 pts | 11.4% | no clear change |
| Households receiving SNAP | 11.3% ±5.6 pts | 10.1% | – |
| Households with a computer | 95.7% ±3.0 pts | 92.4% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 80.0% ±9.9 pts | 84.8% | – |
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 Kiester?
Owners occupy 83.9% of Kiester's occupied homes and renters 16.1%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $58,800 by its owner (±$7,177). The median renter pays $820 a month including utilities.
| Measure | Kiester | Faribault County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $58,800 ±$7,177 | $135,300 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $820 ±$484 | $799 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 10.7% ±13.4 pts | 23.9% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $990 ±$192 | $1,275 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 83.9% ±6.0 pts | 79.2% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 16.1% ±6.0 pts | 20.8% | – |
| Housing units | 312 ±50 | 6,897 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 2.5% ±3.6 pts | 0.9% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 30.2% ±25.4 pts | 1.5% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 80.8% ±11.7 pts | 87.7% | – |
| Mobile homes | 9.3% ±8.8 pts | 1.2% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±7.0 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 0.0% ±7.0 pts | 1.6% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 30.8% ±10.4 pts | 37.6% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 3.0% ±2.3 pts | 4.9% | – |
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 Kiester building?
Builders took permits for 0 new housing units in Kiester in 2025 (0 in single-family houses), 0.0 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 Kiester work and get to work?
65.6% of Kiester's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 28.2 minutes.
| Measure | Kiester | Faribault County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 60.7% ±7.7 pts | 63.3% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 5.0% ±4.0 pts | 3.4% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 65.6% ±6.9 pts | 76.0% | – |
| Carpooled | 16.8% ±6.6 pts | 8.2% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±8.8 pts | 0.7% | – |
| Walked | 8.6% ±5.4 pts | 5.5% | – |
| Worked from home | 8.6% ±6.1 pts | 8.2% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 28.2 min ±4.5 | 20.2 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 Kiester?
No census tract lies mostly in Kiester; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 4605Faribault County | 2,250 | $65,417 |
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 Kiester) · Census block assignment files
How does Kiester compare with other places in Minnesota?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Kiester is the 13,301st-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 503rd-most populous of 855 in Minnesota.
Kiester 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 | 503rd | 855 |
Kiester's figures with every place in Minnesota (CSV)
Every place in Minnesota, sortable · Compare Kiester 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 Kiester?
20 of the 57 figures for Kiester 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 Kiester 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 Kiester.