Township · Minnesota
Little Elbow Township, Minnesota
Little Elbow Township, township, in Mahnomen County, Minnesota. Little Elbow Township had 275 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 4.5% from the Bureau's April 2020 estimates base of 288; the 2020 Census counted 318 on the place as it was defined then and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 236 (±45). GEOID 2708737530.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
275
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 318 · ACS 2020-2024: 236 ±45
Median household income
$70,833
±$12,234 (90% margin)
Minnesota: $89,062
Median home value
$205,000
±$64,386 (90% margin)
Minnesota: $329,300
Median gross rent
not published
Minnesota: $1,280
Where is Little Elbow Township and what county is it in?
Little Elbow Township is a township in Mahnomen County, Minnesota. It covers 31.3 square miles of land, 10 residents per square mile in 2020.
One place lies inside Little Elbow Township: Twin Lakes (CDP, 192 in 2020).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Little Elbow Township, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 275 people lived in Little Elbow Township on July 1, 2025, down 4.5% since 2020, while Minnesota grew 2.2%. The Census Bureau's yearly estimates start from its own April 2020 base for Little Elbow Township, 288, which differs from the 2020 Census count of 318: the estimates follow the place as the estimates program defines it today (its present boundaries, and for a consolidated city-county the area the program assigns it), so the change since 2020 is measured from that base. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 236 (±45).
| Measure | Little Elbow Township | Mahnomen County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 236±45 | 5,358 | no clear change |
| Households | 94±16 | 1,885 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.51±0.38 | 2.80 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 256±20 | 2,547 | −34 |
Little Elbow Township's population since 2000
From 225 in 2000 to 275 in 2025: up 22.2%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Little Elbow Township 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 Little Elbow Township?
The median resident of Little Elbow Township is 44.8 years old; 24.6% are under 18 and 30.1% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaska Native residents at 55.1%, then non-Hispanic white residents at 25.0%.
| Measure | Little Elbow Township | Mahnomen County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 44.8±9.7 | 35.4 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 24.6%±7.2 pts | 31.0% | – |
| 65 years and over | 30.1%±7.9 pts | 17.9% | – |
| Male | 55.5%±5.8 pts | 51.1% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 4.7%±3.3 pts | 4.1% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 25.0%±7.1 pts | 44.4% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±9.1 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±9.1 pts | 0.5% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 55.1%±10.1 pts | 33.6% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±9.1 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 15.3%±5.4 pts | 16.7% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±9.1 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 0.0%±9.1 pts | 1.0% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 14.0%±7.3 pts | 11.7% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 15.2%±6.5 pts | 5.8% | – |
| With a disability | 13.6%±4.6 pts | 16.5% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 13.6%±8.1 pts | 11.9% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 93.8%±5.8 pts | 88.1% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 28.8%±7.5 pts | 16.2% | +15.8 pts |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 12.5%±4.1 pts | 4.7% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 89.8%±5.6 pts | 92.7% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 2.1%±2.5 pts | 0.3% | – |
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 Little Elbow Township earn?
Half of Little Elbow Township's 94 households earn less than $70,833 a year (±$12,234), against $59,441 in Mahnomen County and $89,062 in Minnesota. In 2015-2019 the median was $54,228 in 2024 dollars, so it rose by $16,605 after inflation. 15.9% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Little Elbow Township | Mahnomen County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $70,833±$12,234 | $59,441 | +$16,605 |
| Mean household income | $83,434±$12,167 | $74,650 | – |
| Per capita income | $31,984±$5,584 | $27,297 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 15.9%±6.1 pts | 18.3% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 14.5%±12.3 pts | 22.9% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 27.7%±9.0 pts | 21.4% | – |
| Households with a computer | 94.7%±5.6 pts | 90.9% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 90.4%±5.1 pts | 85.5% | – |
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 Little Elbow Township?
Owners occupy 94.7% of Little Elbow Township's occupied homes and renters 5.3%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $205,000 by its owner (±$64,386).
| Measure | Little Elbow Township | Mahnomen County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $205,000±$64,386 | $161,900 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 0.0%±100.0 pts | 28.3% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,375±$1,302 | $1,335 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 94.7%±6.4 pts | 73.3% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 5.3%±6.4 pts | 26.7% | – |
| Housing units | 256±20 | 2,547 | −34 |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0%±22.1 pts | 0.9% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0%±100.0 pts | 5.9% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 88.3%±5.4 pts | 80.0% | – |
| Mobile homes | 11.7%±5.4 pts | 8.8% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 2.0%±2.1 pts | 1.1% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 8.6%±2.9 pts | 6.5% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 6.3%±2.7 pts | 17.7% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 10.6%±5.5 pts | 9.0% | – |
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 do people in Little Elbow Township work and get to work?
83.8% of Little Elbow Township's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 30.0 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 15.5%.
| Measure | Little Elbow Township | Mahnomen County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 46.2%±8.2 pts | 58.4% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 15.5%±8.0 pts | 9.8% | no clear change |
| Drove alone to work | 83.8%±14.0 pts | 73.5% | – |
| Carpooled | 10.3%±10.1 pts | 10.2% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0%±27.5 pts | 1.3% | – |
| Walked | 0.0%±27.5 pts | 6.7% | – |
| Worked from home | 5.9%±6.8 pts | 6.6% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 30.0 min±7.3 | 20.4 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 Little Elbow Township?
No census tract lies mostly in Little Elbow Township; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9403Mahnomen County | 2,511 | $62,727 |
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 Little Elbow Township) · Census block assignment files
How does Little Elbow Township compare with other places in Minnesota?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Little Elbow Township is the 11,663rd-most populous of the 16,079 U.S. towns and townships that have one and the 904th-most populous of 1,772 in Minnesota.
Little Elbow Township 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 | 904th | 1,772 |
Little Elbow Township's figures with every place in Minnesota (CSV)
Every place in Minnesota, sortable · Compare Little Elbow Township 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 Little Elbow Township?
18 of the 56 figures for Little Elbow Township 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 Little Elbow Township 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' school search.