City · Minnesota
Pelican Rapids, Minnesota
Pelican Rapids, city, in Otter Tail County, Minnesota. Pelican Rapids had 2,608 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 1.3% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 2,577 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 2,586 (±30). GEOID 2750164.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
2,608
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 2,577 · ACS 2020-2024: 2,586 ±30
Median household income
$63,917
±$15,419 (90% margin)
Minnesota: $89,062
Median home value
$174,100
±$24,315 (90% margin)
Minnesota: $329,300
Median gross rent
not published
Minnesota: $1,280
Where is Pelican Rapids and what county is it in?
Pelican Rapids is a city in Otter Tail County, Minnesota. It covers 2.6 square miles of land, 997 residents per square mile in 2020.
Pelican Rapids is in the Fergus Falls, MN micropolitan statistical area (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 Pelican Rapids, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 2,608 people lived in Pelican Rapids on July 1, 2025, up 1.3% since 2020, slower than Minnesota (+2.2%). The 2020 Census counted 2,577 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 2,586 (±30).
| Measure | Pelican Rapids | Otter Tail County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 2,586 ±30 | 60,475 | +99 |
| Households | 931 ±121 | 25,157 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.71 ±0.35 | 2.35 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 1,042 ±127 | 36,698 | no clear change |
Pelican Rapids's population since 2000
From 2,374 in 2000 to 2,608 in 2025: up 9.9%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Pelican Rapids 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 Pelican Rapids?
The median resident of Pelican Rapids is 38.6 years old; 26.3% are under 18 and 17.2% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 52.0%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 32.9%. 25.7% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Pelican Rapids | Otter Tail County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 38.6 ±4.7 | 46.2 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 26.3% ±4.8 pts | 21.7% | – |
| 65 years and over | 17.2% ±4.3 pts | 25.4% | – |
| Male | 52.2% ±4.1 pts | 50.5% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 32.9% ±7.3 pts | 4.0% | no clear change |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 52.0% ±7.8 pts | 90.5% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 10.2% ±5.4 pts | 1.1% | no clear change |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.9 pts | 0.6% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.2% ±0.3 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.9 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 3.2% ±3.0 pts | 3.3% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 1.5% ±1.3 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 25.7% ±6.0 pts | 3.0% | no clear change |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 35.1% ±9.2 pts | 4.6% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 4.2% ±2.2 pts | 8.0% | – |
| With a disability | 13.1% ±4.0 pts | 14.5% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 11.8% ±4.7 pts | 5.6% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 76.2% ±7.5 pts | 94.4% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 19.3% ±6.2 pts | 28.3% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 7.8% ±3.9 pts | 9.4% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 85.0% ±6.6 pts | 89.8% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 1.1% ±1.4 pts | 1.7% | – |
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 Pelican Rapids earn?
Half of Pelican Rapids's 931 households earn less than $63,917 a year (±$15,419), against $72,255 in Otter Tail County and $89,062 in Minnesota. In 2015-2019 it was $54,115 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 16.6% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Pelican Rapids | Otter Tail County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $63,917 ±$15,419 | $72,255 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $75,469 ±$13,344 | $92,523 | – |
| Per capita income | $27,494 ±$5,213 | $39,580 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 16.6% ±6.2 pts | 8.7% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 6.5% ±5.7 pts | 8.6% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 17.6% ±8.6 pts | 6.5% | – |
| Households with a computer | 87.5% ±5.7 pts | 93.4% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 85.9% ±6.0 pts | 87.7% | – |
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 Pelican Rapids?
Owners occupy 63.9% of Pelican Rapids's occupied homes and renters 36.1%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $174,100 by its owner (±$24,315).
| Measure | Pelican Rapids | Otter Tail County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $174,100 ±$24,315 | $273,000 | +$39,954 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 26.1% ±16.6 pts | 33.9% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,571 ±$47 | $1,594 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 63.9% ±10.0 pts | 79.5% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 36.1% ±10.0 pts | 20.5% | – |
| Housing units | 1,042 ±127 | 36,698 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±3.7 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±6.5 pts | 5.6% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 52.3% ±8.2 pts | 80.9% | – |
| Mobile homes | 5.3% ±4.1 pts | 6.4% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±2.1 pts | 1.1% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 9.1% ±6.4 pts | 10.5% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 22.7% ±8.1 pts | 15.5% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 12.5% ±6.5 pts | 5.6% | – |
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 Pelican Rapids building?
Builders took permits for 0 new housing units in Pelican Rapids 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 Pelican Rapids work and get to work?
73.8% of Pelican Rapids's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 22.4 minutes.
| Measure | Pelican Rapids | Otter Tail County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 57.3% ±6.3 pts | 60.8% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 4.5% ±3.9 pts | 4.8% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 73.8% ±7.7 pts | 75.3% | – |
| Carpooled | 4.9% ±4.0 pts | 8.9% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±2.1 pts | 0.8% | – |
| Walked | 8.1% ±4.6 pts | 2.9% | – |
| Worked from home | 8.6% ±6.8 pts | 10.4% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 22.4 min ±5.1 | 20.7 min | +8.2 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 Pelican Rapids?
No census tract lies mostly in Pelican Rapids; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9603Otter Tail County | 3,408 | $68,125 |
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 Pelican Rapids) · Census block assignment files
How does Pelican Rapids compare with other places in Minnesota?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Pelican Rapids is the 6,775th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 230th-most populous of 855 in Minnesota.
Pelican Rapids ranks 469th 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 | 230th | 855 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 301st | 556 |
| Residents per square mile | 213th | 562 |
| Median household income | 469th | 558 |
| Per capita income | 548th | 562 |
| Median home value | 471st | 559 |
| Poverty rate | 49th | 461 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 461st | 559 |
| Median age | 390th | 561 |
| Owner-occupied share | 490th | 561 |
| Travel time to work | 330th | 562 |
Pelican Rapids's figures with every place in Minnesota (CSV)
Every place in Minnesota, sortable · Compare Pelican Rapids 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 Pelican Rapids?
16 of the 56 figures for Pelican Rapids 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 Pelican Rapids 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 Pelican Rapids.