City · Minnesota
Rothsay, Minnesota
Rothsay, city, mostly in Wilkin County (60.4% of its 2020 residents), with a part in Otter Tail County, Minnesota. Rothsay had 486 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 2.4% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 498 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 454 (±81). GEOID 2756014.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
486
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 498 · ACS 2020-2024: 454 ±81
Median household income
$86,250
±$18,288 (90% margin)
Minnesota: $89,062
Median home value
$153,400
±$27,702 (90% margin)
Minnesota: $329,300
Median gross rent
$775
±$378 (90% margin)
Minnesota: $1,280
Where is Rothsay and what county is it in?
Rothsay is a city mostly in Wilkin County (60.4% of its 2020 residents), with a part in Otter Tail County, Minnesota. It covers 0.9 square miles of land, 580 residents per square mile in 2020.
Rothsay is in the Wahpeton, ND-MN micropolitan statistical area, which takes in 2 counties (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
| County | 2020 residents | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Wilkin County | 301 | 60.4% |
| Otter Tail County | 197 | 39.6% |
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Rothsay, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 486 people lived in Rothsay on July 1, 2025, down 2.4% since 2020, while Minnesota grew 2.2%. The 2020 Census counted 498 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 454 (±81).
| Measure | Rothsay | Wilkin County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 454 ±81 | 6,371 | −151 |
| Households | 176 ±32 | 2,655 | −77 |
| Average household size | 2.58 ±0.29 | 2.35 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 181 ±34 | 2,983 | −121 |
Rothsay's population since 2000
From 497 in 2000 to 486 in 2025: down 2.2%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Rothsay 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 Rothsay?
The median resident of Rothsay is 43.1 years old; 23.3% are under 18 and 15.6% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 94.3%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 4.0%.
| Measure | Rothsay | Wilkin County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 43.1 ±7.9 | 42.2 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 23.3% ±4.9 pts | 22.7% | – |
| 65 years and over | 15.6% ±5.1 pts | 19.9% | – |
| Male | 50.4% ±5.4 pts | 52.9% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 4.0% ±3.6 pts | 4.0% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 94.3% ±3.8 pts | 90.4% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 1.3% ±2.1 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±4.8 pts | 0.0% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.4% ±0.7 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±4.8 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±4.8 pts | 3.2% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±4.8 pts | 1.4% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 0.0% ±4.8 pts | 2.4% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 5.6% ±4.0 pts | 2.2% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 4.3% ±2.6 pts | 5.7% | – |
| With a disability | 11.2% ±3.3 pts | 13.4% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 8.8% ±4.5 pts | 4.0% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 97.8% ±1.7 pts | 93.4% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 27.8% ±7.2 pts | 23.0% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 4.4% ±2.1 pts | 4.3% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 92.1% ±3.8 pts | 89.9% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 2.9% ±1.9 pts | 3.9% | – |
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 Rothsay earn?
Half of Rothsay's 176 households earn less than $86,250 a year (±$18,288), against $71,410 in Wilkin County and $89,062 in Minnesota. In 2015-2019 it was $75,092 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 7.3% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Rothsay | Wilkin County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $86,250 ±$18,288 | $71,410 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $131,648 ±$41,267 | $86,593 | – |
| Per capita income | $52,304 ±$16,843 | $36,613 | +$20,574 |
| People below the poverty line | 7.3% ±3.1 pts | 14.1% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 0.0% ±19.0 pts | 13.5% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 8.5% ±6.6 pts | 10.6% | – |
| Households with a computer | 94.9% ±3.4 pts | 90.6% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 90.3% ±4.3 pts | 84.7% | – |
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 Rothsay?
Owners occupy 85.8% of Rothsay's occupied homes and renters 14.2%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $153,400 by its owner (±$27,702). The median renter pays $775 a month including utilities.
| Measure | Rothsay | Wilkin County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $153,400 ±$27,702 | $182,200 | +$38,699 |
| Median gross rent | $775 ±$378 | $564 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 26.1% ±33.2 pts | 35.3% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,402 ±$80 | $1,356 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 85.8% ±5.3 pts | 79.7% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 14.2% ±5.3 pts | 20.3% | – |
| Housing units | 181 ±34 | 2,983 | −121 |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 3.2% ±4.9 pts | 1.9% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±49.4 pts | 5.9% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 89.5% ±4.7 pts | 74.2% | – |
| Mobile homes | 1.7% ±1.4 pts | 7.4% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±11.7 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 7.7% ±6.5 pts | 5.5% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 15.5% ±7.1 pts | 25.1% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 1.1% ±1.3 pts | 6.7% | – |
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 Rothsay building?
Builders took permits for 1 new housing units in Rothsay in 2025 (1 in single-family houses), 2.1 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 Rothsay work and get to work?
80.0% of Rothsay's workers drive alone and 6.8% work from home. The average trip to work takes 23.0 minutes.
| Measure | Rothsay | Wilkin County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 65.6% ±7.6 pts | 62.9% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 2.6% ±2.0 pts | 4.8% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 80.0% ±6.2 pts | 77.6% | – |
| Carpooled | 8.2% ±4.5 pts | 7.2% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±9.7 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Walked | 5.0% ±3.4 pts | 4.3% | – |
| Worked from home | 6.8% ±3.0 pts | 8.4% | no clear change |
| Mean travel time to work | 23.0 min ±4.1 | 21.8 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 Rothsay?
No census tract lies mostly in Rothsay; 3 tracts reach into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9607Otter Tail County | 2,700 | $73,548 |
| Tract 9501Wilkin County | 3,020 | $84,803 |
| Tract 9608Otter Tail County | 3,221 | $98,629 |
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 Rothsay) · Census block assignment files
How does Rothsay compare with other places in Minnesota?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Rothsay is the 13,306th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 504th-most populous of 855 in Minnesota.
Rothsay 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 | 504th | 855 |
Rothsay's figures with every place in Minnesota (CSV)
Every place in Minnesota, sortable · Compare Rothsay 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 Rothsay?
21 of the 57 figures for Rothsay 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 Rothsay 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 Rothsay.