City · Minnesota
Waterville, Minnesota
Waterville, city, in Le Sueur County, Minnesota. Waterville had 1,757 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 0.5% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 1,750 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 1,947 (±194). GEOID 2768584.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
1,757
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 1,750 · ACS 2020-2024: 1,947 ±194
Median household income
$76,406
±$14,668 (90% margin)
Minnesota: $89,062
Median home value
$236,000
±$17,523 (90% margin)
Minnesota: $329,300
Median gross rent
$884
±$69 (90% margin)
Minnesota: $1,280
Where is Waterville and what county is it in?
Waterville is a city in Le Sueur County, Minnesota. It covers 1.7 square miles of land, 1,037 residents per square mile in 2020.
Waterville 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 Waterville, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 1,757 people lived in Waterville on July 1, 2025, up 0.5% since 2020, slower than Minnesota (+2.2%). The 2020 Census counted 1,750 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 1,947 (±194).
| Measure | Waterville | Le Sueur County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 1,947 ±194 | 29,113 | no clear change |
| Households | 889 ±89 | 11,650 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.16 ±0.14 | 2.47 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 1,050 ±91 | 13,054 | no clear change |
Waterville's population since 2000
From 1,833 in 2000 to 1,757 in 2025: down 4.1%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Waterville 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 Waterville?
The median resident of Waterville is 43.8 years old; 18.0% are under 18 and 21.7% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 87.9%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 7.2%.
| Measure | Waterville | Le Sueur County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 43.8 ±6.8 | 41.8 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 18.0% ±3.5 pts | 23.0% | – |
| 65 years and over | 21.7% ±4.0 pts | 18.8% | – |
| Male | 48.6% ±3.8 pts | 51.1% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 7.2% ±3.7 pts | 6.9% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 87.9% ±4.1 pts | 89.0% | −6.5 pts |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 1.3% ±1.6 pts | 0.8% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.5% ±0.6 pts | 0.5% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 1.4% ±1.4 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.1 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 1.5% ±1.8 pts | 2.4% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.1% ±0.2 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 0.7% ±0.7 pts | 3.3% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 1.1% ±1.1 pts | 5.8% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 5.5% ±1.8 pts | 7.0% | – |
| With a disability | 16.3% ±3.1 pts | 12.0% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 5.2% ±2.7 pts | 4.3% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 93.1% ±2.3 pts | 94.6% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 19.0% ±4.7 pts | 26.3% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 6.1% ±2.3 pts | 7.5% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 90.5% ±3.7 pts | 92.3% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.3% ±0.4 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 Waterville earn?
Half of Waterville's 889 households earn less than $76,406 a year (±$14,668), against $94,968 in Le Sueur County and $89,062 in Minnesota. In 2015-2019 it was $63,671 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 12.0% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Waterville | Le Sueur County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $76,406 ±$14,668 | $94,968 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $86,141 ±$7,239 | $112,026 | – |
| Per capita income | $36,218 ±$3,045 | $45,340 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 12.0% ±4.4 pts | 6.4% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 21.8% ±13.2 pts | 4.8% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 9.4% ±4.2 pts | 7.4% | – |
| Households with a computer | 94.7% ±2.4 pts | 95.6% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 91.0% ±2.7 pts | 89.2% | – |
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 Waterville?
Owners occupy 76.3% of Waterville's occupied homes and renters 23.7%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $236,000 by its owner (±$17,523). The median renter pays $884 a month including utilities, and 38.7% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Waterville | Le Sueur County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $236,000 ±$17,523 | $316,500 | +$71,949 |
| Median gross rent | $884 ±$69 | $942 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 38.7% ±14.7 pts | 29.9% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,730 ±$182 | $1,898 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 76.3% ±6.3 pts | 81.0% | +10.4 pts |
| Renter-occupied homes | 23.7% ±6.3 pts | 19.0% | – |
| Housing units | 1,050 ±91 | 13,054 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.4% ±0.6 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±10.1 pts | 2.8% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 77.3% ±5.9 pts | 81.8% | – |
| Mobile homes | 1.0% ±1.6 pts | 1.9% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±2.1 pts | 1.3% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 3.8% ±3.2 pts | 6.1% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 28.2% ±6.3 pts | 22.0% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 4.4% ±2.0 pts | 3.5% | – |
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 Waterville building?
Builders took permits for 2 new housing units in Waterville in 2025 (2 in single-family houses), 1.1 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 Waterville work and get to work?
83.2% of Waterville's workers drive alone and 3.2% work from home. The average trip to work takes 24.1 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 7.3%.
| Measure | Waterville | Le Sueur County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 65.3% ±4.6 pts | 68.3% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 7.3% ±3.1 pts | 4.2% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 83.2% ±4.6 pts | 80.0% | – |
| Carpooled | 7.8% ±3.4 pts | 6.2% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±2.2 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Walked | 3.7% ±2.3 pts | 3.4% | – |
| Worked from home | 3.2% ±2.1 pts | 9.6% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 24.1 min ±3.1 | 24.6 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 Waterville?
No census tract lies mostly in Waterville; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9504Le Sueur County | 3,723 | $90,357 |
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 Waterville) · Census block assignment files
How does Waterville compare with other places in Minnesota?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Waterville is the 8,161st-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 283rd-most populous of 855 in Minnesota.
Waterville ranks 372nd 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 | 283rd | 855 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 336th | 556 |
| Residents per square mile | 206th | 562 |
| Median household income | 372nd | 558 |
| Per capita income | 426th | 562 |
| Median home value | 401st | 559 |
| Median gross rent | 333rd | 465 |
| Poverty rate | 115th | 461 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 467th | 559 |
| Median age | 192nd | 561 |
| Owner-occupied share | 359th | 561 |
| Work from home | 520th | 525 |
| Travel time to work | 269th | 562 |
Waterville's figures with every place in Minnesota (CSV)
Every place in Minnesota, sortable · Compare Waterville 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 Waterville?
15 of the 57 figures for Waterville 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 Waterville 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 Waterville.