Census-designated place · Minnesota
White Earth, Minnesota
White Earth, census-designated place, in Becker County, Minnesota. White Earth had 522 residents in the 2020 Census, a full count; the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 506 (±92). GEOID 2770006.
Residents, 2020 Census
522
Census count or controlled total
ACS 2020-2024 estimate: 506 ±92
Median household income
$17,450
±$4,893 (90% margin)
Minnesota: $89,062
Median home value
not published
Minnesota: $329,300
Median gross rent
$300
±$85 (90% margin)
Minnesota: $1,280
Where is White Earth and what county is it in?
White Earth is a census-designated place: an unincorporated community the Census Bureau draws for counting, with no city government of its own, in Becker County, Minnesota. It covers 3.4 square miles of land, 153 residents per square mile in 2020.
White Earth is in the Detroit Lakes, MN micropolitan statistical area (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
White Earth lies entirely within White Earth Township, a township with its own local government (2020 census blocks).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in White Earth, and is it growing?
The 2020 Census counted 522 residents in White Earth, a full count rather than a sample. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a sample, estimates 506 (±92).
The Census Bureau publishes yearly population estimates for incorporated places only; White Earth is a census-designated place, so its figures come from the ACS and the 2020 Census.
| Measure | White Earth | Becker County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 506 ±92 | 35,343 | no clear change |
| Households | 221 ±37 | 14,410 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.29 ±0.32 | 2.42 | −0.79 |
| Housing units | 252 ±38 | 20,005 | no clear change |
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 White Earth?
The median resident of White Earth is 29.7 years old; 31.8% are under 18 and 13.2% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaska Native residents at 75.7%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 12.3%.
| Measure | White Earth | Becker County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 29.7 ±5.2 | 43.5 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 31.8% ±5.8 pts | 23.3% | – |
| 65 years and over | 13.2% ±3.9 pts | 22.8% | – |
| Male | 42.3% ±6.0 pts | 50.1% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 12.3% ±7.8 pts | 2.0% | no clear change |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 2.0% ±2.6 pts | 84.9% | – |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±4.3 pts | 0.7% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±4.3 pts | 0.5% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 75.7% ±8.7 pts | 4.7% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±4.3 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 10.1% ±4.1 pts | 6.7% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±4.3 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 0.0% ±4.3 pts | 1.2% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 14.8% ±5.6 pts | 3.0% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 1.4% ±1.2 pts | 8.7% | – |
| With a disability | 37.2% ±7.1 pts | 14.9% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 22.5% ±7.7 pts | 5.8% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 82.3% ±7.9 pts | 93.2% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 2.5% ±1.7 pts | 28.0% | – |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 1.1% ±1.1 pts | 8.9% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 72.9% ±10.8 pts | 89.5% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 2.4% ±3.5 pts | 1.8% | – |
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 White Earth earn?
Half of White Earth's 221 households earn less than $17,450 a year (±$4,893), against $71,388 in Becker County and $89,062 in Minnesota. In 2015-2019 the median was $24,922 in 2024 dollars, so it fell by $7,472 after inflation. 63.6% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | White Earth | Becker County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $17,450 ±$4,893 | $71,388 | −$7,472 |
| Mean household income | $51,507 ±$20,845 | $100,022 | – |
| Per capita income | $23,064 ±$9,172 | $41,842 | +$9,968 |
| People below the poverty line | 63.6% ±9.0 pts | 12.9% | +17.1 pts |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 83.1% ±10.0 pts | 19.1% | +33.4 pts |
| Households receiving SNAP | 58.4% ±9.4 pts | 11.6% | – |
| Households with a computer | 86.4% ±7.5 pts | 94.4% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 62.4% ±10.8 pts | 88.8% | – |
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 White Earth?
Owners occupy 19.0% of White Earth's occupied homes and renters 81.0%. The median renter pays $300 a month including utilities.
| Measure | White Earth | Becker County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median gross rent | $300 ±$85 | $920 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 4.0% ±3.6 pts | 35.0% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $700 ±$102 | $1,691 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 19.0% ±6.2 pts | 77.2% | −20.7 pts |
| Renter-occupied homes | 81.0% ±6.2 pts | 22.8% | – |
| Housing units | 252 ±38 | 20,005 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±38.1 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 5.8% ±3.0 pts | 4.3% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 35.7% ±9.7 pts | 79.1% | – |
| Mobile homes | 11.1% ±3.8 pts | 7.7% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±8.5 pts | 1.6% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 6.3% ±3.5 pts | 11.1% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 4.0% ±3.1 pts | 13.9% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 43.4% ±10.0 pts | 5.8% | – |
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 White Earth work and get to work?
69.6% of White Earth's workers drive alone. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 13.8%.
| Measure | White Earth | Becker County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 43.4% ±9.9 pts | 60.9% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 13.8% ±7.6 pts | 4.3% | no clear change |
| Drove alone to work | 69.6% ±16.8 pts | 75.2% | – |
| Carpooled | 17.0% ±15.4 pts | 9.7% | – |
| Public transportation | 3.0% ±4.2 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Walked | 7.4% ±8.4 pts | 3.1% | – |
| Worked from home | 3.0% ±3.4 pts | 10.6% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 20.2 min ±13.4 | 21.7 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 White Earth?
No census tract lies mostly in White Earth; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9400Becker County | 3,821 | $56,225 |
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 White Earth) · Census block assignment files
How does White Earth compare with other places in Minnesota?
White Earth 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.
White Earth's figures with every place in Minnesota (CSV)
Every place in Minnesota, sortable · Compare White Earth 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 White Earth?
20 of the 56 figures for White Earth 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 White Earth 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.