City profile · Minnesota · Census ACS 2023

Willmar, MN

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Willmar - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

21,136
Residents
$63,368
Median income
$186,000
Median home
$973
Median rent (state)

Willmar - the verdict

Nationally, Willmar sits in the 40th percentile for household income and the 39th percentile for safety among US cities with a population of 1,000 or more. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

40th
percentile, household income
38th
percentile, home value
12th
percentile, median rent
39th
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this

Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.

Data Snapshot: Willmar, MN

Census ACS 2023 estimates count 21,136 residents in Willmar, a small city within Minnesota. Median household income here is $63,368 per year, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 10.9%. Willmar's housing stock carries a median value of $186,000, and the median resident age is 35.6 years. 24.5% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 63.9% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

The Census Building Permit Survey recorded 129 residential units authorized here in 2024 (Building Boom), up 50% from five years earlier. Willmar reports a comparatively low crime rate: the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program logs 1730.7 total incidents per 100,000 residents here, below the national average (agency reporting is voluntary, so this measures reporting activity, not a definitive danger score). The annual average temperature per NOAA climate normals runs 42.9°F with 29.5 inches of precipitation per year.

Minnesota tracks close to the national cost-of-living baseline: the state registers 98.6 on a 100-equals-national-average index (Near Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. Statewide, HUD pegs Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at $973 monthly. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in Minnesota run around $225, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. Commute times here average 12.0 minutes, with 75.3% driving alone and 7.2% working from home, per Census ACS commuting data. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 51.4 out of 100 (Low).

Population

21,136 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Minnesota

Median Household Income

$63,368 /yr

Poverty 10.9%

Cost of Living Index (state)

98.6 (US=100)

Near Average - BEA RPP 2024, Minnesota average

How does Willmar compare to other US cities?

Willmar measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.

Household income 40% higher than other cities
Home value 38% pricier than other cities
Median rent 12% pricier than other cities
Safety 39% safer than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

Zoom in to just Minnesota and the picture shifts: Willmar ranks #176 of 229 Minnesota cities by lowest crime rate, a different read than the national percentile above.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

For each metric we count every US city with population 1,000+ and a non-null value, then compute what share of them fall below Willmar's value: round(cities-below ÷ total × 100). Safety is inverted (percentile = share of cities with a higher crime rate) so a higher number always means safer. The in-state rank narrows that same crime-rate comparison to only the cities PlainCities tracks in Minnesota, breaking ties alphabetically. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.

40thIncome percentile
39thSafety percentile

40th percentile nationally for median household income · 39th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Willmar's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Willmar's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown. 3-axis radar comparing 1 series across Income, Affordability, Safety. IncomeAffordabilitySafety 51 Avg. percentile National median
Willmar's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.

How Willmar's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$186,000 Among the most affordable more affordable than 62% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). This entry sits in this band. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Above this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Above this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Willmar $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Willmar, MN Willmar, MN's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Willmar, MN-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Willmar, MN median $63,368/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Willmar, MN's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Willmar, MN. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 24.5%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 10.9%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 63.9%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
21,136
Median Income
$63,368
Median Home Value
$186,000
Median Age
35.6
Poverty Rate
10.9%
Labor force participation
63.9%
Bachelor's Degree+
24.5%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
1730.7
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
438.5
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
1292.2
per 100,000 residents

Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.

Climate

Avg Temperature
42.9°F
Annual Precipitation
29.5"
Annual Snowfall
N/A

Schools

Total Schools
13
Public schools in this city

Population Change

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
20,500 residents21,000 residents21,500 residents22,000 residents22,500 residents 202020212022202320242025 21,049 residents 22,001 residents ▲ +4.5%
Willmar's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized

📈 Building Boom
Total Permits (2024)
129
housing units authorized
Single-Family
5
detached homes
Multifamily
124
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
6.1
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 86
2020 84
2021 225
2022 102
2023 155
2024 129

Permit volume increased 50% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
12.0 minutes
Drive Alone
75.3%
Carpool
11.7%
Public Transit
1.9%
Walk
1.5%
Work from Home
7.2%
Other
2.4%

Based on 10,097 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for Minnesota - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$95
avg/month
Natural Gas
$85
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$45
avg/month
Total Utilities
$225
estimated/month

Estimates reflect Minnesota state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a Minnesota state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Willmar sits in

Cost of Living Index
98.6
Near Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$973/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
51.4 / 100
Low
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Minnesota

West St. Paul
21,076 people
Otsego
21,358 people
New Hope
21,402 people
Forest Lake
20,678 people
Northfield
20,678 people
South St. Paul
20,633 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Willmar's 21,136 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Bryant, AR
21,125 people
Old Jamestown, MO
21,121 people
Hanahan, SC
21,119 people
Baldwin, PA
21,159 people
Carrboro, NC
21,170 people
Mineola, NY
21,082 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Willmar's $63,368 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Benton, KY
$63,368 median income
Diablock, KY
$63,367 median income
Rochelle, IL
$63,373 median income
Montezuma, IA
$63,375 median income
Hickory, NC
$63,361 median income
Blanche, TN
$63,375 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Willmar, MN Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Willmar, MN - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 68.3% 10.5% 11.2% 6.6% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 24.9% White 68.3% Black or African American 10.5% Asian 2.4% American Indian 1.0% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 11.2% Two or more races 6.6% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Willmar compares to nearby Minnesota cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Willmar (this city) 21,136 $63,368
West St. Paul 21,076 $70,738
Otsego 21,358 $127,219
New Hope 21,402 $73,698
Census ACS 5-year FIPS MN FBI UCR NOAA Normals NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Willmar, MN?

What is the population of Willmar, MN? +

Willmar, MN has a population of 21,136 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Willmar, MN? +

Median annual household income in Willmar runs $63,368, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Willmar? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Willmar; the closest available measure is the Minnesota state average, a cost of living index of 98.6 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Near Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within Minnesota vary by metro area.

Is Willmar, MN safe? +

Willmar has a total crime rate of 1730.7 per 100,000 residents, which is below the national average. This reflects incidents reported to the FBI UCR program, not a definitive safety score -- agency reporting is voluntary and completeness varies by jurisdiction.

What is the median home value in Willmar, MN? +

Homes in Willmar carry a median value of $186,000, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the climate like in Willmar? +

Willmar has an average annual temperature of 42.9°F, 29.5 inches of precipitation. Source: NOAA Climate Normals.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities Editorial

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Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.