County · Minnesota

Freeborn County, Minnesota

Freeborn County, Minnesota. Freeborn County had 30,440 residents in 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 1.5% since 2020, while Minnesota grew 2.2%. It holds 34 places (14 cities, villages and boroughs and 20 towns and townships) and 10 census tracts. GEOID 27047.

Freeborn County is the county of the Albert Lea, MN micropolitan statistical area (the Census Bureau's July 2023 delineation).

Residents, July 2025 estimate

30,440

Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 30,895 · ACS 2020-2024: 30,623

Median household income

$71,023

±$1,725 (90% margin)
Minnesota: $89,062

Median home value

$171,100

±$5,271 (90% margin)
Minnesota: $329,300

Median gross rent

$849

±$50 (90% margin)
Minnesota: $1,280

How many people live in Freeborn County, and is it growing?

The 2020 Census counted 30,895 residents in Freeborn County. The Census Bureau estimates 30,440 for July 1, 2025, down 1.5% since 2020, while Minnesota grew 2.2%. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey puts the population at 30,623 over 707 square miles of land.

July 2020→2021 −84 (30,815)
2021→2022 −119 (30,696)
2022→2023 −227 (30,469)
2023→2024 −39 (30,430)
2024→2025 +10 (30,440)

Freeborn County in Minnesota. Boundaries: Census Bureau 2024.

Counts, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates, with the change from 2015-2019
Measure	Freeborn County	Minnesota	Change since 2015-2019
Total population	30,623	5,739,445	+160
Households	12,846±259	2,307,955	no clear change
Average household size	2.34±0.05	2.43	no clear change
Housing units	14,116±53	2,545,030	−241

Freeborn County's population since 2000

From 32,584 in 2000 to 30,440 in 2025: down 6.6%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts. 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.

2000 Census 32,584
2005 (estimate) 31,704
2010 Census 31,255
2015 (estimate) 30,519
2020 Census 30,895
2025 (estimate) 30,440

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); PEP Vintage 2025 (CO-EST2025); 2020 Census · Check it at data.census.gov

What cities and towns are in Freeborn County?

Freeborn County holds 34 places: 14 cities, villages and boroughs (incorporated places) and 20 towns and townships (county subdivisions with their own government). The largest is Albert Lea with 18,217 residents (2025 estimate). Places that cross a county line are listed with the share of their 2020 residents who live in this county.

Places in Freeborn County, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Ring: estimate with a coefficient of variation over 40%.

Albert Lea	city	18,492	18,330±60	$64,603	$157,500	12.8%	100%
Bancroft Township	township	792	752±140	$105,417	$260,300	3.1%	100%
Clarks Grove	city	694	636±127	$73,750	$123,400	13.5%	100%
Pickerel Lake Township	township	643	742±153	$81,750	$312,300	5.3%	100%
Albert Lea Township	township	602	428±76	$75,000	$257,900	6.3%	100%
Alden	city	583	629±86	$73,250	$128,400	4.5%	100%
Glenville	city	568	572±70	$56,563	$123,300	9.0%	100%
Moscow Township	township	538	511±82	$87,143	$202,800	7.5%	100%
Geneva	city	508	387±79	$61,500	$182,500	10.3%	100%
Newry Township	township	466	341±64	$93,750	$251,900	1.5%	100%
Freeman Township	township	441	502±90	$93,750	$221,900	4.8%	100%
Geneva Township	township	437	488±77	$78,125	$228,100	3.7%	100%
Riceland Township	township	428	471±89	$91,250	$231,800	7.2%	100%
Manchester Township	township	423	436±84	$85,000	$320,000	2.8%	100%
Bath Township	township	401	363±66	$104,375	$305,300	2.2%	100%
Shell Rock Township	township	389	282±46	$72,500	$243,800	2.8%	100%
Emmons	city	367	363±61	$57,969	$106,700	20.1%	100%
Oakland Township, Freeborn County	township	357	477±104	$102,500	$214,600	6.1%	100%
Hayward Township	township	339	340±79	$120,278	$217,900	3.5%	100%
Hartland	city	321	422±143	$86,250	$166,900	6.4%	100%
Nunda Township	township	309	369±83	$109,167	$238,900	5.5%	100%
Hollandale	city	308	340±53	$64,375	$151,500	13.3%	100%
Carlston TownshipGEOID 2704710000	township	302	277±67	$82,188	$269,400	4.0%	100%
London Township	township	291	270±59	$74,286	$232,400	9.6%	100%
Alden Township, Freeborn County	township	283	298±75	$74,286	$245,200	12.1%	100%
Freeborn	city	264	348±117	$50,000	$88,800	30.1%	100%
Hartland Township	township	253	246±43	$110,781	$264,500	1.2%	100%
HaywardGEOID 2727944	city	252	231±53	$61,250	$114,000	12.6%	100%
Freeborn TownshipGEOID 2704722544	township	233	197±42	$82,188	$210,700	5.1%	100%
Mansfield TownshipGEOID 2704739950	township	225	255±58	$90,156	$165,600	2.4%	100%
CongerGEOID 2712952	city	153	99±22	$66,250	$120,000	6.1%	100%
Twin Lakes, Freeborn County	city	134	158±62	$55,089	not published	21.5%	100%
ManchesterGEOID 2739716	city	52	32±14	$68,750	$118,800	21.9%	100%
MyrtleGEOID 2744890	city	47	31±15	$56,250	not published	0.0%	100%

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 place-by-county parts · Check it at data.census.gov

Who lives in Freeborn County?

The median resident of Freeborn County is 44.3 years old; 21.8% are under 18 and 23.4% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 81.5%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 10.8%. 4.2% of residents were born outside the United States.

Age, origin and education, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Race groups are non-Hispanic; Hispanic includes any race.
Measure	Freeborn County	Minnesota	Change since 2015-2019
Median age	44.3±0.4	38.8	no clear change
Under 18 years	21.8%	22.9%	–
65 years and over	23.4%±0.1 pts	17.3%	–
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	10.8%	6.4%	+1.1 pts
White alone, not Hispanic	81.5%±0.3 pts	75.9%	−3.6 pts
Black or African American alone, not Hispanic	1.5%±0.3 pts	6.9%	+0.5 pts
Asian alone, not Hispanic	3.5%±0.4 pts	5.1%	+1.0 pts
American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic	0.1%±0.1 pts	0.7%	–
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic	0.1%±0.2 pts	0.0%	–
Two or more races, not Hispanic	2.2%±0.5 pts	4.5%	–
Some other race alone, not Hispanic	0.3%±0.1 pts	0.5%	–
Born outside the United States	4.2%±0.7 pts	8.7%	no clear change
Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+)	8.6%±1.0 pts	12.4%	–
Civilian veterans (age 18+)	7.4%±0.8 pts	5.9%	–
With a disability	14.1%±1.0 pts	11.6%	–
No health insurance coverage	6.6%±1.0 pts	4.7%	no clear change
High school graduate or higher (age 25+)	91.4%±1.2 pts	93.9%	–
Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+)	18.2%±1.4 pts	39.4%	no clear change
Graduate or professional degree (age 25+)	6.0%±0.8 pts	13.8%	–
Moved from another state in the past year	1.3%±0.5 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 Freeborn County earn?

Half of Freeborn County's 12,846 households earn less than $71,023 a year (±$1,725), against $89,062 in Minnesota. In 2015-2019 the median was $66,003 in 2024 dollars, so it rose by $5,020 after inflation. 10.6% of residents live below the poverty line.

Income and poverty in 2024 dollars, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Measure	Freeborn County	Minnesota	Change since 2015-2019
Median household income	$71,023±$1,725	$89,062	+$5,020
Mean household income	$93,926±$6,633	$118,304	–
Per capita income	$39,886±$2,862	$48,237	+$3,807
People below the poverty line	10.6%±1.4 pts	9.3%	no clear change
Children under 18 below the poverty line	12.1%±3.5 pts	10.3%	no clear change
Households receiving SNAP	9.5%±1.5 pts	7.9%	–
Households with a broadband subscription	86.3%±1.6 pts	91.6%	–

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 Freeborn County?

Owners occupy 79.5% of Freeborn County's occupied homes and renters 20.5%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $171,100 by its owner (±$5,271). The median renter pays $849 a month including utilities, and 38.6% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.

Housing, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Measure	Freeborn County	Minnesota	Change since 2015-2019
Median home value (owner-occupied)	$171,100±$5,271	$329,300	+$31,047
Median gross rent	$849±$50	$1,280	no clear change
Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent	38.6%±6.4 pts	38.4%	+8.9 pts
Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage	$1,316±$69	$1,947	–
Owner-occupied homes	79.5%±1.8 pts	72.2%	+2.8 pts
Housing units	14,116±53	2,545,030	−241
Homeowner vacancy rate	1.7%±1.0 pts	0.6%	–
Rental vacancy rate	5.6%±3.5 pts	5.3%	–
Single-family detached homes	79.9%±1.9 pts	66.0%	–
Mobile homes	2.4%±0.8 pts	2.9%	–
Built 2020 or later	0.3%±0.2 pts	1.9%	–
Built 1939 or earlier	27.5%±1.9 pts	15.6%	–

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 Freeborn County building?

Builders took permits for 13 new housing units across Freeborn County in 2025 (13 single-family), 0.4 per 1,000 residents.

2019 11 units
2020 13 units
2021 74 units
2022 14 units
2023 12 units
2024 16 units
2025 13 units

Source: Building Permits Survey, annual county files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey

How do people in Freeborn County get to work?

79.4% of Freeborn County's workers drive alone and 7.6% work from home. The average trip to work takes 19.7 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 4.6%.

Work and commuting, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Measure	Freeborn County	Minnesota	Change since 2015-2019
In the labor force (age 16+)	61.4%±1.3 pts	68.1%	–
Unemployment rate	4.6%±1.0 pts	4.1%	no clear change
Drove alone to work	79.4%±2.0 pts	68.9%	–
Carpooled	7.8%±1.2 pts	7.5%	–
Public transportation	0.1%±0.1 pts	1.8%	–
Walked	2.8%±0.8 pts	2.5%	–
Worked from home	7.6%±1.2 pts	17.6%	+4.6 pts
Mean travel time to work	19.7 min±0.9	22.7 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 are Freeborn County's census tracts?

Freeborn County is divided into 10 census tracts. Among those with a reliable estimate, median household income runs from $52,853 (Tract 1809) to $87,500 (Tract 1802).

Census tracts of Freeborn County, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates; sort by any column

Tract 180127047180100	Hollandale (7%)	2,851	2,704±150	$78,947	$206,900	$700	6.7%
Tract 180227047180200	Hartland (7%)	2,594	2,671±193	$87,500	$202,200	$823	8.7%
Tract 180327047180300	Alden (7%)	3,352	3,356±200	$77,208	$190,200	$832	8.2%
Tract 180427047180400	Albert Lea (96%)	3,216	3,154±304	$71,808	$239,800	$1,554	6.8%
Tract 180527047180500	Albert Lea (93%)	4,350	4,571±417	$66,676	$174,200	$797	8.5%
Tract 180627047180600	Albert Lea (91%)	4,049	3,490±349	$64,052	$100,200	$886	18.3%
Tract 180727047180700	Albert Lea (15%)	2,440	2,421±163	$82,195	$216,000	$936	6.6%
Tract 180827047180800	Albert Lea (99%)	2,452	3,045±358	$54,786	$124,600	$818	9.7%
Tract 180927047180900	Albert Lea	3,416	3,104±420	$52,853	$141,500	$805	22.6%
Tract 181027047181000	Glenville (14%)	2,175	2,107±143	$77,578	$174,400	$905	7.4%

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) · Check it at data.census.gov

How does Freeborn County compare with Minnesota's other counties?

Freeborn County's rank among Minnesota's counties with a reliable estimate (1 = highest)
Measure	Rank
Population	36th of 87
Growth 2020-2025	66th of 87
Residents per square mile	31st of 87
Median household income	64th of 87
Median home value	66th of 87
Median gross rent	58th of 87
Poverty rate	38th of 87
Bachelor's degree or higher	78th of 87
Median age	24th of 87

Every county in Minnesota

Source: PlainCities ranks 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 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 Freeborn County 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.