County · Minnesota

Rice County, Minnesota

Rice County, Minnesota. Rice County had 69,939 residents in 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 4.2% since 2020, faster than Minnesota (+2.2%). It holds 22 places (7 cities, villages and boroughs, 14 towns and townships and 1 census-designated) and 16 census tracts. GEOID 27131.

Rice County is the county of the Faribault-Northfield, MN micropolitan statistical area (the Census Bureau's July 2023 delineation).

Residents, July 2025 estimate

69,939

Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 67,097 · ACS 2020-2024: 67,917

Median household income

$83,181

±$2,894 (90% margin)
Minnesota: $89,062

Median home value

$320,200

±$9,461 (90% margin)
Minnesota: $329,300

Median gross rent

$1,083

±$65 (90% margin)
Minnesota: $1,280

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

The 2020 Census counted 67,097 residents in Rice County. The Census Bureau estimates 69,939 for July 1, 2025, up 4.2% since 2020, faster than Minnesota (+2.2%). The 2020-2024 American Community Survey puts the population at 67,917 over 496 square miles of land.

July 2020→2021 +254 (67,359)
2021→2022 +632 (67,991)
2022→2023 +594 (68,585)
2023→2024 +960 (69,545)
2024→2025 +394 (69,939)

Rice County in Minnesota. Boundaries: Census Bureau 2024.

Counts, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates, with the change from 2015-2019
Measure	Rice County	Minnesota	Change since 2015-2019
Total population	67,917	5,739,445	+1,732
Households	23,493±294	2,307,955	+488
Average household size	2.55±0.03	2.43	no clear change
Housing units	25,295±80	2,545,030	+281

Rice County's population since 2000

From 56,665 in 2000 to 69,939 in 2025: up 23.4%. 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 56,665
2005 (estimate) 60,832
2010 Census 64,142
2015 (estimate) 65,336
2020 Census 67,097
2025 (estimate) 69,939

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 Rice County?

Rice County holds 22 places: 7 cities, villages and boroughs (incorporated places), 14 towns and townships (county subdivisions with their own government) and 1 census-designated place. The largest is Faribault with 25,040 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 Rice County, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Ring: estimate with a coefficient of variation over 40%.

Faribault	city	24,453	24,631±28	$61,449	$241,500	16.4%	100%
Northfield	city	20,790	20,742±169	$84,895	$329,400	8.8%	94%
Lonsdale	city	4,686	4,896±17	$95,176	$357,000	1.3%	100%
Bridgewater Township	township	1,840	1,892±223	$121,000	$433,200	4.5%	100%
Webster Township	township	1,777	1,747±229	$119,671	$464,100	4.1%	100%
Dundas	city	1,712	1,916±242	$116,310	$325,800	1.9%	100%
Wells Township	township	1,545	1,529±191	$87,574	$405,600	6.1%	100%
Forest Township, Rice County	township	1,330	1,377±205	$125,938	$478,100	10.4%	100%
Warsaw Township, Rice County	township	1,276	1,161±143	$91,111	$387,600	4.8%	100%
Wheatland Township	township	1,261	1,202±150	$114,375	$387,500	7.0%	100%
Cannon City Township	township	1,226	1,073±146	$101,667	$378,300	3.4%	100%
Shieldsville Township	township	1,056	895±112	$100,625	$414,800	10.4%	100%
Morristown	city	949	1,265±211	$83,059	$184,800	15.1%	100%
Walcott Township	township	929	1,106±179	$96,964	$406,500	4.1%	100%
Northfield Township	township	857	812±146	$104,286	$461,100	3.8%	100%
Erin Township	township	836	768±122	$108,583	$423,300	2.4%	100%
Morristown Township	township	647	642±155	$85,417	$475,500	5.0%	100%
Warsaw	CDP	644	560±115	$93,750	$301,500	6.6%	100%
Wheeling Township	township	525	529±87	$100,833	$383,300	4.4%	100%
Richland Township	township	376	480±155	$95,625	$343,100	9.6%	100%
Nerstrand	city	273	215±48	$85,833	$211,100	9.8%	100%
Dennison	city	223	223±75	$55,000	$211,400	4.5%	6%

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 Rice County?

The median resident of Rice County is 37.1 years old; 21.4% are under 18 and 16.6% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 77.2%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 10.5%. 8.7% 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	Rice County	Minnesota	Change since 2015-2019
Median age	37.1±0.4	38.8	+0.6
Under 18 years	21.4%	22.9%	–
65 years and over	16.6%±0.2 pts	17.3%	–
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	10.5%	6.4%	+2.4 pts
White alone, not Hispanic	77.2%±0.4 pts	75.9%	−5.0 pts
Black or African American alone, not Hispanic	6.7%±0.3 pts	6.9%	+1.0 pts
Asian alone, not Hispanic	2.3%±0.2 pts	5.1%	no clear change
American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic	0.3%±0.1 pts	0.7%	–
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic	0.0%±0.1 pts	0.0%	–
Two or more races, not Hispanic	2.8%±0.5 pts	4.5%	–
Some other race alone, not Hispanic	0.3%±0.2 pts	0.5%	–
Born outside the United States	8.7%±0.9 pts	8.7%	no clear change
Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+)	13.7%±0.9 pts	12.4%	–
Civilian veterans (age 18+)	5.8%±0.6 pts	5.9%	–
With a disability	10.5%±0.8 pts	11.6%	–
No health insurance coverage	5.5%±0.8 pts	4.7%	no clear change
High school graduate or higher (age 25+)	92.7%±0.8 pts	93.9%	–
Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+)	30.2%±1.4 pts	39.4%	+1.9 pts
Graduate or professional degree (age 25+)	11.8%±0.9 pts	13.8%	–
Moved from another state in the past year	2.9%±0.6 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 Rice County earn?

Half of Rice County's 23,493 households earn less than $83,181 a year (±$2,894), against $89,062 in Minnesota. In 2015-2019 it was $84,406 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 10.2% of residents live below the poverty line.

Income and poverty in 2024 dollars, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Measure	Rice County	Minnesota	Change since 2015-2019
Median household income	$83,181±$2,894	$89,062	no clear change
Mean household income	$104,276±$3,009	$118,304	–
Per capita income	$38,682±$1,103	$48,237	no clear change
People below the poverty line	10.2%±1.7 pts	9.3%	no clear change
Children under 18 below the poverty line	13.2%±4.2 pts	10.3%	no clear change
Households receiving SNAP	7.9%±1.5 pts	7.9%	–
Households with a broadband subscription	91.8%±1.2 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 Rice County?

Owners occupy 76.3% of Rice County's occupied homes and renters 23.7%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $320,200 by its owner (±$9,461). The median renter pays $1,083 a month including utilities, and 37.2% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.

Housing, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Measure	Rice County	Minnesota	Change since 2015-2019
Median home value (owner-occupied)	$320,200±$9,461	$329,300	+$63,477
Median gross rent	$1,083±$65	$1,280	no clear change
Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent	37.2%±5.5 pts	38.4%	no clear change
Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage	$1,922±$45	$1,947	–
Owner-occupied homes	76.3%±2.0 pts	72.2%	no clear change
Housing units	25,295±80	2,545,030	+281
Homeowner vacancy rate	0.7%±0.5 pts	0.6%	–
Rental vacancy rate	4.7%±2.5 pts	5.3%	–
Single-family detached homes	70.9%±1.7 pts	66.0%	–
Mobile homes	4.2%±0.9 pts	2.9%	–
Built 2020 or later	1.7%±0.5 pts	1.9%	–
Built 1939 or earlier	17.8%±1.6 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 Rice County building?

Builders took permits for 100 new housing units across Rice County in 2025 (100 single-family), 1.4 per 1,000 residents.

2019 198 units
2020 102 units
2021 218 units
2022 147 units
2023 116 units
2024 96 units
2025 100 units

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

How do people in Rice County get to work?

68.0% of Rice County's workers drive alone and 12.0% work from home. The average trip to work takes 21.8 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 4.6%.

Work and commuting, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Measure	Rice County	Minnesota	Change since 2015-2019
In the labor force (age 16+)	64.3%±1.0 pts	68.1%	–
Unemployment rate	4.6%±1.0 pts	4.1%	no clear change
Drove alone to work	68.0%±2.3 pts	68.9%	–
Carpooled	9.2%±1.5 pts	7.5%	–
Public transportation	0.3%±0.2 pts	1.8%	–
Walked	7.9%±0.9 pts	2.5%	–
Worked from home	12.0%±1.4 pts	17.6%	−2.6 pts
Mean travel time to work	21.8 min±0.7	22.7 min	−1.7 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 are Rice County's census tracts?

Rice County is divided into 16 census tracts. Among those with a reliable estimate, median household income runs from $53,578 (Tract 709.01) to $126,250 (Tract 702).

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

Tract 701.0127131070101	Lonsdale (7%)	3,411	3,390±200	$125,127	$425,700	not published	5.3%
Tract 701.0227131070102	Lonsdale (92%)	4,270	4,441±122	$89,457	$352,500	$906	0.9%
Tract 70227131070200	Dundas (6%)	5,676	5,658±470	$126,250	$465,200	$1,132	4.2%
Tract 70327131070300	Morristown (13%)	4,445	4,713±304	$91,250	$365,900	$1,156	8.6%
Tract 70427131070400	Faribault (5%)	4,315	4,226±236	$101,016	$387,200	$1,327	5.1%
Tract 705.0127131070501	Northfield (99%)	4,092	4,223±261	$85,481	$352,100	$1,467	6.5%
Tract 705.0327131070503	Northfield (97%)	3,386	3,339±356	$121,042	$385,100	$1,608	1.4%
Tract 705.0427131070504	Northfield (87%)	3,942	3,646±500	$71,313	$296,000	$980	10.3%
Tract 706.0127131070601	Northfield	4,120	4,518±523	$68,750	$261,400	$1,152	15.7%
Tract 706.0227131070602	Dundas (48%)	4,933	5,114±204	$83,125	$300,000	$1,099	6.2%
Tract 707.0127131070701	Faribault (86%)	3,069	3,000±201	$50,500	$307,600	$1,070	14.3%
Tract 707.0227131070702	Faribault (89%)	4,095	3,470±495	$57,170	$230,300	$945	11.1%
Tract 708.0127131070801	Faribault (90%)	3,854	4,357±541	$80,982	$303,800	$763	7.3%
Tract 708.0227131070802	Faribault (99%)	4,036	3,719±482	$62,417	$233,000	$1,250	12.5%
Tract 709.0127131070901	Faribault (95%)	5,690	5,636±792	$53,578	$242,000	$1,228	23.0%
Tract 709.0227131070902	Faribault (97%)	3,763	4,467±561	$61,271	$182,900	$1,234	25.2%

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

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

Rice County's rank among Minnesota's counties with a reliable estimate (1 = highest)
Measure	Rank
Population	14th of 87
Growth 2020-2025	14th of 87
Residents per square mile	12th of 87
Median household income	16th of 87
Median home value	14th of 87
Median gross rent	15th of 87
Poverty rate	45th of 87
Bachelor's degree or higher	20th of 87
Median age	76th 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 Rice 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.