County · Minnesota

Yellow Medicine County, Minnesota

Yellow Medicine County, Minnesota. Yellow Medicine County had 9,477 residents in 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 0.5% since 2020, while Minnesota grew 2.2%. It holds 30 places (9 cities, villages and boroughs and 21 towns and townships) and 4 census tracts. GEOID 27173.

Residents, July 2025 estimate

9,477

Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 9,528 · ACS 2020-2024: 9,451

Median household income

$74,000

±$5,199 (90% margin)
Minnesota: $89,062

Median home value

$154,700

±$8,719 (90% margin)
Minnesota: $329,300

Median gross rent

$678

±$66 (90% margin)
Minnesota: $1,280

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

The 2020 Census counted 9,528 residents in Yellow Medicine County. The Census Bureau estimates 9,477 for July 1, 2025, down 0.5% since 2020, while Minnesota grew 2.2%. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey puts the population at 9,451 over 759 square miles of land.

July 2020→2021 −54 (9,444)
2021→2022 +41 (9,485)
2022→2023 +51 (9,536)
2023→2024 −59 (9,477)
2024→2025 +0 (9,477)

Yellow Medicine County in Minnesota. Boundaries: Census Bureau 2024.

Counts, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates, with the change from 2015-2019
Measure	Yellow Medicine County	Minnesota	Change since 2015-2019
Total population	9,451	5,739,445	−363
Households	4,070±115	2,307,955	no clear change
Average household size	2.27±0.06	2.43	no clear change
Housing units	4,488±91	2,545,030	−279

Yellow Medicine County's population since 2000

From 11,080 in 2000 to 9,477 in 2025: down 14.5%. 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 11,080
2005 (estimate) 10,691
2010 Census 10,438
2015 (estimate) 9,847
2020 Census 9,528
2025 (estimate) 9,477

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 Yellow Medicine County?

Yellow Medicine County holds 30 places: 9 cities, villages and boroughs (incorporated places) and 21 towns and townships (county subdivisions with their own government). The largest is Granite Falls with 2,691 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 Yellow Medicine County, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Ring: estimate with a coefficient of variation over 40%.

Granite Falls	city	2,737	2,685±257	$59,375	$136,700	7.7%	65%
Canby	city	1,695	1,556±145	$58,365	$128,300	14.9%	100%
Clarkfield	city	852	913±107	$63,359	$95,600	10.7%	100%
Stony Run Township	township	408	366±64	$115,833	$251,100	6.6%	100%
Wood Lake	city	381	368±59	$65,000	$91,700	8.7%	100%
Minnesota Falls Township	township	361	396±63	$90,417	$158,300	11.6%	100%
Hanley FallsGEOID 2726972	city	243	248±91	$61,563	$75,300	11.3%	100%
Echo	city	243	197±44	$70,833	$103,600	14.2%	100%
Sioux Agency TownshipGEOID 2717360538	township	240	218±43	$92,083	$218,200	3.7%	100%
Norman Township, Yellow Medicine CountyGEOID 2717346636	township	238	291±81	$87,303	$198,200	3.1%	100%
Posen TownshipGEOID 2717352180	township	220	282±47	$131,875	$234,100	3.2%	100%
Wood Lake TownshipGEOID 2717371464	township	214	222±46	$82,917	$248,100	3.2%	100%
Sandnes TownshipGEOID 2717358378	township	198	229±57	$107,708	$247,000	0.9%	100%
Hazel Run TownshipGEOID 2717328034	township	196	161±49	$128,125	$168,100	8.7%	100%
Oshkosh TownshipGEOID 2717348940	township	190	165±35	$84,500	$202,100	3.6%	100%
Hammer TownshipGEOID 2717326792	township	182	169±60	$71,184	$176,400	14.8%	100%
Lisbon TownshipGEOID 2717337394	township	181	159±48	$95,000	$270,000	1.3%	100%
Friendship TownshipGEOID 2717322832	township	178	145±37	$85,000	$200,000	14.5%	100%
Porter	city	166	191±43	$56,667	$108,300	10.5%	100%
Normania TownshipGEOID 2717346690	township	161	156±39	$114,375	$260,000	3.2%	100%
Wergeland TownshipGEOID 2717369160	township	158	164±53	$100,179	$225,000	4.9%	100%
Tyro TownshipGEOID 2717366082	township	147	115±33	$77,143	$233,300	6.1%	100%
Burton TownshipGEOID 2717308884	township	142	140±46	$75,000	$262,500	3.6%	100%
Echo TownshipGEOID 2717317918	township	133	164±47	$101,250	$184,700	11.0%	100%
Swede Prairie TownshipGEOID 2717363850	township	132	116±44	$84,375	$225,000	12.9%	100%
Omro TownshipGEOID 2717348292	township	127	54±17	$91,667	$166,700	11.1%	100%
Florida TownshipGEOID 2717321464	township	109	79±27	$57,188	$184,400	8.9%	100%
Fortier TownshipGEOID 2717321914	township	94	127±48	$57,500	$350,000	1.6%	100%
St. LeoGEOID 2757202	city	93	153±74	$62,083	not published	18.3%	100%
Hazel RunGEOID 2728016	city	55	58±50	$90,469	$112,500	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 Yellow Medicine County?

The median resident of Yellow Medicine County is 42.1 years old; 22.8% are under 18 and 21.5% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 87.0%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 5.5%. 2.5% 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	Yellow Medicine County	Minnesota	Change since 2015-2019
Median age	42.1±0.6	38.8	no clear change
Under 18 years	22.8%±0.1 pts	22.9%	–
65 years and over	21.5%±0.2 pts	17.3%	–
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	5.5%	6.4%	+0.8 pts
White alone, not Hispanic	87.0%±0.7 pts	75.9%	−2.5 pts
Black or African American alone, not Hispanic	0.8%±0.2 pts	6.9%	no clear change
Asian alone, not Hispanic	0.1%±0.1 pts	5.1%	–
American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic	2.2%±0.4 pts	0.7%	–
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic	0.1%±0.1 pts	0.0%	–
Two or more races, not Hispanic	4.0%±0.8 pts	4.5%	–
Some other race alone, not Hispanic	0.3%±0.2 pts	0.5%	–
Born outside the United States	2.5%±0.8 pts	8.7%	no clear change
Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+)	4.8%±1.0 pts	12.4%	–
Civilian veterans (age 18+)	7.6%±0.9 pts	5.9%	–
With a disability	13.9%±1.3 pts	11.6%	–
No health insurance coverage	3.9%±0.8 pts	4.7%	no clear change
High school graduate or higher (age 25+)	92.8%±1.4 pts	93.9%	–
Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+)	19.7%±1.8 pts	39.4%	no clear change
Graduate or professional degree (age 25+)	5.1%±1.1 pts	13.8%	–
Moved from another state in the past year	0.5%±0.2 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 Yellow Medicine County earn?

Half of Yellow Medicine County's 4,070 households earn less than $74,000 a year (±$5,199), against $89,062 in Minnesota. In 2015-2019 it was $72,869 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 8.6% of residents live below the poverty line.

Income and poverty in 2024 dollars, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Measure	Yellow Medicine County	Minnesota	Change since 2015-2019
Median household income	$74,000±$5,199	$89,062	no clear change
Mean household income	$94,525±$4,553	$118,304	–
Per capita income	$40,068±$1,876	$48,237	+$3,260
People below the poverty line	8.6%±1.3 pts	9.3%	−3.2 pts
Children under 18 below the poverty line	8.1%±2.6 pts	10.3%	−4.2 pts
Households receiving SNAP	7.4%±1.6 pts	7.9%	–
Households with a broadband subscription	85.6%±1.5 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 Yellow Medicine County?

Owners occupy 84.0% of Yellow Medicine County's occupied homes and renters 16.0%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $154,700 by its owner (±$8,719). The median renter pays $678 a month including utilities, and 22.0% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.

Housing, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Measure	Yellow Medicine County	Minnesota	Change since 2015-2019
Median home value (owner-occupied)	$154,700±$8,719	$329,300	+$19,324
Median gross rent	$678±$66	$1,280	no clear change
Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent	22.0%±7.2 pts	38.4%	no clear change
Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage	$1,389±$41	$1,947	–
Owner-occupied homes	84.0%±2.0 pts	72.2%	+4.6 pts
Housing units	4,488±91	2,545,030	−279
Homeowner vacancy rate	0.2%±0.3 pts	0.6%	–
Rental vacancy rate	4.7%±4.0 pts	5.3%	–
Single-family detached homes	89.8%±1.6 pts	66.0%	–
Mobile homes	2.1%±0.7 pts	2.9%	–
Built 2020 or later	0.2%±0.1 pts	1.9%	–
Built 1939 or earlier	33.7%±2.4 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 Yellow Medicine County building?

Builders took permits for 40 new housing units across Yellow Medicine County in 2025 (40 single-family), 4.2 per 1,000 residents.

2019 11 units
2020 10 units
2021 8 units
2022 7 units
2023 9 units
2024 39 units
2025 40 units

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

How do people in Yellow Medicine County get to work?

78.8% of Yellow Medicine County's workers drive alone and 9.0% work from home. The average trip to work takes 21.1 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 3.5%.

Work and commuting, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Measure	Yellow Medicine County	Minnesota	Change since 2015-2019
In the labor force (age 16+)	64.6%±1.6 pts	68.1%	–
Unemployment rate	3.5%±1.3 pts	4.1%	no clear change
Drove alone to work	78.8%±2.2 pts	68.9%	–
Carpooled	6.9%±1.7 pts	7.5%	–
Public transportation	0.6%±0.9 pts	1.8%	–
Walked	3.8%±1.2 pts	2.5%	–
Worked from home	9.0%±1.6 pts	17.6%	no clear change
Mean travel time to work	21.1 min±1.3	22.7 min	+2.7 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 Yellow Medicine County's census tracts?

Yellow Medicine County is divided into 4 census tracts. Among those with a reliable estimate, median household income runs from $61,148 (Tract 9702) to $85,208 (Tract 9704).

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

Tract 970127173970100	Granite Falls (28%)	2,999	3,002±163	$78,947	$158,800	$931	6.4%
Tract 970227173970200	Canby (44%)	2,362	2,270±148	$61,148	$148,300	$603	12.0%
Tract 970327173970300	Clarkfield (16%)	2,302	2,264±128	$73,750	$123,900	$845	9.6%
Tract 970427173970400	Wood Lake (9%)	1,865	1,915±120	$85,208	$168,400	$632	6.7%

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

How does Yellow Medicine County compare with Minnesota's other counties?

Yellow Medicine County's rank among Minnesota's counties with a reliable estimate (1 = highest)
Measure	Rank
Population	71st of 87
Growth 2020-2025	57th of 87
Residents per square mile	68th of 87
Median household income	45th of 87
Median home value	82nd of 87
Median gross rent	82nd of 87
Poverty rate	62nd of 87
Bachelor's degree or higher	72nd of 87
Median age	40th 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 Yellow Medicine 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.