County housing intelligence
Minnesota Housing Market by County
Minnesota is not one housing market. Across 87 counties, the median county home value is $221,100 and the median county rent is $873/mo. The useful question is not whether Minnesota is cheap. It is which county fits your income, tax tolerance, and buy-versus-rent plan.
County median home value
$221,100
Median of county medians, less distorted by the largest metros.
County median rent
$873/mo
Gross rent includes rent plus utilities where Census reports it.
Counties compared
87
Every county with available ACS housing data in this state.
Fast answers
Start with the housing question.
Market brief
The state-level housing signal
These benchmarks use the median county in the state, not one metro-weighted average. That makes the brief better for county comparison and rural-to-urban screening.
Purchase price
State county median vs national benchmark
Rent
State county median vs national benchmark
Owner cost
State county median vs national benchmark
Income base
State county median vs national benchmark
Tax rate
State county median vs national benchmark
The Minnesota Pattern
These are the signals a statewide average hides. Start here before choosing counties to compare.
Price geography
Carver County, Washington County, Scott County sit at the top of the purchase market, while Traverse County, Faribault County, Pipestone County anchor the lower-cost end.
Rent reality
Washington County, Dakota County, Scott County lead on rent, while Wilkin County, Traverse County, Red Lake County show where monthly lease costs are lowest.
Decision lens
Traverse County, Faribault County, Kittson County screen best for purchase affordability when home values are measured against local household income.
Best Counties by Housing Goal
Different households need different rankings. Price alone is not enough, so these groups compare rent, income, owner costs, and tax exposure.
Cheapest to buy
Lowest median home values. Useful for purchase-price screening.
- 1. Traverse County
$110,100
- 2. Faribault County
$120,200
- 3. Pipestone County
$126,700
- 4. Kittson County
$134,400
- 5. Big Stone County
$135,700
Best buy affordability
Lowest home-value-to-income ratios. Better than price alone.
- 1. Traverse County
1.7x home-value-to-income
- 2. Faribault County
1.9x home-value-to-income
- 3. Kittson County
1.9x home-value-to-income
- 4. Norman County
1.9x home-value-to-income
- 5. Pipestone County
1.9x home-value-to-income
Cheapest to rent
Lowest median gross rent among counties with ACS rent data.
- 1. Wilkin County
$561/mo
- 2. Traverse County
$617/mo
- 3. Red Lake County
$628/mo
- 4. Mahnomen County
$685/mo
- 5. Lincoln County
$688/mo
Lowest rent burden
Where typical renters spend the smallest share of income on rent.
- 1. Murray County
20.0% rent burden
- 2. Red Lake County
20.0% rent burden
- 3. Cottonwood County
22.0% rent burden
- 4. Jackson County
22.0% rent burden
- 5. Kittson County
22.0% rent burden
Lowest tax-rate signal
Lowest effective property-tax rates in the state data.
- 1. Aitkin County
0.57% effective tax rate
- 2. Cass County
0.58% effective tax rate
- 3. Lake of the Woods County
0.71% effective tax rate
- 4. Rock County
0.72% effective tax rate
- 5. Becker County
0.73% effective tax rate
Owner-cost advantage
Counties where median owner costs are furthest below median rent.
- 1. Swift County
$139/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 2. Lake County
$79/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 3. Aitkin County
$74/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 4. Lac qui Parle County
$55/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 5. Nobles County
$47/mo cheaper to own than rent
Income-backed value
Higher-income counties that still hold a reasonable value-to-income profile.
- 1. Traverse County
$65,931 income, 1.7x value-to-income
- 2. Red Lake County
$77,500 income, 2.0x value-to-income
- 3. Norman County
$69,833 income, 1.9x value-to-income
- 4. Kittson County
$69,615 income, 1.9x value-to-income
- 5. Scott County
$120,247 income, 3.3x value-to-income
Tradeoffs to Check
The best page is not the one that crowns a winner. It is the one that shows where a county can surprise you after the headline price looks attractive.
| Signal | County | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Cheap price, weaker income base | Traverse County $110,100 home value, $65,931 income | Low purchase prices can still feel tight when local wages are also low. |
| Affordable homes, higher tax rate | Faribault County $120,200 home value, 1.05% tax rate | A low home price can be offset by the annual property-tax bill. |
| Renter pressure | Polk County $843/mo rent, 34.00% rent burden | Monthly rent alone does not show whether renters can comfortably absorb the cost. |
| Expensive, but income-supported | Carver County $426,900 home value, $123,144 income | Some high-price counties also have stronger incomes, so affordability depends on both sides of the equation. |
Lowest home values
Best value-to-income
Compare Every Minnesota County
Sorted by home-value-to-income ratio so the first rows are not just cheap counties, but counties where purchase prices look smaller relative to local income.
| County | Home Value | Rent | Income | Value/Income | Tax Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Traverse County | $110,100 | $617/mo | $65,931 | 1.7x | 0.97% |
| Faribault County | $120,200 | $837/mo | $64,391 | 1.9x | 1.05% |
| Kittson County | $134,400 | $728/mo | $69,615 | 1.9x | 0.92% |
| Norman County | $135,700 | $752/mo | $69,833 | 1.9x | 0.99% |
| Pipestone County | $126,700 | $731/mo | $66,073 | 1.9x | 0.91% |
| Lac qui Parle County | $143,400 | $809/mo | $71,639 | 2.0x | 0.95% |
| Red Lake County | $157,200 | $628/mo | $77,500 | 2.0x | 0.96% |
| Big Stone County | $135,700 | $718/mo | $65,475 | 2.1x | 0.86% |
| Jackson County | $145,400 | $736/mo | $69,955 | 2.1x | 0.91% |
| Koochiching County | $143,700 | $774/mo | $69,115 | 2.1x | 0.80% |
| Marshall County | $153,300 | $737/mo | $71,701 | 2.1x | 0.83% |
| Watonwan County | $151,600 | $807/mo | $70,593 | 2.1x | 1.03% |
| Yellow Medicine County | $148,200 | $688/mo | $71,573 | 2.1x | 1.04% |
| Chippewa County | $149,000 | $846/mo | $69,192 | 2.2x | 1.04% |
| Lincoln County | $152,200 | $688/mo | $67,715 | 2.2x | 0.97% |
| Redwood County | $150,400 | $767/mo | $67,024 | 2.2x | 0.96% |
| Renville County | $151,900 | $760/mo | $69,086 | 2.2x | 1.02% |
| Cottonwood County | $154,000 | $765/mo | $68,239 | 2.3x | 1.13% |
| Swift County | $147,100 | $900/mo | $62,601 | 2.3x | 0.86% |
| Freeborn County | $164,900 | $837/mo | $69,012 | 2.4x | 1.06% |
| Grant County | $178,600 | $779/mo | $72,957 | 2.4x | 0.94% |
| Mower County | $172,000 | $848/mo | $71,495 | 2.4x | 1.06% |
| Murray County | $179,400 | $768/mo | $74,475 | 2.4x | 0.77% |
| Roseau County | $177,100 | $886/mo | $73,611 | 2.4x | 0.93% |
| Martin County | $158,800 | $735/mo | $62,969 | 2.5x | 0.97% |
| Stevens County | $180,800 | $833/mo | $71,060 | 2.5x | 0.81% |
| Wilkin County | $172,300 | $561/mo | $69,635 | 2.5x | 0.76% |
| Brown County | $181,700 | $931/mo | $68,690 | 2.6x | 1.04% |
| Pennington County | $188,900 | $900/mo | $72,561 | 2.6x | 1.22% |
| Clearwater County | $177,100 | $740/mo | $64,934 | 2.7x | 0.73% |
| Fillmore County | $204,000 | $763/mo | $75,225 | 2.7x | 0.95% |
| Lyon County | $193,100 | $742/mo | $72,761 | 2.7x | 1.05% |
| Mahnomen County | $146,500 | $685/mo | $53,925 | 2.7x | 0.97% |
| Nobles County | $179,200 | $863/mo | $65,509 | 2.7x | 0.93% |
| Sibley County | $215,000 | $858/mo | $76,082 | 2.8x | 1.10% |
| Steele County | $234,200 | $1,006/mo | $83,448 | 2.8x | 1.21% |
| Waseca County | $213,200 | $819/mo | $75,052 | 2.8x | 1.19% |
| Carlton County | $232,000 | $967/mo | $80,042 | 2.9x | 1.17% |
| Dodge County | $267,500 | $1,007/mo | $92,943 | 2.9x | 1.08% |
| Houston County | $226,300 | $881/mo | $77,087 | 2.9x | 1.16% |
| Lake County | $222,900 | $1,026/mo | $75,621 | 2.9x | 0.75% |
| Rock County | $201,600 | $745/mo | $70,698 | 2.9x | 0.72% |
| McLeod County | $233,400 | $906/mo | $78,468 | 3.0x | 1.16% |
| St. Louis County | $208,500 | $970/mo | $69,455 | 3.0x | 1.03% |
| Todd County | $188,400 | $850/mo | $63,039 | 3.0x | 0.99% |
| Wadena County | $170,500 | $706/mo | $56,882 | 3.0x | 1.04% |
| Kanabec County | $221,100 | $1,003/mo | $71,915 | 3.1x | 1.11% |
| Kandiyohi County | $230,500 | $843/mo | $75,097 | 3.1x | 0.99% |
| Lake of the Woods County | $215,000 | $867/mo | $70,091 | 3.1x | 0.71% |
| Meeker County | $228,900 | $894/mo | $75,037 | 3.1x | 0.94% |
| Polk County | $211,100 | $843/mo | $69,136 | 3.1x | 1.00% |
| Wabasha County | $245,800 | $798/mo | $80,133 | 3.1x | 1.09% |
| Wright County | $332,800 | $1,246/mo | $106,666 | 3.1x | 1.00% |
| Itasca County | $212,000 | $944/mo | $66,380 | 3.2x | 0.87% |
| Le Sueur County | $287,700 | $885/mo | $90,218 | 3.2x | 1.08% |
| Nicollet County | $258,500 | $931/mo | $80,362 | 3.2x | 1.12% |
| Pine County | $225,600 | $873/mo | $69,666 | 3.2x | 0.87% |
| Sherburne County | $332,700 | $1,151/mo | $102,965 | 3.2x | 1.00% |
| Winona County | $222,900 | $866/mo | $70,198 | 3.2x | 0.94% |
| Anoka County | $325,800 | $1,396/mo | $98,764 | 3.3x | 0.95% |
| Beltrami County | $222,300 | $991/mo | $67,257 | 3.3x | 1.00% |
| Chisago County | $326,600 | $1,112/mo | $98,260 | 3.3x | 1.12% |
| Clay County | $256,000 | $1,000/mo | $77,664 | 3.3x | 1.11% |
| Goodhue County | $269,400 | $939/mo | $82,749 | 3.3x | 1.06% |
| Isanti County | $283,200 | $1,241/mo | $86,573 | 3.3x | 1.04% |
| Mille Lacs County | $237,500 | $909/mo | $71,455 | 3.3x | 1.04% |
| Olmsted County | $304,500 | $1,283/mo | $93,494 | 3.3x | 1.09% |
| Scott County | $393,500 | $1,485/mo | $120,247 | 3.3x | 1.07% |
| Dakota County | $362,100 | $1,497/mo | $105,212 | 3.4x | 1.00% |
| Pope County | $242,800 | $851/mo | $72,205 | 3.4x | 0.79% |
| Stearns County | $256,500 | $1,057/mo | $76,447 | 3.4x | 1.02% |
| Benton County | $247,100 | $917/mo | $71,480 | 3.5x | 1.02% |
| Blue Earth County | $252,800 | $1,076/mo | $72,623 | 3.5x | 0.98% |
| Carver County | $426,900 | $1,444/mo | $123,144 | 3.5x | 1.03% |
| Morrison County | $237,000 | $782/mo | $68,640 | 3.5x | 0.91% |
| Washington County | $400,900 | $1,637/mo | $114,457 | 3.5x | 1.00% |
| Hubbard County | $255,900 | $923/mo | $70,622 | 3.6x | 0.82% |
| Otter Tail County | $252,500 | $805/mo | $70,912 | 3.6x | 0.78% |
| Rice County | $298,500 | $1,046/mo | $82,792 | 3.6x | 0.97% |
| Becker County | $266,900 | $899/mo | $71,117 | 3.8x | 0.73% |
| Crow Wing County | $274,400 | $962/mo | $71,343 | 3.8x | 0.79% |
| Douglas County | $291,700 | $896/mo | $77,264 | 3.8x | 0.86% |
| Ramsey County | $304,900 | $1,298/mo | $81,004 | 3.8x | 1.24% |
| Hennepin County | $376,500 | $1,439/mo | $96,339 | 3.9x | 1.15% |
| Aitkin County | $235,100 | $912/mo | $59,498 | 4.0x | 0.57% |
| Cass County | $262,300 | $889/mo | $64,937 | 4.0x | 0.58% |
| Cook County | $294,000 | $886/mo | $71,643 | 4.1x | 0.79% |
Questions This Page Answers
Each answer is generated from the current county dataset, so it changes when the underlying ACS data changes.
What is the typical home value in Minnesota by county?
What is the typical rent in Minnesota by county?
Which Minnesota counties are most affordable to buy in?
Why do cheap counties still need a closer look?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.