County housing intelligence
Minnesota Housing Market by County
Minnesota is not one housing market. Across 87 counties, the median county home value is $231,900 and the median county rent is $896/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
$231,900
Median of county medians, less distorted by the largest metros.
County median rent
$896/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, Kittson County, Faribault County anchor the lower-cost end.
Rent reality
Washington County, Scott County, Dakota County lead on rent, while Wilkin County, Red Lake County, Traverse County show where monthly lease costs are lowest.
Decision lens
Kittson County, Traverse County, Faribault 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
$114,100
- 2. Kittson County
$134,800
- 3. Faribault County
$135,300
- 4. Pipestone County
$140,200
- 5. Norman County
$147,100
Best buy affordability
Lowest home-value-to-income ratios. Better than price alone.
- 1. Kittson County
1.8x home-value-to-income
- 2. Traverse County
1.8x home-value-to-income
- 3. Faribault County
2.0x home-value-to-income
- 4. Norman County
2.0x home-value-to-income
- 5. Pipestone County
2.0x home-value-to-income
Cheapest to rent
Lowest median gross rent among counties with ACS rent data.
- 1. Wilkin County
$564/mo
- 2. Red Lake County
$583/mo
- 3. Traverse County
$615/mo
- 4. Koochiching County
$671/mo
- 5. Lincoln County
$674/mo
Lowest rent burden
Where typical renters spend the smallest share of income on rent.
- 1. Red Lake County
18.4% rent burden
- 2. Jackson County
19.2% rent burden
- 3. Mahnomen County
20.2% rent burden
- 4. Kittson County
21.5% rent burden
- 5. Yellow Medicine County
22.2% rent burden
Lowest tax-rate signal
Lowest effective property-tax rates in the state data.
- 1. Aitkin County
0.55% effective tax rate
- 2. Cass County
0.56% effective tax rate
- 3. Lake of the Woods County
0.66% effective tax rate
- 4. Clearwater County
0.67% effective tax rate
- 5. Cook County
0.69% effective tax rate
Owner-cost advantage
Counties where median owner costs are furthest below median rent.
- 1. Swift County
$134/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 2. Lake of the Woods County
$132/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 3. Lake County
$128/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 4. Beltrami County
$80/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 5. Stevens County
$63/mo cheaper to own than rent
Income-backed value
Higher-income counties that still hold a reasonable value-to-income profile.
- 1. Kittson County
$76,100 income, 1.8x value-to-income
- 2. Red Lake County
$77,188 income, 2.1x value-to-income
- 3. Norman County
$72,260 income, 2.0x value-to-income
- 4. Jackson County
$75,743 income, 2.1x value-to-income
- 5. Lac qui Parle County
$74,432 income, 2.1x 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 $114,100 home value, $62,989 income | Low purchase prices can still feel tight when local wages are also low. |
| Affordable homes, higher tax rate | Traverse County $114,100 home value, 0.99% tax rate | A low home price can be offset by the annual property-tax bill. |
| Renter pressure | Pope County $902/mo rent, 35.10% rent burden | Monthly rent alone does not show whether renters can comfortably absorb the cost. |
| Expensive, but income-supported | Carver County $453,600 home value, $125,946 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
Lowest rents
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kittson County | $134,800 | $757/mo | $76,100 | 1.8x | 0.92% |
| Traverse County | $114,100 | $615/mo | $62,989 | 1.8x | 0.99% |
| Faribault County | $135,300 | $799/mo | $66,815 | 2.0x | 0.99% |
| Norman County | $147,100 | $774/mo | $72,260 | 2.0x | 0.94% |
| Pipestone County | $140,200 | $754/mo | $69,628 | 2.0x | 0.86% |
| Jackson County | $157,100 | $787/mo | $75,743 | 2.1x | 0.93% |
| Lac qui Parle County | $157,600 | $728/mo | $74,432 | 2.1x | 0.90% |
| Red Lake County | $162,000 | $583/mo | $77,188 | 2.1x | 1.00% |
| Yellow Medicine County | $154,700 | $678/mo | $74,000 | 2.1x | 1.04% |
| Chippewa County | $156,100 | $869/mo | $71,458 | 2.2x | 1.10% |
| Cottonwood County | $169,300 | $817/mo | $72,941 | 2.3x | 1.05% |
| Koochiching County | $156,600 | $671/mo | $66,940 | 2.3x | 0.74% |
| Marshall County | $164,500 | $690/mo | $72,543 | 2.3x | 0.80% |
| Redwood County | $158,200 | $757/mo | $67,866 | 2.3x | 1.00% |
| Renville County | $163,200 | $790/mo | $70,625 | 2.3x | 1.04% |
| Watonwan County | $162,400 | $834/mo | $71,699 | 2.3x | 1.05% |
| Big Stone County | $169,100 | $745/mo | $70,400 | 2.4x | 0.87% |
| Freeborn County | $171,100 | $849/mo | $71,023 | 2.4x | 1.11% |
| Lincoln County | $164,400 | $674/mo | $69,694 | 2.4x | 0.96% |
| Mower County | $185,200 | $927/mo | $73,074 | 2.5x | 1.03% |
| Murray County | $185,400 | $810/mo | $74,033 | 2.5x | 0.79% |
| Pennington County | $195,500 | $862/mo | $77,325 | 2.5x | 1.26% |
| Roseau County | $183,700 | $880/mo | $74,474 | 2.5x | 0.97% |
| Grant County | $191,000 | $797/mo | $73,917 | 2.6x | 0.93% |
| Wilkin County | $182,200 | $564/mo | $71,410 | 2.6x | 0.79% |
| Lyon County | $200,700 | $781/mo | $75,303 | 2.7x | 1.06% |
| Mahnomen County | $161,900 | $696/mo | $59,441 | 2.7x | 0.93% |
| Martin County | $163,500 | $761/mo | $59,507 | 2.7x | 1.02% |
| Stevens County | $202,800 | $951/mo | $75,733 | 2.7x | 0.81% |
| Swift County | $161,400 | $920/mo | $60,412 | 2.7x | 0.86% |
| Brown County | $191,200 | $890/mo | $69,378 | 2.8x | 1.03% |
| Lake of the Woods County | $216,100 | $955/mo | $77,546 | 2.8x | 0.66% |
| Wadena County | $173,000 | $746/mo | $61,467 | 2.8x | 1.04% |
| Fillmore County | $221,100 | $797/mo | $77,512 | 2.9x | 0.94% |
| Steele County | $245,400 | $1,061/mo | $84,196 | 2.9x | 1.21% |
| Waseca County | $220,800 | $883/mo | $76,261 | 2.9x | 1.18% |
| Carlton County | $245,100 | $1,009/mo | $80,573 | 3.0x | 1.17% |
| Clearwater County | $192,100 | $742/mo | $64,475 | 3.0x | 0.67% |
| Dodge County | $287,700 | $1,020/mo | $95,739 | 3.0x | 1.11% |
| Houston County | $239,000 | $879/mo | $79,825 | 3.0x | 1.15% |
| Nobles County | $197,200 | $896/mo | $66,101 | 3.0x | 0.99% |
| Polk County | $222,800 | $855/mo | $73,107 | 3.0x | 1.01% |
| Sibley County | $231,900 | $855/mo | $77,634 | 3.0x | 1.10% |
| McLeod County | $246,100 | $941/mo | $80,084 | 3.1x | 1.15% |
| Rock County | $224,300 | $698/mo | $71,295 | 3.1x | 0.71% |
| Todd County | $207,700 | $908/mo | $67,662 | 3.1x | 0.95% |
| Kanabec County | $228,100 | $962/mo | $71,460 | 3.2x | 1.13% |
| Kandiyohi County | $243,200 | $909/mo | $76,592 | 3.2x | 1.02% |
| Lake County | $241,300 | $1,093/mo | $75,541 | 3.2x | 0.73% |
| St. Louis County | $221,400 | $1,013/mo | $70,069 | 3.2x | 1.03% |
| Wabasha County | $264,400 | $830/mo | $82,007 | 3.2x | 1.05% |
| Clay County | $265,500 | $1,019/mo | $81,172 | 3.3x | 1.13% |
| Itasca County | $225,200 | $988/mo | $68,603 | 3.3x | 0.86% |
| Le Sueur County | $316,500 | $942/mo | $94,968 | 3.3x | 1.06% |
| Meeker County | $249,000 | $904/mo | $75,446 | 3.3x | 0.90% |
| Pope County | $255,100 | $902/mo | $76,220 | 3.3x | 0.77% |
| Winona County | $235,400 | $907/mo | $70,744 | 3.3x | 0.93% |
| Wright County | $358,900 | $1,288/mo | $107,209 | 3.3x | 0.98% |
| Anoka County | $346,500 | $1,464/mo | $101,869 | 3.4x | 0.94% |
| Beltrami County | $237,500 | $1,053/mo | $68,975 | 3.4x | 0.97% |
| Goodhue County | $285,100 | $966/mo | $84,171 | 3.4x | 1.05% |
| Nicollet County | $270,300 | $970/mo | $79,756 | 3.4x | 1.13% |
| Pine County | $239,300 | $877/mo | $71,146 | 3.4x | 0.86% |
| Sherburne County | $361,400 | $1,127/mo | $105,466 | 3.4x | 0.99% |
| Chisago County | $351,900 | $1,186/mo | $99,400 | 3.5x | 1.07% |
| Isanti County | $306,200 | $1,273/mo | $87,440 | 3.5x | 1.01% |
| Olmsted County | $331,700 | $1,370/mo | $95,406 | 3.5x | 1.06% |
| Scott County | $419,400 | $1,568/mo | $119,314 | 3.5x | 1.01% |
| Stearns County | $273,400 | $1,068/mo | $77,066 | 3.5x | 1.00% |
| Benton County | $271,000 | $982/mo | $74,410 | 3.6x | 0.98% |
| Blue Earth County | $266,700 | $1,123/mo | $74,477 | 3.6x | 0.98% |
| Carver County | $453,600 | $1,514/mo | $125,946 | 3.6x | 0.99% |
| Dakota County | $381,000 | $1,548/mo | $106,318 | 3.6x | 0.98% |
| Mille Lacs County | $258,300 | $903/mo | $72,729 | 3.6x | 1.04% |
| Morrison County | $248,500 | $788/mo | $69,446 | 3.6x | 0.88% |
| Washington County | $422,000 | $1,710/mo | $115,345 | 3.7x | 0.99% |
| Otter Tail County | $273,000 | $868/mo | $72,255 | 3.8x | 0.77% |
| Rice County | $320,200 | $1,083/mo | $83,181 | 3.8x | 0.97% |
| Hubbard County | $282,600 | $905/mo | $71,995 | 3.9x | 0.78% |
| Hennepin County | $392,900 | $1,487/mo | $97,653 | 4.0x | 1.14% |
| Ramsey County | $326,600 | $1,329/mo | $81,568 | 4.0x | 1.21% |
| Becker County | $291,000 | $920/mo | $71,388 | 4.1x | 0.69% |
| Douglas County | $321,400 | $927/mo | $79,043 | 4.1x | 0.83% |
| Aitkin County | $255,800 | $869/mo | $60,833 | 4.2x | 0.55% |
| Cass County | $288,300 | $863/mo | $68,874 | 4.2x | 0.56% |
| Crow Wing County | $306,800 | $971/mo | $72,589 | 4.2x | 0.74% |
| Cook County | $336,200 | $886/mo | $72,638 | 4.6x | 0.69% |
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.