How many people live in Carlton County, MN?
Updated Apr. 6, 2026Refreshed annually
In 2024, there were about 36,700 people living in Carlton County, MN. That makes Carlton County the 30th-most populous county in Minnesota. It is home to 0.63% of people living in the state.
36.7K
population of Carlton County, MN (2024)
0.63%
County share of the Minnesota population (2024)
About 36,700 people lived in Carlton County, MN in 2024.
Population estimates, 2000–2024
What are Carlton County, MN’s age demographics?
About 7,100 Carlton County, MN residents are aged 65 and older in 2024. That represents 19.3% of its population. For comparison, the age group represents 18.3% of Minnesota’s population and 18% in the US overall.
Another 7,700 Carlton County residents, or 20.9% of the population, were children under 18. For comparison, the age group represents 22.4% of Minnesota’s population and 21.6% in the US overall.
A higher share of Carlton County, MN's population is aged 45–64 than the US as a whole.
Population estimates by age group, (2024)
What are Carlton County, MN’s racial and ethnic demographics?
Non-Hispanic white residents make up 87.1% of the Carlton County, MN population, higher than the national share of 57.5%. Carlton County, MN also has a larger share of people identifying as non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaska Native (5.3%) than the US overall (0.72%).
In contrast, Carlton County’s Hispanic population accounts for 2.2%, below the 20% nationwide, and the non-Hispanic Black or African American population makes up 2% of the county, compared with 12.6% nationally.
Racial and ethnic make up differ based on location. These figures reflect how people identified their race alone (not in combination with other races), and separate out Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, following Census reporting standards.
Carlton County, MN has a higher share of a non-Hispanic white population than Minnesota as a whole.
Population estimates by race and ethnicity, (2024)
The largest city or town in Carlton County, MN is Cloquet with about 12,500 residents in 2024.
Cities and towns in Carlton County, MN ranked by population
Population (2024), includes only portions within county
| City or town | Population | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Cloquet | 12,475 |
| 2. | Thomson | 5,575 |
| 3. | Moose Lake | 3,003 |
| 4. | Twin Lakes | 2,109 |
| 5. | Barnum | 1,127 |
| 6. | Perch Lake | 1,037 |
| 7. | Blackhoof | 1,009 |
| 8. | Moose Lake | 1,008 |
| 9. | Scanlon | 998 |
| 10. | North Carlton UT | 989 |
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Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
The analysis was generated with the help of AI and reviewed by USAFacts for accuracy.
Page sources
USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.