How many people live in Rice County, MN?
Updated Apr. 6, 2026Refreshed annually
In 2024, there were about 69,000 people living in Rice County, MN. That makes Rice County the 14th-most populous county in Minnesota. It is home to 1.2% of people living in the state.
69K
population of Rice County, MN (2024)
1.2%
County share of the Minnesota population (2024)
About 69,000 people lived in Rice County, MN in 2024.
Population estimates, 2000–2024
What are Rice County, MN’s age demographics?
About 11,900 Rice County residents are aged 65 and older in 2024. That represents 17.2% of its population. For comparison, the age group represents 18.3% of Minnesota’s population and 18% in the US overall.
Another 14,500 Rice County residents, or 21% 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 Rice County, MN's population is aged 18–24 than the US as a whole.
Population estimates by age group, (2024)
What are Rice County, MN’s racial and ethnic demographics?
Non-Hispanic white residents make up 76.8% of the Rice County, MN population, higher than the national share of 57.5%.
In contrast, Rice County’s Hispanic population accounts for 10.8%, below the 20% nationwide, and the non-Hispanic Black or African American population makes up 7.8% 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.
Rice County, MN has a higher share of a Hispanic population than Minnesota as a whole.
Population estimates by race and ethnicity, (2024)
The largest city or town in Rice County, MN is Faribault with about 25,000 residents in 2024.
Cities and towns in Rice County, MN ranked by population
Population (2024), includes only portions within county
| City or town | Population | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Faribault | 24,983 |
| 2. | Northfield (pt.) | 20,068 |
| 3. | Lonsdale | 5,066 |
| 4. | Bridgewater | 1,839 |
| 5. | Webster | 1,824 |
| 6. | Dundas | 1,806 |
| 7. | Wells | 1,585 |
| 8. | Forest | 1,366 |
| 9. | Warsaw | 1,310 |
| 10. | Wheatland | 1,298 |
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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.
