How many people live in Stearns County, MN?
Updated Apr. 6, 2026Refreshed annually
In 2024, there were about 164,000 people living in Stearns County, MN. That makes Stearns County the eighth-most populous county in Minnesota. It is home to 2.8% of people living in the state.
164K
population of Stearns County, MN (2024)
2.8%
County share of the Minnesota population (2024)
About 164,000 people lived in Stearns County, MN in 2024.
Population estimates, 2000–2024
What are Stearns County, MN’s age demographics?
About 27,600 Stearns County, MN residents are aged 65 and older in 2024. That represents 16.8% of its population. For comparison, the age group represents 18.3% of Minnesota’s population and 18% in the US overall.
Another 38,800 Stearns County residents, or 23.6% 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 Stearns County, MN's population is aged 18–24 than the US as a whole.
Population estimates by age group, (2024)
What are Stearns County, MN’s racial and ethnic demographics?
Non-Hispanic white residents make up 79% of the Stearns County, MN population, higher than the national share of 57.5%.
In contrast, Stearns County’s Hispanic population accounts for 5.3%, below the 20% nationwide, and the non-Hispanic Asian population makes up 2.3% of the county, compared with 6.5% 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.
Stearns 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 Stearns County, MN is St. Cloud with about 57,200 residents in 2024.
Cities and towns in Stearns County, MN ranked by population
Population (2024), includes only portions within county
| City or town | Population | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | St. Cloud (pt.) | 57,229 |
| 2. | Sartell (pt.) | 17,826 |
| 3. | Waite Park | 8,504 |
| 4. | St. Joseph | 6,992 |
| 5. | Sauk Centre | 4,682 |
| 6. | Cold Spring | 4,326 |
| 7. | Melrose | 3,911 |
| 8. | St. Augusta | 3,767 |
| 9. | Collegeville | 3,363 |
| 10. | Brockway | 3,014 |
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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.
