How many people live in Steele County, MN?
Updated Apr. 6, 2026Refreshed annually
In 2024, there were about 37,400 people living in Steele County, MN. That makes Steele County the 28th-most populous county in Minnesota. It is home to 0.64% of people living in the state.
37.4K
population of Steele County, MN (2024)
0.64%
County share of the Minnesota population (2024)
About 37,400 people lived in Steele County, MN in 2024.
Population estimates, 2000–2024
What are Steele County, MN’s age demographics?
About 7,500 Steele County residents are aged 65 and older in 2024. That represents 20.1% of its population. For comparison, the age group represents 18.3% of Minnesota’s population and 18% in the US overall.
Another 8,800 Steele 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 lower share of Steele County, MN's population is aged 25–44 than the US as a whole.
Population estimates by age group, (2024)
What are Steele County, MN’s racial and ethnic demographics?
Non-Hispanic white residents make up 84.2% of the Steele County, MN population, higher than the national share of 57.5%.
In contrast, Steele County’s Hispanic population accounts for 9.3%, below the 20% nationwide, and the non-Hispanic Black or African American population makes up 3.8% 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.
Steele 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 Steele County, MN is Owatonna with about 26,600 residents in 2024.
Cities and towns in Steele County, MN ranked by population
Population (2024), includes only portions within county
| City or town | Population | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Owatonna | 26,626 |
| 2. | Blooming Prairie (pt.) | 1,938 |
| 3. | Medford | 1,362 |
| 4. | Medford | 841 |
| 5. | Somerset | 707 |
| 6. | Ellendale | 658 |
| 7. | Owatonna | 599 |
| 8. | Meriden | 598 |
| 9. | Havana | 543 |
| 10. | Deerfield | 526 |
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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.
