How many people live in Wadena County, MN?
Updated Apr. 6, 2026Refreshed annually
In 2024, there were about 14,400 people living in Wadena County, MN. That makes Wadena County the 58th-most populous county in Minnesota. It is home to 0.25% of people living in the state.
14.4K
population of Wadena County, MN (2024)
0.25%
County share of the Minnesota population (2024)
About 14,400 people lived in Wadena County, MN in 2024.
Population estimates, 2000–2024
What are Wadena County, MN’s age demographics?
About 2,900 Wadena 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 3,800 Wadena County residents, or 26.6% 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 Wadena County, MN's population is aged under 18 than the US as a whole.
Population estimates by age group, (2024)
What are Wadena County, MN’s racial and ethnic demographics?
Non-Hispanic white residents make up 92.8% of the Wadena County, MN population, higher than the national share of 57.5%. Wadena County, MN also has a larger share of people identifying as non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaska Native (0.76%) than the US overall (0.72%).
In contrast, Wadena County’s Hispanic population accounts for 2.8%, below the 20% nationwide, and the non-Hispanic Black or African American population makes up 0.98% 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.
Wadena 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 Wadena County, MN is Wadena with about 4,300 residents in 2024.
Cities and towns in Wadena County, MN ranked by population
Population (2024), includes only portions within county
| City or town | Population | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Wadena (pt.) | 4,261 |
| 2. | Menahga | 1,366 |
| 3. | Wadena | 935 |
| 4. | Staples (pt.) | 898 |
| 5. | Blueberry | 866 |
| 6. | Thomastown | 859 |
| 7. | Sebeka | 753 |
| 8. | Red Eye | 530 |
| 9. | Verndale | 512 |
| 10. | Leaf River | 491 |
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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.
