Carlton County, Minnesota: commercial real estate data.
Carlton County, Minnesota had an estimated 36,745 residents on July 1, 2024, up 1.5 percent since the 2020 census base of 36,190, across 861 square miles. County output reached $1.91 bn in 2024, 708 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 44 7(a) approvals worth $21.3 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Carlton County
How many people live in Carlton County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202436,518
- Households14,090
- Average household size2.59
- Median household income$80,573
- Median age41.4
- Median gross rent$1,009 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$245,100
- Home value to household income3.0 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income15.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher26.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree9.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over26,026
- Population under 187,866
- Share under 1821.5 percent
- Population 65 and over6,774
- Share 65 and over18.5 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6421,878
- Civilian labor force17,477
- Unemployment rate4.8 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over61.0 percent
- Rank by population among Minnesota counties30th of 87
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included1305th of 3,222
Carlton County is the 30th largest of 87 Minnesota counties by population. A median home costs 3.0 times median household income, which is affordable by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 21.5 percent against 18.5 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Carlton County
Is Carlton County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 202436,745
- Census 2020 base population36,190
- Population change since the 2020 census base1.53 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 202428
- Births, 2024316
- Deaths, 2024474
- Natural change, 2024-158
- Net domestic migration, 2024154
- Net international migration, 202434
- Total net migration, 2024188
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20241,023
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1320th of 3,144
The county has grown 1.53 percent since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024 and the population still grew, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration is more sensitive to a change in relative cost than one growing from household formation.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Carlton County
Where are people moving to Carlton County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving878
- People arriving, from those returns1,526
- Tax returns filed by households leaving886
- Net household movement-8
- Adjusted gross income arriving$53.2 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$3.9 m
- Average income of an arriving household$60,577
- Average income of a leaving household$55,590
- Largest single originSt. Louis County (368 households)
- Largest single destinationSt. Louis County (290 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. Louis County | 368 | 659 | $23.8 m |
| Douglas County | 64 | 107 | $3.6 m |
| Hennepin County | 45 | 69 | $3.2 m |
| Pine County | 34 | 56 | $1.5 m |
| Ramsey County | 20 | 36 | $954,000 |
Households arriving report $4,987 more average income than households leaving, so the migration is raising local spending power rather than just moving it around. The largest single source of arrivals is St. Louis County, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Carlton County
What is the Carlton County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$1.91 bn
- County GDP, 2023$1.79 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20246.4 percent
- GDP change over five years34.1 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Minnesota areas BEA publishes34th of 87
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes1323rd of 3,127
- GDP per resident$52,219
Output grew 6.4 percent in the latest year and 34.1 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Carlton County
Employment by industry in Carlton County
- Covered employment, annual average13,269
- Establishments reporting816
- Average annual pay$58,073
- Average weekly wage$1,117
- Retail trade, employment1,445
- Retail trade, average annual pay$30,890
- Manufacturing, employment1,258
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$90,801
- Accommodation and food services, employment1,011
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$21,188
- Construction, employment880
- Construction, average annual pay$99,001
- Wholesale trade, employment380
- Other services, except public administration, employment347
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 1,445 | 114 | $30,890 |
| Manufacturing | 1,258 | 26 | $90,801 |
| Accommodation and food services | 1,011 | 66 | $21,188 |
| Construction | 880 | 110 | $99,001 |
| Wholesale trade | 380 | 21 | $74,009 |
| Other services, except public administration | 347 | 84 | $33,148 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 321 | 47 | $84,393 |
| Finance and insurance | 291 | 40 | $66,047 |
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 1,445 jobs, 10.9 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Carlton County
How many businesses are in Carlton County?
- Establishments, all industries708
- Employment at those establishments7,855
- Annual payroll$430.8 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents19.4
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against. County Business Patterns counts private establishments with paid employees in March 2023, while the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages above counts every unemployment-insured employer, public ones included, as a 2024 annual average, so the two establishment and employment counts differ.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Carlton County
Building permits in Carlton County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 2024126
- Declared construction value permitted$22.6 m
- Single family units authorized96
- Multifamily units authorized30
- Multifamily share of units23.8 percent
- Average declared value per unit$179,210
- Units authorized per 1,000 households8.9
Single-family homes are 76.2 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is predominantly single-family.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Carlton County
SBA loans in Carlton County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded44
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$21.3 m
- Average 7(a) approval$484,845
- Median 7(a) approval$273,800
- 10th percentile approval$53,560
- 90th percentile approval$1,473,050
- Largest single approval$2,485,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)538
- Jobs per approval12.2
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active15
- Distinct industries receiving approvals30
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer25.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms11
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter26
- Franchise loans2
- Franchise share of approvals4.5 percent
- Most active lenderFrandsen Bank and Trust (17)
- 504 approvals recorded17
- 504 gross approval dollars$10.3 m
- Average 504 approval$605,588
- Median 504 approval$382,000
- Distinct CDCs active3
- 504 jobs per approval23.3
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved38.5
- Most active CDCMidwest Business Finance Corporation (8)
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$31.6 m
The average approval of $484,845 sits well above the median of $273,800, pulled up by a few larger deals, so the median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here gets. Only 25.0 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Carlton County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Carlton County
Do SBA loans in Carlton County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded8
- Paid in full8
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure28
- Status: Cancelled4
- Status: Paid in full8
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed4
Only 8 loans have reached a final outcome, fewer than the 30 a charge-off rate needs, so no rate is published.
Compare against the national and state SBA charge-off rates, computed the same way over resolved loans only.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Carlton County
SBA lending by place in Carlton County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending9
- Cloquet, approvals27
- Carlton, approvals4
- Barnum, approvals4
- Moose Lake, approvals3
- Cromwell, approvals2
- Maktowa, approvals1
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Cloquet | 27 | $11,539,600 |
| Carlton | 4 | $4,015,500 |
| Barnum | 4 | $1,990,000 |
| Moose Lake | 3 | $1,251,600 |
| Cromwell | 2 | $450,000 |
| Maktowa | 1 | $1,321,500 |
| Esko | 1 | $555,000 |
| Wright | 1 | $150,000 |
| 1 other borrower city | 1 | $60,000 |
Cloquet accounts for 27 approvals against 4 in Carlton. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Carlton County
How large is Carlton County?
- Land area861 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Minnesota counties27th of 87
- Width, east to west36.6 mi
- Height, north to south24.1 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary4
- Residents per square mile of land42
- Establishments per square mile0.82
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Carlton County
Flood risk in Carlton County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Carlton County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 270039
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book11
- Of those, participating in the NFIP9
- NFIP participation rate81.8 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Carlton County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/LZone 2
The county's own community in the status book, unincorporated Carlton County (community 270039), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Carlton County in radon zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. 81.8 percent of the county's listed communities participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, per Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26.
Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26. US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Traffic counts, zoning and the flood zone at an address are not on this page; they resolve at the address in the platform. How this page was built →
Feasibility studies
When a Carlton County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Carlton County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202436,518
- Households14,090
- Average household size2.59
- Median household income$80,573
- Median age41.4
Common questions
Carlton County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Carlton County, Minnesota?
The Census Bureau estimates 36,745 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 36,518, in 14,090 households, ranking 30th of 87 Minnesota counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Carlton County's population growing?
The population has grown 1.53 percent since the 2020 census base of 36,190, to 36,745 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 316 births against 474 deaths, with net migration of 188. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Carlton County?
$80,573. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $245,100, which is 3.0 times income, and median gross rent is $1,009 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Carlton County?
708 establishments, employing 7,855 people with an annual payroll of $430.8 m. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is employment by industry in Carlton County?
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 1,445 jobs, 10.9 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 13,269 jobs at an average annual pay of $58,073, or $1,117 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Carlton County?
44 7(a) approvals totaling $21.3 m since FY2020, across 15 lenders, with a median approval of $273,800, plus 17 504 approvals worth $10.3 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Carlton County?
126 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $22.6 m. Multifamily was 23.8 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Carlton County?
Zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Carlton County come from?
The largest single origin is St. Louis County, with 368 households. Arriving households report an average income of $60,577 against $55,590 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Carlton County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Carlton County?
No. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame, to be confirmed locally.
Carlton County
Cities and places in Carlton.
12 Census places lie wholly or partly in Carlton County. All 12 carry enough published place level data for a page of their own and are linked.
| Place | Type | Population | SBA 7(a) approvals, projects in this county | Lies in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cloquet | city | 12,537 | 27 | Wholly in this county |
| Moose Lake | city | 2,863 | 3 | Wholly in this county |
| Esko | CDP | 1,813 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Scanlon | city | 1,146 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Carlton | city | 875 | 4 | Wholly in this county |
| Barnum | city | 503 | 4 | Wholly in this county |
| Mahtowa | CDP | 428 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Cromwell | city | 423 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Wrenshall | city | 404 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Big Lake | CDP | 378 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Kettle River | city | 140 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Wright | city | 96 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
A further 1 of the county's 44 SBA 7(a) approvals are to borrowers in cities that match no Census place in Carlton County, the largest being Maktowa (1). Those are postal cities, unincorporated areas and cities outside the county, so no place row claims them; they are counted in the county total above.
Nearby