Cook County, Minnesota: commercial real estate data.
Cook County, Minnesota had an estimated 5,571 residents on July 1, 2024, down 0.6 percent since the 2020 census base of 5,602, across 1,452 square miles. County output reached $388.3 m in 2024, 292 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 11 7(a) approvals worth $6.5 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Cook County
How many people live in Cook County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-20245,635
- Households2,710
- Average household size2.08
- Median household income$72,638
- Median age53.0
- Median gross rent$886 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$336,200
- Home value to household income4.6 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income14.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher46.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree20.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over4,536
- Population under 18815
- Share under 1814.5 percent
- Population 65 and over1,757
- Share 65 and over31.2 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 643,063
- Civilian labor force3,019
- Unemployment rate2.2 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over62.6 percent
- Rank by population among Minnesota counties80th of 87
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included2842nd of 3,222
Cook County is the 80th largest of 87 Minnesota counties by population. A median home costs 4.6 times median household income, which is seriously unaffordable by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 31.2 percent against 14.5 percent, which points demand at health care, services and single story product rather than schools.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Cook County
Is Cook County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 20245,571
- Census 2020 base population5,602
- Population change since the 2020 census base-0.55 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024-72
- Births, 202436
- Deaths, 202460
- Natural change, 2024-24
- Net domestic migration, 2024-73
- Net international migration, 202423
- Total net migration, 2024-50
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-16
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2035th of 3,144
The county has lost 0.55 percent of its population since the 2020 census base. The population fell in 2024 from both sources: deaths exceeded births and more people left than moved in.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Cook County
Where are people moving to Cook County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving239
- People arriving, from those returns335
- Tax returns filed by households leaving188
- Net household movement51
- Adjusted gross income arriving$21.2 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$8.8 m
- Average income of an arriving household$88,812
- Average income of a leaving household$66,085
- Largest single originHennepin County (49 households)
- Largest single destinationSt. Louis County (27 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hennepin County | 49 | 76 | $4.5 m |
Households arriving report $22,727 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 Hennepin 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.
Cook County
What is the Cook County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$388.3 m
- County GDP, 2023$370.8 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 20244.7 percent
- GDP change over five years50.5 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Minnesota areas BEA publishes78th of 87
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes2566th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$68,911
Output grew 4.7 percent in the latest year and 50.5 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.
Cook County
Employment by industry in Cook County
- Covered employment, annual average2,628
- Establishments reporting333
- Average annual pay$45,255
- Average weekly wage$870
- Accommodation and food services, employment682
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$34,327
- Retail trade, employment314
- Retail trade, average annual pay$30,709
- Construction, employment123
- Construction, average annual pay$48,290
- Health care and social assistance, employment100
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$66,027
- Arts, entertainment and recreation, employment91
- Educational services, employment80
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accommodation and food services | 682 | 69 | $34,327 |
| Retail trade | 314 | 45 | $30,709 |
| Construction | 123 | 54 | $48,290 |
| Health care and social assistance | 100 | 13 | $66,027 |
| Arts, entertainment and recreation | 91 | 12 | $42,388 |
| Educational services | 80 | 8 | $43,338 |
| Wholesale trade | 47 | 4 | $67,472 |
| Other services, except public administration | 46 | 34 | $24,023 |
Accommodation and food services is the largest private sector at 682 jobs, 26.0 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Cook County
How many businesses are in Cook County?
- Establishments, all industries292
- Employment at those establishments1,965
- Annual payroll$89.4 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents51.8
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.
Cook County
Building permits in Cook County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 202462
- Declared construction value permitted$14.9 m
- Single family units authorized62
- Multifamily units authorized0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$240,404
- Units authorized per 1,000 households22.9
Single-family homes are 100.0 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is predominantly single-family.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Cook County
SBA loans in Cook County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded11
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$6.5 m
- Average 7(a) approval$587,391
- Median 7(a) approval$250,000
- Largest single approval$2,125,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)242
- Jobs per approval22.0
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active7
- Distinct industries receiving approvals10
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer36.4 percent
- Loans on real estate terms4
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter6
- Franchise loans1
- Franchise share of approvals9.1 percent
- Most active lenderPark State Bank (3)
- 504 approvals recorded20
- 504 gross approval dollars$15.2 m
- Average 504 approval$758,900
- Median 504 approval$494,000
- Distinct CDCs active2
- 504 jobs per approval6.5
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved8.5
- Most active CDCMidwest Business Finance Corporation (19)
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$21.6 m
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.
Cook County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Cook County
Do SBA loans in Cook County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded2
- Paid in full2
- Charged off0
- Status: Cancelled1
- Status: Exempt from disclosure7
- Status: Paid in full2
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed1
Only 2 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.
Cook County
SBA lending by place in Cook County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending3
- Grand Marais, approvals9
- Tofte, approvals1
- Grand Portage, approvals1
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Grand Marais | 9 | $4,407,300 |
| Tofte | 1 | $2,000,000 |
| Grand Portage | 1 | $54,000 |
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Cook County
How large is Cook County?
- Land area1,452 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Minnesota counties12th of 87
- Width, east to west71.6 mi
- Height, north to south53.9 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary1
- Residents per square mile of land4
- Establishments per square mile0.20
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.
Cook County
Flood risk in Cook County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Cook County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 270619
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book2
- Of those, participating in the NFIP2
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Cook 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 Cook County (community 270619), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Cook 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. 100.0 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 Cook 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 Cook County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-20245,635
- Households2,710
- Average household size2.08
- Median household income$72,638
- Median age53.0
Common questions
Cook County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Cook County, Minnesota?
The Census Bureau estimates 5,571 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 5,635, in 2,710 households, ranking 80th of 87 Minnesota counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Cook County's population growing?
The population has fallen 0.55 percent since the 2020 census base of 5,602, to 5,571 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 36 births against 60 deaths, with net migration of -50. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Cook County?
$72,638. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $336,200, which is 4.6 times income, and median gross rent is $886 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Cook County?
292 establishments, employing 1,965 people with an annual payroll of $89.4 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 Cook County?
Accommodation and food services is the largest private sector at 682 jobs, 26.0 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 2,628 jobs at an average annual pay of $45,255, or $870 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Cook County?
11 7(a) approvals totaling $6.5 m since FY2020, across 7 lenders, with a median approval of $250,000, plus 20 504 approvals worth $15.2 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Cook County?
62 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $14.9 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Cook 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 Cook County come from?
The largest single origin is Hennepin County, with 49 households. Arriving households report an average income of $88,812 against $66,085 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Cook 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 Cook 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.
Cook County
Cities and places in Cook.
2 Census places lie wholly or partly in Cook County. All 2 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Marais | city | 1,796 | 9 | Wholly in this county |
| Lutsen | CDP | 222 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
A further 2 of the county's 11 SBA 7(a) approvals are to borrowers in cities that match no Census place in Cook County, the largest being Tofte (1), Grand Portage (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.