Norman County, Minnesota: commercial real estate data.
Norman County, Minnesota had an estimated 6,284 residents on July 1, 2024, down 2.5 percent since the 2020 census base of 6,442, across 873 square miles. County output reached $246.2 m in 2024, 175 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 38 7(a) approvals worth $12.9 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Norman County
How many people live in Norman County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-20246,367
- Households2,700
- Average household size2.36
- Median household income$72,260
- Median age43.8
- Median gross rent$774 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$147,100
- Home value to household income2.0 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income12.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher22.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree5.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over4,441
- Population under 181,483
- Share under 1823.3 percent
- Population 65 and over1,379
- Share 65 and over21.7 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 643,505
- Civilian labor force3,199
- Unemployment rate5.3 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over65.5 percent
- Rank by population among Minnesota counties78th of 87
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included2786th of 3,222
Norman County is the 78th largest of 87 Minnesota counties by population. A median home costs 2.0 times median household income, which is affordable by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 23.3 percent against 21.7 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Norman County
Is Norman County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 20246,284
- Census 2020 base population6,442
- Population change since the 2020 census base-2.45 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024-34
- Births, 202435
- Deaths, 202481
- Natural change, 2024-46
- Net domestic migration, 2024-8
- Net international migration, 202420
- Total net migration, 202412
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-78
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2616th of 3,144
The county has lost 2.45 percent of its population since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024 by more than net migration added, so the population fell even though more people moved in than left.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Norman County
Where are people moving to Norman County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving140
- People arriving, from those returns237
- Tax returns filed by households leaving142
- Net household movement-2
- Adjusted gross income arriving$7.0 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$199,000
- Average income of an arriving household$50,143
- Average income of a leaving household$48,035
- Largest single originCass County (35 households)
- Largest single destinationClay County (42 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cass County | 35 | 59 | $1.5 m |
| Clay County | 28 | 42 | $1.3 m |
Households arriving report $2,108 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 Cass 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.
Norman County
What is the Norman County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$246.2 m
- County GDP, 2023$281.7 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 2024-12.6 percent
- GDP change over five years0.5 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Minnesota areas BEA publishes85th of 87
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes2812th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$38,667
Output grew -12.6 percent in the latest year and 0.5 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.
Norman County
Employment by industry in Norman County
- Covered employment, annual average1,710
- Establishments reporting259
- Average annual pay$48,805
- Average weekly wage$939
- Health care and social assistance, employment361
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$49,557
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, employment234
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, average annual pay$51,464
- Retail trade, employment184
- Retail trade, average annual pay$31,259
- Wholesale trade, employment83
- Wholesale trade, average annual pay$67,543
- Finance and insurance, employment73
- Information, employment53
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 361 | 25 | $49,557 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting | 234 | 56 | $51,464 |
| Retail trade | 184 | 28 | $31,259 |
| Wholesale trade | 83 | 12 | $67,543 |
| Finance and insurance | 73 | 17 | $66,283 |
| Information | 53 | 5 | $72,828 |
| Construction | 48 | 22 | $38,958 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 44 | 9 | $84,189 |
Health care and social assistance is the largest private sector at 361 jobs, 21.1 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Norman County
How many businesses are in Norman County?
- Establishments, all industries175
- Employment at those establishments1,206
- Annual payroll$67.1 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents27.5
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.
Norman County
Building permits in Norman County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 20246
- Declared construction value permitted$2.2 m
- Single family units authorized6
- Multifamily units authorized0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$369,524
- Units authorized per 1,000 households2.2
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.
Norman County
SBA loans in Norman County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded38
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$12.9 m
- Average 7(a) approval$338,418
- Median 7(a) approval$165,000
- 10th percentile approval$25,600
- 90th percentile approval$953,140
- Largest single approval$1,930,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)148
- Jobs per approval3.9
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active7
- Distinct industries receiving approvals18
- Median 7(a) term104 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer15.8 percent
- Loans on real estate terms6
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter31
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countSoybean Farming (6)
- Most active lenderRed River State Bank (25)
The average approval of $338,418 sits well above the median of $165,000, pulled up by a few larger deals, so the median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here gets. Only 15.8 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.
Norman County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Norman County
Do SBA loans in Norman County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded17
- Paid in full17
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure16
- Status: Paid in full17
- Status: Cancelled4
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed1
Only 17 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.
Norman County
SBA lending by place in Norman County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending7
- Halstad, approvals16
- Gary, approvals6
- Twin Valley, approvals6
- Ada, approvals4
- Hendrum, approvals4
- Shelly, approvals1
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Halstad | 16 | $8,128,500 |
| Gary | 6 | $1,327,500 |
| Twin Valley | 6 | $405,000 |
| Ada | 4 | $1,526,900 |
| Hendrum | 4 | $975,000 |
| Shelly | 1 | $325,000 |
| Bejou | 1 | $172,000 |
Halstad accounts for 16 approvals against 6 in Gary. 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.
Norman County
How large is Norman County?
- Land area873 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Minnesota counties26th of 87
- Width, east to west37.3 mi
- Height, north to south24.1 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land7
- 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.
Norman County
Flood risk in Norman County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Norman County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 270322
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book8
- Of those, participating in the NFIP6
- NFIP participation rate75.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Norman County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/LZone 1
The county's own community in the status book, unincorporated Norman County (community 270322), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Norman County in radon zone 1, a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. 75.0 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 Norman 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 Norman County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-20246,367
- Households2,700
- Average household size2.36
- Median household income$72,260
- Median age43.8
Common questions
Norman County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Norman County, Minnesota?
The Census Bureau estimates 6,284 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 6,367, in 2,700 households, ranking 78th of 87 Minnesota counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Norman County's population growing?
The population has fallen 2.45 percent since the 2020 census base of 6,442, to 6,284 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 35 births against 81 deaths, with net migration of 12. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Norman County?
$72,260. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $147,100, which is 2.0 times income, and median gross rent is $774 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Norman County?
175 establishments, employing 1,206 people with an annual payroll of $67.1 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 Norman County?
Health care and social assistance is the largest private sector at 361 jobs, 21.1 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 1,710 jobs at an average annual pay of $48,805, or $939 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Norman County?
38 7(a) approvals totaling $12.9 m since FY2020, across 7 lenders, with a median approval of $165,000. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Norman County?
6 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $2.2 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Norman County?
Zone 1, a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 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 Norman County come from?
The largest single origin is Cass County, with 35 households. Arriving households report an average income of $50,143 against $48,035 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Norman 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 Norman 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.
Norman County
Cities and places in Norman.
8 Census places lie wholly or partly in Norman County. All 8 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ada | city | 1,833 | 4 | Wholly in this county |
| Twin Valley | city | 719 | 6 | Wholly in this county |
| Halstad | city | 509 | 16 | Wholly in this county |
| Gary | city | 268 | 6 | Wholly in this county |
| Hendrum | city | 240 | 4 | Wholly in this county |
| Shelly | city | 229 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Borup | city | 132 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Perley | city | 126 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
A further 1 of the county's 38 SBA 7(a) approvals are to borrowers in cities that match no Census place in Norman County, the largest being Bejou (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.