Traverse County, Minnesota: commercial real estate data.
Traverse County, Minnesota had an estimated 3,134 residents on July 1, 2024, down 6.8 percent since the 2020 census base of 3,363, across 574 square miles. County output reached $347.5 m in 2024, 121 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 4 7(a) approvals worth $6.3 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Traverse County
How many people live in Traverse County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-20243,243
- Households1,311
- Average household size2.47
- Median household income$62,989
- Median age46.1
- Median gross rent$615 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$114,100
- Home value to household income1.8 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income11.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher16.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree3.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over2,261
- Population under 18702
- Share under 1821.6 percent
- Population 65 and over825
- Share 65 and over25.4 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 641,716
- Civilian labor force1,540
- Unemployment rate4.5 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over60.6 percent
- Rank by population among Minnesota counties87th of 87
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included3022nd of 3,222
Traverse County is the 87th largest of 87 Minnesota counties by population. A median home costs 1.8 times median household income, which is affordable by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 25.4 percent against 21.6 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.
Traverse County
Is Traverse County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 20243,134
- Census 2020 base population3,363
- Population change since the 2020 census base-6.81 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024-41
- Births, 202425
- Deaths, 202459
- Natural change, 2024-34
- Net domestic migration, 2024-13
- Net international migration, 20246
- Total net migration, 2024-7
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-135
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents3076th of 3,144
The county has lost 6.81 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.
Traverse County
Where are people moving to Traverse County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving64
- People arriving, from those returns106
- Tax returns filed by households leaving86
- Net household movement-22
- Adjusted gross income arriving$3.3 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$-1.0 m
- Average income of an arriving household$51,328
- Average income of a leaving household$49,930
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|
Households arriving report $1,398 more average income than households leaving, so the migration is raising local spending power rather than just moving it around.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Traverse County
What is the Traverse County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$347.5 m
- County GDP, 2023$308.3 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 202412.7 percent
- GDP change over five years69.6 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Minnesota areas BEA publishes81st of 87
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes2630th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$107,164
Output grew 12.7 percent in the latest year and 69.6 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.
Traverse County
Employment by industry in Traverse County
- Covered employment, annual average1,069
- Establishments reporting154
- Average annual pay$48,921
- Average weekly wage$941
- Health care and social assistance, employment219
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$50,224
- Retail trade, employment157
- Retail trade, average annual pay$26,754
- Wholesale trade, employment106
- Wholesale trade, average annual pay$95,345
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, employment92
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, average annual pay$50,785
- Manufacturing, employment33
- Construction, employment26
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 219 | 16 | $50,224 |
| Retail trade | 157 | 22 | $26,754 |
| Wholesale trade | 106 | 10 | $95,345 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting | 92 | 30 | $50,785 |
| Manufacturing | 33 | 6 | $50,472 |
| Construction | 26 | 10 | $49,321 |
| Other services, except public administration | 26 | 8 | $17,662 |
Health care and social assistance is the largest private sector at 219 jobs, 20.5 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Traverse County
How many businesses are in Traverse County?
- Establishments, all industries121
- Employment at those establishments732
- Annual payroll$39.0 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents37.3
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.
Traverse County
Building permits in Traverse County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 20244
- Declared construction value permitted$1.3 m
- Single family units authorized4
- Multifamily units authorized0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$320,650
- Units authorized per 1,000 households3.1
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.
Traverse County
SBA loans in Traverse County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded4
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$6.3 m
- Average 7(a) approval$1,582,150
- Median 7(a) approval$1,216,800
- Largest single approval$3,700,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)43
- Jobs per approval10.8
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active2
- Distinct industries receiving approvals2
- Median 7(a) term89 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer25.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms1
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter3
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countOilseed and Grain Combination Farming (3)
- Most active lenderRed River State Bank (3)
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Traverse County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Traverse County
Do SBA loans in Traverse County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded1
- Paid in full1
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure2
- Status: Paid in full1
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed1
Only 1 loan has 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.
Traverse County
SBA lending by place in Traverse County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending2
- Wheaton, approvals3
- Browns Valley, approvals1
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Wheaton | 3 | $6,133,600 |
| Browns Valley | 1 | $195,000 |
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Traverse County
How large is Traverse County?
- Land area574 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Minnesota counties55th of 87
- Width, east to west29.2 mi
- Height, north to south30.1 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land6
- Establishments per square mile0.21
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.
Traverse County
Flood risk in Traverse County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Traverse County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 270621
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book5
- Of those, participating in the NFIP5
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Traverse 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 Traverse County (community 270621), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Traverse 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. 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 Traverse 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 Traverse County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-20243,243
- Households1,311
- Average household size2.47
- Median household income$62,989
- Median age46.1
Common questions
Traverse County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Traverse County, Minnesota?
The Census Bureau estimates 3,134 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 3,243, in 1,311 households, ranking 87th of 87 Minnesota counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Traverse County's population growing?
The population has fallen 6.81 percent since the 2020 census base of 3,363, to 3,134 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 25 births against 59 deaths, with net migration of -7. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Traverse County?
$62,989. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $114,100, which is 1.8 times income, and median gross rent is $615 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Traverse County?
121 establishments, employing 732 people with an annual payroll of $39.0 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 Traverse County?
Health care and social assistance is the largest private sector at 219 jobs, 20.5 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 1,069 jobs at an average annual pay of $48,921, or $941 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Traverse County?
4 7(a) approvals totaling $6.3 m since FY2020, across 2 lenders, with a median approval of $1,216,800. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Traverse County?
4 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $1.3 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Traverse 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.
Are traffic counts available for Traverse 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 Traverse 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.
Traverse County
Cities and places in Traverse.
4 Census places lie wholly or partly in Traverse County. All 4 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wheaton | city | 1,389 | 3 | Wholly in this county |
| Browns Valley | city | 382 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Dumont | city | 140 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Tintah | city | 43 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |