Watonwan County, Minnesota: commercial real estate data.
Watonwan County, Minnesota had an estimated 11,204 residents on July 1, 2024, down 0.4 percent since the 2020 census base of 11,254, across 435 square miles. County output reached $610.8 m in 2024, 280 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 4 7(a) approvals worth $594,000 since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Watonwan County
How many people live in Watonwan County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202411,205
- Households4,227
- Average household size2.65
- Median household income$71,699
- Median age40.8
- Median gross rent$834 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$162,400
- Home value to household income2.3 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income14.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher17.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree4.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over7,379
- Population under 182,948
- Share under 1826.3 percent
- Population 65 and over2,265
- Share 65 and over20.2 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 645,992
- Civilian labor force5,427
- Unemployment rate5.3 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over65.7 percent
- Rank by population among Minnesota counties65th of 87
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included2405th of 3,222
Watonwan County is the 65th largest of 87 Minnesota counties by population. A median home costs 2.3 times median household income, which is affordable by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 26.3 percent against 20.2 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Watonwan County
Is Watonwan County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 202411,204
- Census 2020 base population11,254
- Population change since the 2020 census base-0.44 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 202425
- Births, 2024165
- Deaths, 2024120
- Natural change, 202445
- Net domestic migration, 2024-117
- Net international migration, 202496
- Total net migration, 2024-21
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-547
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1997th of 3,144
The county has lost 0.44 percent of its population since the 2020 census base. Births exceeded deaths in 2024 by more than net migration took away, so the population grew even though more people left than moved in.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Watonwan County
Where are people moving to Watonwan County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving166
- People arriving, from those returns295
- Tax returns filed by households leaving246
- Net household movement-80
- Adjusted gross income arriving$7.6 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$-4.1 m
- Average income of an arriving household$45,675
- Average income of a leaving household$47,472
- Largest single originBlue Earth County (32 households)
- Largest single destinationBlue Earth County (59 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Earth County | 32 | 61 | $1.4 m |
Households arriving report $1,797 less average income than households leaving, which drains spending power even where headcount holds up. The largest single source of arrivals is Blue Earth 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.
Watonwan County
What is the Watonwan County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$610.8 m
- County GDP, 2023$584.0 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 20244.6 percent
- GDP change over five years34.9 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Minnesota areas BEA publishes71st of 87
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes2261st of 3,127
- GDP per resident$54,515
Output grew 4.6 percent in the latest year and 34.9 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.
Watonwan County
Employment by industry in Watonwan County
- Covered employment, annual average4,510
- Establishments reporting343
- Average annual pay$48,323
- Average weekly wage$929
- Manufacturing, employment1,419
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$52,158
- Health care and social assistance, employment422
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$60,649
- Retail trade, employment316
- Retail trade, average annual pay$28,131
- Transportation and warehousing, employment306
- Transportation and warehousing, average annual pay$41,000
- Construction, employment243
- Accommodation and food services, employment191
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 1,419 | 19 | $52,158 |
| Health care and social assistance | 422 | 32 | $60,649 |
| Retail trade | 316 | 34 | $28,131 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 306 | 26 | $41,000 |
| Construction | 243 | 46 | $64,062 |
| Accommodation and food services | 191 | 20 | $18,435 |
| Finance and insurance | 146 | 21 | $58,302 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 129 | 16 | $47,093 |
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 1,419 jobs, 31.5 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Watonwan County
How many businesses are in Watonwan County?
- Establishments, all industries280
- Employment at those establishments3,793
- Annual payroll$174.5 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents25.0
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.
Watonwan County
Building permits in Watonwan County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 20247
- Declared construction value permitted$1.7 m
- Single family units authorized3
- Multifamily units authorized4
- Multifamily share of units57.1 percent
- Average declared value per unit$240,952
- Units authorized per 1,000 households1.7
Multifamily is 57.1 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is being built for renters rather than buyers.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Watonwan County
SBA loans in Watonwan County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded4
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$594,000
- Average 7(a) approval$148,500
- Median 7(a) approval$112,500
- Largest single approval$283,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)36
- Jobs per approval9.0
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active2
- Distinct industries receiving approvals3
- Median 7(a) term300 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer75.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms3
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter1
- Franchise loans1
- Franchise share of approvals25.0 percent
- Most active lenderBankVista (3)
- 504 approvals recorded6
- 504 gross approval dollars$2.3 m
- Average 504 approval$387,000
- Median 504 approval$379,500
- Distinct CDCs active2
- 504 jobs per approval4.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved10.3
- Most active CDCMidwest Business Finance Corporation (4)
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$2.9 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.
Watonwan County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Watonwan County
Do SBA loans in Watonwan County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded2
- Paid in full2
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full2
- Status: Cancelled1
- Status: Exempt from disclosure1
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.
Watonwan County
How large is Watonwan County?
- Land area435 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Minnesota counties76th of 87
- Width, east to west24.5 mi
- Height, north to south18 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land26
- Establishments per square mile0.64
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.
Watonwan County
Flood risk in Watonwan County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Watonwan County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 270649
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book4
- Of those, participating in the NFIP3
- NFIP participation rate75.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Watonwan 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 Watonwan County (community 270649), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Watonwan 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 Watonwan 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 Watonwan County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202411,205
- Households4,227
- Average household size2.65
- Median household income$71,699
- Median age40.8
Common questions
Watonwan County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Watonwan County, Minnesota?
The Census Bureau estimates 11,204 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 11,205, in 4,227 households, ranking 65th of 87 Minnesota counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Watonwan County's population growing?
The population has fallen 0.44 percent since the 2020 census base of 11,254, to 11,204 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 165 births against 120 deaths, with net migration of -21. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Watonwan County?
$71,699. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $162,400, which is 2.3 times income, and median gross rent is $834 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Watonwan County?
280 establishments, employing 3,793 people with an annual payroll of $174.5 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 Watonwan County?
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 1,419 jobs, 31.5 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 4,510 jobs at an average annual pay of $48,323, or $929 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Watonwan County?
4 7(a) approvals totaling $594,000 since FY2020, across 2 lenders, with a median approval of $112,500, plus 6 504 approvals worth $2.3 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Watonwan County?
7 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $1.7 m. Multifamily was 57.1 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Watonwan 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 Watonwan County come from?
The largest single origin is Blue Earth County, with 32 households. Arriving households report an average income of $45,675 against $47,472 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Watonwan 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 Watonwan 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.
Watonwan County
Cities and places in Watonwan.
8 Census places lie wholly or partly in Watonwan 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. James | city | 4,767 | 4 | Wholly in this county |
| Madelia | city | 2,327 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Butterfield | city | 535 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Lewisville | city | 255 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Ormsby | city | 136 | None recorded | 71.6 percent here, 28.4 percent Martin County |
| Odin | city | 126 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Darfur | city | 74 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| La Salle | city | 28 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
Nearby