Dakota County Demographics

A map of Dakota County's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
White	324,220	323,629	72.7%	73.6%
Hispanic	38,684	36,305	8.7%	8.3%
Black	34,141	32,191	7.7%	7.3%
Asian	23,061	23,932	5.2%	5.4%
Multiracial	22,412	20,007	5.0%	4.5%
Native American/Other	3,253	3,818	0.7%	0.9%

Dakota County, Minnesota has an estimated population of 445,771, a slight increase from the 439,882 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 72.7% White, 8.7% Hispanic, 7.7% Black, 5.2% Asian, 5.0% Multiracial, and 0.7% Native American/Other. This demographic dot map shows the population of Dakota County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Dakota has become more racially diverse since the 2020 Census. It is more diverse than Minnesota overall. Demographers use a diversity index to measure the probability that two randomly selected individuals belong to different racial or ethnic groups. In Dakota County, that probability was 44.1% in 2020 and 45.2% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Dakota County is ranked the 3rd most populous county in Minnesota, out of 87 counties. Dakota County was ranked the 3rd most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Dakota County's White Population

324,220 residents of Dakota County, or 72.7% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Dakota County is slightly lower than in Minnesota overall, where 75.9% of the population is White. Dakota County ranks 81st statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 87 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Dakota County's White population has remained roughly the same. White residents' share of Dakota County's population has decreased from 73.6% to 72.7%.

Dakota County is more White than neighboring Ramsey County (57.9% White). Dakota County is less White than neighboring Rice County (77.2% White), Washington County (77.2% White), Goodhue County (89.1% White), and Scott County (75.6% White).

Dakota County's Black Population

34,141 residents of Dakota County, or 7.7% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Dakota County is comparable to the share in Minnesota overall, where 6.9% of the population is Black. Dakota County ranks 5th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 87 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Dakota County's Black population has grown by an estimated 6.1%. Black residents' share of Dakota County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 7.7%.

Dakota County is more Black than neighboring Rice County (6.7% Black), Washington County (5.5% Black), Goodhue County (1.5% Black), and Scott County (6.1% Black). Dakota County is less Black than neighboring Ramsey County (12.1% Black).

Dakota County's Asian Population

23,061 residents of Dakota County, or 5.2% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Dakota County is comparable to the share in Minnesota overall, where 5.1% of the population is Asian. Dakota County ranks 7th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 87 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Dakota County's Asian population has declined by an estimated 3.6%. Asian residents' share of Dakota County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 5.2%.

Dakota County is more Asian than neighboring Rice County (2.3% Asian), and Goodhue County (0.7% Asian). Dakota County is less Asian than neighboring Ramsey County (15% Asian), Washington County (7.7% Asian), and Scott County (6.3% Asian).

Dakota County's Hispanic Population

38,684 residents of Dakota County, or 8.7% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Dakota County is slightly higher than in Minnesota overall, where 6.4% of the population is Hispanic. Dakota County ranks 15th statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 87 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Dakota County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 6.6%. Hispanic residents' share of Dakota County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 8.7%.

Dakota County is more Hispanic than neighboring Ramsey County (8.4% Hispanic), Washington County (5.3% Hispanic), Goodhue County (4.1% Hispanic), and Scott County (6.4% Hispanic). Dakota County is less Hispanic than neighboring Rice County (10.5% Hispanic).

Dakota County's Native American/Other Population

3,253 residents of Dakota County, or 0.7% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Dakota County is comparable to the share in Minnesota overall, where 1.2% of the population is Native American/Other. Dakota County ranks 42nd statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 87 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Dakota County's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 14.8%. Native American/Other residents' share of Dakota County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.7%.

Dakota County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Rice County (0.6% Native American/Other). Dakota County is less Native American/Other than neighboring Ramsey County (0.9% Native American/Other), Goodhue County (1.5% Native American/Other), and Scott County (0.9% Native American/Other).

Dakota County's Multiracial Population

22,412 residents of Dakota County, or 5.0% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Dakota County is comparable to the share in Minnesota overall, where 4.5% of the population is Multiracial. Dakota County ranks 13th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 87 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Dakota County's Multiracial population has grown by an estimated 12.0%. Multiracial residents' share of Dakota County's population has increased from 4.5% to 5.0%.

Dakota County is more Multiracial than neighboring Rice County (2.8% Multiracial), Washington County (3.7% Multiracial), Goodhue County (3.1% Multiracial), and Scott County (4.6% Multiracial). Dakota County is less Multiracial than neighboring Ramsey County (5.7% Multiracial).

Sources: Most recent population estimates are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. 2020 population counts and map data are from 2020 Census State Redistricting Data. Geographic data are from Census TIGER/Line Shapefiles.