Ely, MN Demographics

A map of Ely's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
White	3,011	2,903	92.9%	88.8%
Black	66	128	2.0%	3.9%
Multiracial	61	112	1.9%	3.4%
Hispanic	52	65	1.6%	2.0%
Native American/Other	50	42	1.5%	1.3%
Asian	0	18	0.0%	0.6%

Ely, Minnesota has an estimated population of 3,240, a less than 1% change from the 3,268 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 92.9% White, 2.0% Black, 1.9% Multiracial, 1.6% Hispanic, 1.5% Native American/Other, and 0.0% Asian. This demographic dot map shows the population of Ely, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Ely has become considerably less racially diverse since the 2020 Census. It is considerably less 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 Ely, that probability was 20.8% in 2020 and 13.5% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Ely is ranked the 207th most populous place in Minnesota, out of 915 places. This ranking is based on the Census definition of a place, which includes incorporated places like cities, towns, and villages, as well as unincorporated census-designated places (CDPs). Ely was ranked the 202nd most populous place in the 2020 Census.

Ely's White Population

3,011 residents of Ely, or 92.9% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Ely is significantly higher than in Minnesota overall, where 75.9% of the population is White. Ely ranks 537th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 915 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Ely's White population has grown by an estimated 3.7%. White residents' share of Ely's population has increased from 88.8% to 92.9%.

Ely is more White than neighboring Winton (83.9% White), Soudan (90.4% White), Hoyt Lakes (88.3% White), and Tower (88.8% White). Ely is less White than neighboring Babbitt (93.9% White).

Ely's Black Population

66 residents of Ely, or 2.0% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Ely is slightly lower than in Minnesota overall, where 6.9% of the population is Black. Ely ranks 86th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 915 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Ely's Black population has declined by an estimated 48.4%. Black residents' share of Ely's population has decreased from 3.9% to 2.0%.

Ely is more Black than neighboring Winton (0% Black), Babbitt (0% Black), Soudan (0% Black), Hoyt Lakes (0% Black), and Tower (0.5% Black).

Ely's Asian Population

0 residents of Ely, or 0.0% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Ely is lower than in Minnesota overall, where 5.1% of the population is Asian. Ely ranks 373rd statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 915 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Ely's Asian population has declined by an estimated 100.0%. Asian residents' share of Ely's population has decreased from 0.6% to 0.0%.

Ely is less Asian than neighboring Babbitt (0.3% Asian), and Soudan (0.7% Asian).

Ely's Hispanic Population

52 residents of Ely, or 1.6% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Ely is slightly lower than in Minnesota overall, where 6.4% of the population is Hispanic. Ely ranks 598th statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 915 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Ely's Hispanic population has declined by an estimated 20.0%. Hispanic residents' share of Ely's population has remained roughly unchanged at 1.6%.

Ely is more Hispanic than neighboring Winton (0% Hispanic). Ely is less Hispanic than neighboring Babbitt (4.8% Hispanic), Soudan (4.6% Hispanic), Hoyt Lakes (3.8% Hispanic), and Tower (6.3% Hispanic).

Ely's Native American/Other Population

50 residents of Ely, or 1.5% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Ely is comparable to the share in Minnesota overall, where 1.2% of the population is Native American/Other. Ely ranks 255th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 915 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Ely's Native American/Other population has grown by an estimated 19.0%. Native American/Other residents' share of Ely's population has remained roughly unchanged at 1.5%.

Ely is more Native American/Other than neighboring Babbitt (0.1% Native American/Other), and Tower (0.3% Native American/Other). Ely is less Native American/Other than neighboring Winton (3.2% Native American/Other), Soudan (1.9% Native American/Other), and Hoyt Lakes (2.9% Native American/Other).

Ely's Multiracial Population

61 residents of Ely, or 1.9% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Ely is slightly lower than in Minnesota overall, where 4.5% of the population is Multiracial. Ely ranks 468th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 915 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Ely's Multiracial population has declined by an estimated 45.5%. Multiracial residents' share of Ely's population has decreased from 3.4% to 1.9%.

Ely is more Multiracial than neighboring Babbitt (0.9% Multiracial). Ely is less Multiracial than neighboring Winton (12.9% Multiracial), Soudan (2.4% Multiracial), Hoyt Lakes (5% Multiracial), and Tower (4.1% 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.