Kanabec County Demographics

A map of Kanabec County's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
White	15,188	14,954	92.7%	93.3%
Multiracial	584	567	3.6%	3.5%
Hispanic	296	238	1.8%	1.5%
Native American/Other	128	128	0.8%	0.8%
Black	106	65	0.6%	0.4%
Asian	88	80	0.5%	0.5%

Kanabec County, Minnesota has an estimated population of 16,390, a slight increase from the 16,032 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 92.7% White, 3.6% Multiracial, 1.8% Hispanic, 0.8% Native American/Other, 0.6% Black, and 0.5% Asian. This demographic dot map shows the population of Kanabec County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Kanabec has become more 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 Kanabec County, that probability was 12.8% in 2020 and 14.0% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Kanabec County is ranked the 52nd most populous county in Minnesota, out of 87 counties. Kanabec County was ranked the 52nd most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Kanabec County's White Population

15,188 residents of Kanabec County, or 92.7% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Kanabec County is significantly higher than in Minnesota overall, where 75.9% of the population is White. Kanabec County ranks 10th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 87 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Kanabec County's White population has grown by an estimated 1.6%. White residents' share of Kanabec County's population has decreased from 93.3% to 92.7%.

Kanabec County is more White than neighboring Mille Lacs County (88% White), Isanti County (90.8% White), Pine County (87.2% White), Chisago County (89.8% White), and Anoka County (74.5% White).

Kanabec County's Black Population

106 residents of Kanabec County, or 0.6% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Kanabec County is lower than in Minnesota overall, where 6.9% of the population is Black. Kanabec County ranks 64th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 87 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Kanabec County's Black population has grown by an estimated 63.1%. Black residents' share of Kanabec County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.6%.

Kanabec County is more Black than neighboring Mille Lacs County (0.4% Black). Kanabec County is less Black than neighboring Isanti County (0.9% Black), Pine County (2.3% Black), Chisago County (1.2% Black), and Anoka County (8.8% Black).

Kanabec County's Asian Population

88 residents of Kanabec County, or 0.5% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Kanabec County is slightly lower than in Minnesota overall, where 5.1% of the population is Asian. Kanabec County ranks 51st statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 87 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Kanabec County's Asian population has grown by an estimated 10.0%. Asian residents' share of Kanabec County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.5%.

Kanabec County is less Asian than neighboring Mille Lacs County (0.9% Asian), Isanti County (1.9% Asian), Pine County (1.1% Asian), Chisago County (2% Asian), and Anoka County (5.6% Asian).

Kanabec County's Hispanic Population

296 residents of Kanabec County, or 1.8% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Kanabec County is slightly lower than in Minnesota overall, where 6.4% of the population is Hispanic. Kanabec County ranks 79th statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 87 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Kanabec County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 24.4%. Hispanic residents' share of Kanabec County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 1.8%.

Kanabec County is less Hispanic than neighboring Mille Lacs County (2.3% Hispanic), Isanti County (2.6% Hispanic), Pine County (2.8% Hispanic), Chisago County (2.8% Hispanic), and Anoka County (5.8% Hispanic).

Kanabec County's Native American/Other Population

128 residents of Kanabec County, or 0.8% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Kanabec County is comparable to the share in Minnesota overall, where 1.2% of the population is Native American/Other. Kanabec County ranks 46th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 87 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Kanabec County's Native American/Other population has remained roughly the same. Native American/Other residents' share of Kanabec County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.8%.

Kanabec County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Isanti County (0.6% Native American/Other), and Anoka County (0.7% Native American/Other). Kanabec County is less Native American/Other than neighboring Mille Lacs County (4.7% Native American/Other), Pine County (2.4% Native American/Other), and Chisago County (0.9% Native American/Other).

Kanabec County's Multiracial Population

584 residents of Kanabec County, or 3.6% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Kanabec County is comparable to the share in Minnesota overall, where 4.5% of the population is Multiracial. Kanabec County ranks 35th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 87 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Kanabec County's Multiracial population has grown by an estimated 3.0%. Multiracial residents' share of Kanabec County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 3.6%.

Kanabec County is more Multiracial than neighboring Isanti County (3.3% Multiracial), and Chisago County (3.3% Multiracial). Kanabec County is less Multiracial than neighboring Pine County (4.2% Multiracial), and Anoka County (4.6% 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.