Nobles County Demographics

A map of Nobles County's Population by Race

Nobles County, Minnesota has an estimated population of 22,041, a slight decrease from the 22,290 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 52.2% White, 34.5% Hispanic, 4.6% Black, 4.2% Asian, 3.8% Multiracial, and 0.6% Native American/Other. This demographic dot map shows the population of Nobles County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Nobles has become more racially diverse since the 2020 Census. It is considerably 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 Nobles County, that probability was 59.1% in 2020 and 60.3% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Nobles County is ranked the 44th most populous county in Minnesota, out of 87 counties. Nobles County was ranked the 44th most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Nobles County's White Population

11,515 residents of Nobles County, or 52.2% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Nobles County is significantly lower than in Minnesota overall, where 75.9% of the population is White. Nobles County ranks 86th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 87 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Nobles County's White population has declined by an estimated 5.2%. White residents' share of Nobles County's population has decreased from 54.5% to 52.2%.

Nobles County is less White than neighboring Osceola County (84% White), Murray County (89.1% White), Rock County (91.4% White), Lyon County (93.4% White), and Jackson County (89.8% White).

Nobles County's Black Population

1,023 residents of Nobles County, or 4.6% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Nobles County is slightly lower than in Minnesota overall, where 6.9% of the population is Black. Nobles County ranks 15th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 87 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Nobles County's Black population has grown by an estimated 4.6%. Black residents' share of Nobles County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 4.6%.

Nobles County is more Black than neighboring Osceola County (0.5% Black), Murray County (0.7% Black), Rock County (0.1% Black), Lyon County (0.4% Black), and Jackson County (0.5% Black).

Nobles County's Asian Population

934 residents of Nobles County, or 4.2% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Nobles County is comparable to the share in Minnesota overall, where 5.1% of the population is Asian. Nobles County ranks 6th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 87 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Nobles County's Asian population has declined by an estimated 29.7%. Asian residents' share of Nobles County's population has decreased from 6.0% to 4.2%.

Nobles County is more Asian than neighboring Osceola County (0.6% Asian), Murray County (0.9% Asian), Rock County (0.4% Asian), Lyon County (0.5% Asian), and Jackson County (1.3% Asian).

Nobles County's Hispanic Population

7,594 residents of Nobles County, or 34.5% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Nobles County is significantly higher than in Minnesota overall, where 6.4% of the population is Hispanic. Nobles County ranks 1st statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 87 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Nobles County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 4.4%. Hispanic residents' share of Nobles County's population has increased from 32.6% to 34.5%.

Nobles County is more Hispanic than neighboring Osceola County (10.6% Hispanic), Murray County (5.2% Hispanic), Rock County (4% Hispanic), Lyon County (3.9% Hispanic), and Jackson County (4.9% Hispanic).

Nobles County's Native American/Other Population

130 residents of Nobles County, or 0.6% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Nobles County is comparable to the share in Minnesota overall, where 1.2% of the population is Native American/Other. Nobles County ranks 56th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 87 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Nobles County's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 12.8%. Native American/Other residents' share of Nobles County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.6%.

Nobles County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Lyon County (0.1% Native American/Other), and Jackson County (0.2% Native American/Other). Nobles County is less Native American/Other than neighboring Osceola County (1.3% Native American/Other), and Murray County (1.1% Native American/Other).

Nobles County's Multiracial Population

845 residents of Nobles County, or 3.8% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Nobles County is comparable to the share in Minnesota overall, where 4.5% of the population is Multiracial. Nobles County ranks 85th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 87 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Nobles County's Multiracial population has grown by an estimated 103.1%. Multiracial residents' share of Nobles County's population has increased from 1.9% to 3.8%.

Nobles County is more Multiracial than neighboring Osceola County (3% Multiracial), Murray County (3% Multiracial), Rock County (3.5% Multiracial), Lyon County (1.8% Multiracial), and Jackson County (3.3% 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.