Stearns County Demographics

A map of Stearns County's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
White	129,075	129,276	80.2%	81.7%
Black	14,498	13,224	9.0%	8.4%
Hispanic	7,700	6,951	4.8%	4.4%
Multiracial	5,967	4,747	3.7%	3.0%
Asian	3,109	3,159	1.9%	2.0%
Native American/Other	516	935	0.3%	0.6%

Stearns County, Minnesota has an estimated population of 160,865, a slight increase from the 158,292 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 80.2% White, 9.0% Black, 4.8% Hispanic, 3.7% Multiracial, 1.9% Asian, and 0.3% Native American/Other. This demographic dot map shows the population of Stearns County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Stearns 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 Stearns County, that probability was 32.3% in 2020 and 34.4% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Stearns County is ranked the 8th most populous county in Minnesota, out of 87 counties. Stearns County was ranked the 8th most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Stearns County's White Population

129,075 residents of Stearns County, or 80.2% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Stearns County is slightly higher than in Minnesota overall, where 75.9% of the population is White. Stearns County ranks 71st statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 87 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Stearns County's White population has remained roughly the same. White residents' share of Stearns County's population has decreased from 81.7% to 80.2%.

Stearns County is more White than neighboring Kandiyohi County (75.4% White). Stearns County is less White than neighboring Meeker County (92.2% White), Morrison County (94.3% White), Todd County (84.2% White), and Benton County (86% White).

Stearns County's Black Population

14,498 residents of Stearns County, or 9.0% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Stearns County is slightly higher than in Minnesota overall, where 6.9% of the population is Black. Stearns County ranks 3rd statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 87 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Stearns County's Black population has grown by an estimated 9.6%. Black residents' share of Stearns County's population has increased from 8.4% to 9.0%.

Stearns County is more Black than neighboring Meeker County (0.3% Black), Kandiyohi County (5.1% Black), Morrison County (0.5% Black), Todd County (0.5% Black), and Benton County (5.5% Black).

Stearns County's Asian Population

3,109 residents of Stearns County, or 1.9% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Stearns County is slightly lower than in Minnesota overall, where 5.1% of the population is Asian. Stearns County ranks 18th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 87 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Stearns County's Asian population has declined by an estimated 1.6%. Asian residents' share of Stearns County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 1.9%.

Stearns County is more Asian than neighboring Meeker County (0.3% Asian), Kandiyohi County (1.3% Asian), Morrison County (0.4% Asian), Todd County (0.3% Asian), and Benton County (1% Asian).

Stearns County's Hispanic Population

7,700 residents of Stearns County, or 4.8% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Stearns County is comparable to the share in Minnesota overall, where 6.4% of the population is Hispanic. Stearns County ranks 41st statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 87 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Stearns County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 10.8%. Hispanic residents' share of Stearns County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 4.8%.

Stearns County is more Hispanic than neighboring Meeker County (4.4% Hispanic), Morrison County (1.9% Hispanic), and Benton County (3.5% Hispanic). Stearns County is less Hispanic than neighboring Kandiyohi County (14.7% Hispanic), and Todd County (9.8% Hispanic).

Stearns County's Native American/Other Population

516 residents of Stearns County, or 0.3% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Stearns County is comparable to the share in Minnesota overall, where 1.2% of the population is Native American/Other. Stearns County ranks 62nd statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 87 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Stearns County's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 44.8%. Native American/Other residents' share of Stearns County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.3%.

Stearns County is less Native American/Other than neighboring Meeker County (0.4% Native American/Other), Kandiyohi County (0.8% Native American/Other), Morrison County (0.5% Native American/Other), Todd County (0.8% Native American/Other), and Benton County (0.5% Native American/Other).

Stearns County's Multiracial Population

5,967 residents of Stearns County, or 3.7% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Stearns County is comparable to the share in Minnesota overall, where 4.5% of the population is Multiracial. Stearns County ranks 48th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 87 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Stearns County's Multiracial population has grown by an estimated 25.7%. Multiracial residents' share of Stearns County's population has increased from 3.0% to 3.7%.

Stearns County is more Multiracial than neighboring Meeker County (2.3% Multiracial), Kandiyohi County (2.6% Multiracial), Morrison County (2.4% Multiracial), and Benton County (3.5% Multiracial). Stearns County is less Multiracial than neighboring Todd County (4.5% 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.