Waseca County Demographics

A map of Waseca County's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
White	16,464	16,538	87.2%	87.2%
Hispanic	1,380	1,271	7.3%	6.7%
Multiracial	373	565	2.0%	3.0%
Asian	346	111	1.8%	0.6%
Black	191	336	1.0%	1.8%
Native American/Other	131	147	0.7%	0.8%

Waseca County, Minnesota has an estimated population of 18,885, a less than 1% change from the 18,968 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 87.2% White, 7.3% Hispanic, 2.0% Multiracial, 1.8% Asian, 1.0% Black, and 0.7% Native American/Other. This demographic dot map shows the population of Waseca County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Waseca is about as racially diverse as it was in 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 Waseca County, that probability was 23.4% in 2020 and 23.4% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Waseca County is ranked the 50th most populous county in Minnesota, out of 87 counties. Waseca County was ranked the 50th most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Waseca County's White Population

16,464 residents of Waseca County, or 87.2% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Waseca County is considerably higher than in Minnesota overall, where 75.9% of the population is White. Waseca County ranks 50th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 87 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Waseca County's White population has remained roughly the same. White residents' share of Waseca County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 87.2%.

Waseca County is more White than neighboring Steele County (83.5% White), Freeborn County (81.5% White), Rice County (77.2% White), and Blue Earth County (84.4% White). Waseca County is less White than neighboring Le Sueur County (89% White).

Waseca County's Black Population

191 residents of Waseca County, or 1.0% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Waseca County is lower than in Minnesota overall, where 6.9% of the population is Black. Waseca County ranks 25th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 87 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Waseca County's Black population has declined by an estimated 43.2%. Black residents' share of Waseca County's population has decreased from 1.8% to 1.0%.

Waseca County is more Black than neighboring Le Sueur County (0.8% Black). Waseca County is less Black than neighboring Steele County (3.3% Black), Freeborn County (1.5% Black), Rice County (6.7% Black), and Blue Earth County (4.8% Black).

Waseca County's Asian Population

346 residents of Waseca County, or 1.8% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Waseca County is slightly lower than in Minnesota overall, where 5.1% of the population is Asian. Waseca County ranks 43rd statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 87 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Waseca County's Asian population has grown by an estimated 211.7%. Asian residents' share of Waseca County's population has increased from 0.6% to 1.8%.

Waseca County is more Asian than neighboring Steele County (0.7% Asian), and Le Sueur County (0.5% Asian). Waseca County is less Asian than neighboring Freeborn County (3.5% Asian), Rice County (2.3% Asian), and Blue Earth County (2.3% Asian).

Waseca County's Hispanic Population

1,380 residents of Waseca County, or 7.3% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Waseca County is comparable to the share in Minnesota overall, where 6.4% of the population is Hispanic. Waseca County ranks 22nd statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 87 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Waseca County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 8.6%. Hispanic residents' share of Waseca County's population has increased from 6.7% to 7.3%.

Waseca County is more Hispanic than neighboring Le Sueur County (6.9% Hispanic), and Blue Earth County (4.8% Hispanic). Waseca County is less Hispanic than neighboring Steele County (8.9% Hispanic), Freeborn County (10.8% Hispanic), and Rice County (10.5% Hispanic).

Waseca County's Native American/Other Population

131 residents of Waseca 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 Waseca County is comparable to the share in Minnesota overall, where 1.2% of the population is Native American/Other. Waseca County ranks 47th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 87 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Waseca County's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 10.9%. Native American/Other residents' share of Waseca County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.7%.

Waseca County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Steele County (0.4% Native American/Other), Le Sueur County (0.5% Native American/Other), Freeborn County (0.5% Native American/Other), Rice County (0.6% Native American/Other), and Blue Earth County (0.3% Native American/Other).

Waseca County's Multiracial Population

373 residents of Waseca County, or 2.0% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Waseca County is slightly lower than in Minnesota overall, where 4.5% of the population is Multiracial. Waseca County ranks 50th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 87 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Waseca County's Multiracial population has declined by an estimated 34.0%. Multiracial residents' share of Waseca County's population has decreased from 3.0% to 2.0%.

Waseca County is less Multiracial than neighboring Steele County (3.2% Multiracial), Le Sueur County (2.4% Multiracial), Freeborn County (2.2% Multiracial), Rice County (2.8% Multiracial), and Blue Earth County (3.4% 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.