Watonwan County Demographics

A map of Watonwan County's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
White	7,581	7,689	67.7%	68.3%
Hispanic	3,401	3,227	30.4%	28.7%
Multiracial	129	181	1.2%	1.6%
Native American/Other	54	28	0.5%	0.2%
Asian	36	86	0.3%	0.8%
Black	4	42	0.0%	0.4%

Watonwan County, Minnesota has an estimated population of 11,205, a less than 1% change from the 11,253 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 67.7% White, 30.4% Hispanic, 1.2% Multiracial, 0.5% Native American/Other, 0.3% Asian, and 0.0% Black. This demographic dot map shows the population of Watonwan County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Watonwan is about as racially diverse as it was in the 2020 Census. It is 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 Watonwan County, that probability was 45.1% in 2020 and 45.0% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Watonwan County is ranked the 65th most populous county in Minnesota, out of 87 counties. Watonwan County was ranked the 65th most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Watonwan County's White Population

7,581 residents of Watonwan County, or 67.7% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Watonwan County is lower than in Minnesota overall, where 75.9% of the population is White. Watonwan County ranks 83rd statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 87 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Watonwan County's White population has declined by an estimated 1.4%. White residents' share of Watonwan County's population has decreased from 68.3% to 67.7%.

Watonwan County is less White than neighboring Brown County (91.4% White), Martin County (88.2% White), Nicollet County (85.5% White), Blue Earth County (84.4% White), and Cottonwood County (80% White).

Watonwan County's Black Population

4 residents of Watonwan County, or 0.0% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Watonwan County is lower than in Minnesota overall, where 6.9% of the population is Black. Watonwan County ranks 71st statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 87 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Watonwan County's Black population has declined by an estimated 90.5%. Black residents' share of Watonwan County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.0%.

Watonwan County is less Black than neighboring Brown County (0.9% Black), Martin County (0.9% Black), Nicollet County (4.5% Black), Blue Earth County (4.8% Black), and Cottonwood County (1.7% Black).

Watonwan County's Asian Population

36 residents of Watonwan County, or 0.3% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Watonwan County is slightly lower than in Minnesota overall, where 5.1% of the population is Asian. Watonwan County ranks 36th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 87 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Watonwan County's Asian population has declined by an estimated 58.1%. Asian residents' share of Watonwan County's population has decreased from 0.8% to 0.3%.

Watonwan County is less Asian than neighboring Brown County (0.5% Asian), Martin County (0.5% Asian), Nicollet County (1.6% Asian), Blue Earth County (2.3% Asian), and Cottonwood County (3.8% Asian).

Watonwan County's Hispanic Population

3,401 residents of Watonwan County, or 30.4% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Watonwan County is significantly higher than in Minnesota overall, where 6.4% of the population is Hispanic. Watonwan County ranks 2nd statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 87 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Watonwan County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 5.4%. Hispanic residents' share of Watonwan County's population has increased from 28.7% to 30.4%.

Watonwan County is more Hispanic than neighboring Brown County (5.1% Hispanic), Martin County (7.2% Hispanic), Nicollet County (5.4% Hispanic), Blue Earth County (4.8% Hispanic), and Cottonwood County (11.3% Hispanic).

Watonwan County's Native American/Other Population

54 residents of Watonwan County, or 0.5% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Watonwan County is comparable to the share in Minnesota overall, where 1.2% of the population is Native American/Other. Watonwan County ranks 85th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 87 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Watonwan County's Native American/Other population has grown by an estimated 92.9%. Native American/Other residents' share of Watonwan County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.5%.

Watonwan County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Blue Earth County (0.3% Native American/Other). Watonwan County is less Native American/Other than neighboring Brown County (0.7% Native American/Other), Martin County (1.2% Native American/Other), Nicollet County (0.6% Native American/Other), and Cottonwood County (1.2% Native American/Other).

Watonwan County's Multiracial Population

129 residents of Watonwan County, or 1.2% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Watonwan County is slightly lower than in Minnesota overall, where 4.5% of the population is Multiracial. Watonwan County ranks 87th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 87 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Watonwan County's Multiracial population has declined by an estimated 28.7%. Multiracial residents' share of Watonwan County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 1.2%.

Watonwan County is less Multiracial than neighboring Brown County (1.4% Multiracial), Martin County (2.1% Multiracial), Nicollet County (2.3% Multiracial), Blue Earth County (3.4% Multiracial), and Cottonwood County (1.9% 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.