You’re probably never going to make enough money to live in the richest counties in Minnesota.
The median household income in Carver County, the richest county in Minnesota is $125,946, significantly higher than the US median of $74,580, which means based purely on math most people never make enough to live there.
And that’s okay because it’s still fun to look at the people living in the lap of luxury.
So we used Saturday Night Science and the most recent Census to rank home prices and incomes for all 87 counties in the North Star State. Let’s star gaze together.
What is the richest county in Minnesota? The richest county in Minnesota is Carver County. In contrast, the poorest county in the state is Traverse County, according to the Census data.
$125,946 median income · $483,656 median home price
$119,314 median income · $441,654 median home price
$115,345 median income · $440,692 median home price
$107,209 median income · $388,429 median home price
$106,318 median income · $395,252 median home price
$105,466 median income · $383,718 median home price
$97,653 median income · $387,852 median home price
$99,400 median income · $378,343 median home price
$101,869 median income · $367,949 median home price
$94,968 median income · $351,273 median home price
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is Minnesota’s statewide median.
Minnesota statewide median: $89,062
Minnesota statewide median: $346,668
On the map
Where Minnesota’s richest counties are
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How do you determine which Minnesota county is the richest?
To determine the richest county in Minnesota, we have to look at a handful of metrics that correlate with how rich people are. To do that, we made assumptions about what makes a county rich. For reference, we are trying to make the kind of argument you’d make at a bar using facts, Saturday Night Science.
With that in mind, we went to the American Community Survey data and Zillow for the most recent reporting period for data on the following:
- Average Home Price
- Median Income
We then ranked each county in Minnesota for each of the criteria from one to 87, with one being the richest.
Taking the average rank across the two criteria, we created a Rich Score with the county posting the lowest overall score being the “Richest County In Minnesota.”
The result is some of the places with the most expensive real estate and highest earners in the North Star State.
We updated this article for 2026. This report is our first time ranking the richest counties to live in Minnesota. The median Minnesota home is 47 years old — old enough that it pays to compare home warranty plans before something expensive breaks.
The full plate
Detailed List Of The Richest Counties In Minnesota
Click any column to sort. Search by county name.
| Rank | County | Population | Median Income | Average Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carver County | 110,041 | $125,946 | $483,656 |
| 2 | Scott County | 154,557 | $119,314 | $441,654 |
| 3 | Washington County | 276,238 | $115,345 | $440,692 |
| 4 | Wright County | 148,269 | $107,209 | $388,429 |
| 4 | Dakota County | 445,771 | $106,318 | $395,252 |
| 6 | Sherburne County | 100,560 | $105,466 | $383,718 |
| 7 | Hennepin County | 1,269,496 | $97,653 | $387,852 |
| 8 | Chisago County | 57,991 | $99,400 | $378,343 |
| 8 | Anoka County | 370,349 | $101,869 | $367,949 |
| 10 | Le Sueur County | 29,113 | $94,968 | $351,273 |
| 11 | Olmsted County | 164,498 | $95,406 | $347,633 |
| 12 | Rice County | 67,917 | $83,181 | $344,690 |
| 12 | Isanti County | 42,596 | $87,440 | $334,413 |
| 14 | Dodge County | 21,045 | $95,739 | $322,431 |
| 15 | Ramsey County | 542,945 | $81,568 | $336,494 |
| 16 | Goodhue County | 47,943 | $84,171 | $322,013 |
| 17 | Douglas County | 39,575 | $79,043 | $337,107 |
| 18 | Wabasha County | 21,565 | $82,007 | $307,048 |
| 19 | Houston County | 18,653 | $79,825 | $317,202 |
| 20 | Steele County | 37,439 | $84,196 | $292,374 |
| 21 | Nicollet County | 34,411 | $79,756 | $310,840 |
| 22 | Clay County | 66,059 | $81,172 | $294,253 |
| 23 | Pope County | 11,418 | $76,220 | $328,244 |
| 24 | Carlton County | 36,518 | $80,573 | $292,856 |
| 25 | Stearns County | 160,865 | $77,066 | $312,502 |
| 25 | Cook County | 5,635 | $72,638 | $423,366 |
| 27 | McLeod County | 36,798 | $80,084 | $291,893 |
| 28 | Sibley County | 15,005 | $77,634 | $282,130 |
| 28 | Crow Wing County | 67,686 | $72,589 | $362,465 |
| 30 | Fillmore County | 21,414 | $77,512 | $280,107 |
| 31 | Kandiyohi County | 44,079 | $76,592 | $275,544 |
| 32 | Blue Earth County | 69,871 | $74,477 | $300,117 |
| 33 | Benton County | 41,593 | $74,410 | $303,855 |
| 34 | Becker County | 35,343 | $71,388 | $347,852 |
| 35 | Meeker County | 23,468 | $75,446 | $286,407 |
| 36 | Otter Tail County | 60,475 | $72,255 | $323,150 |
| 37 | Mille Lacs County | 27,125 | $72,729 | $306,036 |
| 37 | Lake County | 10,879 | $75,541 | $272,294 |
| 39 | Waseca County | 18,885 | $76,261 | $249,600 |
| 40 | Hubbard County | 21,831 | $71,995 | $312,005 |
| 41 | Lake of the Woods County | 3,821 | $77,546 | $227,172 |
| 42 | Cass County | 30,992 | $68,874 | $334,055 |
| 43 | Jackson County | 9,933 | $75,743 | $221,300 |
| 43 | Red Lake County | 3,915 | $77,188 | $211,300 |
| 45 | Murray County | 8,097 | $74,033 | $243,556 |
| 46 | Polk County | 30,705 | $73,107 | $244,862 |
| 47 | Morrison County | 34,249 | $69,446 | $303,389 |
| 47 | Pennington County | 13,791 | $77,325 | $190,508 |
| 50 | Kanabec County | 16,390 | $71,460 | $265,306 |
| 50 | Roseau County | 15,302 | $74,474 | $218,852 |
| 50 | Grant County | 6,127 | $73,917 | $229,859 |
| 50 | Stevens County | 9,739 | $75,733 | $209,675 |
| 53 | Lyon County | 25,503 | $75,303 | $214,038 |
| 54 | Winona County | 49,779 | $70,744 | $273,188 |
| 54 | Rock County | 9,621 | $71,295 | $265,356 |
| 56 | Pine County | 29,640 | $71,146 | $253,269 |
| 57 | Kittson County | 4,084 | $76,100 | $166,136 |
| 58 | Mower County | 40,343 | $73,074 | $199,052 |
| 59 | Beltrami County | 46,512 | $68,975 | $261,029 |
| 60 | Chippewa County | 12,377 | $71,458 | $220,853 |
| 61 | Marshall County | 8,909 | $72,543 | $207,228 |
| 62 | Wilkin County | 6,371 | $71,410 | $216,759 |
| 63 | St. Louis County | 200,123 | $70,069 | $233,077 |
| 63 | Todd County | 25,575 | $67,662 | $259,272 |
| 65 | Lac qui Parle County | 6,682 | $74,432 | $165,912 |
| 66 | Brown County | 25,800 | $69,378 | $241,191 |
| 66 | Yellow Medicine County | 9,451 | $74,000 | $169,366 |
| 68 | Aitkin County | 16,056 | $60,833 | $268,116 |
| 69 | Itasca County | 45,275 | $68,603 | $241,942 |
| 70 | Clearwater County | 8,616 | $64,475 | $246,480 |
| 71 | Cottonwood County | 11,458 | $72,941 | $160,480 |
| 71 | Norman County | 6,367 | $72,260 | $172,481 |
| 73 | Nobles County | 22,041 | $66,101 | $235,209 |
| 74 | Watonwan County | 11,205 | $71,699 | $171,372 |
| 74 | Freeborn County | 30,623 | $71,023 | $191,496 |
| 76 | Lincoln County | 5,603 | $69,694 | $198,583 |
| 76 | Big Stone County | 5,127 | $70,400 | $193,279 |
| 78 | Pipestone County | 9,284 | $69,628 | $193,590 |
| 78 | Renville County | 14,558 | $70,625 | $189,697 |
| 80 | Wadena County | 14,256 | $61,467 | $223,829 |
| 81 | Martin County | 19,780 | $59,507 | $214,071 |
| 82 | Redwood County | 15,350 | $67,866 | $178,762 |
| 83 | Swift County | 9,748 | $60,412 | $188,707 |
| 85 | Koochiching County | 11,833 | $66,940 | $154,275 |
| 85 | Faribault County | 13,914 | $66,815 | $158,994 |
| 85 | Mahnomen County | 5,358 | $59,441 | $179,668 |
| 87 | Traverse County | 3,243 | $62,989 | $147,483 |
Source: U.S. Census ACS + Zillow via Saturday Night Science. All 87 Minnesota counties.
Summary
Summary: The Richest Counties In Minnesota For 2026
Living in Minnesota can vary from one part of the state to the next, with pretty extreme variance in home prices and incomes across counties.
The richest counties in Minnesota are Carver County, Scott County, Washington County, Wright County, Dakota County, Sherburne County, Hennepin County, Chisago County, Anoka County, and Le Sueur County.
Now you know the parts of the state where Goodwill will have the best goodies, and that’s what you came here to learn at the end of the day.
You are welcome. Not sold on Minnesota? Take the two-minute Find Your Place quiz and see which state actually fits you.
Questions and answers
Richest Counties In Minnesota FAQs
What is the richest county in Minnesota?
Carver County is the richest county in Minnesota for 2026, with a median household income of $125,946. Scott County and Washington County are next.
What are the richest counties in Minnesota?
The richest counties in Minnesota are Carver County, Scott County, Washington County, Wright County, Dakota County, Sherburne County, Hennepin County, Chisago County, Anoka County, and Le Sueur County. We ranked all 87 Minnesota counties on average home price and median income.
How much do people make in Carver County?
The median household in Carver County earns $125,946 a year, against a Minnesota statewide median of $89,062. The US median household income is $74,580.
What do homes cost in the richest counties of Minnesota?
The median home across the ten richest Minnesota counties is $388,140, versus $346,668 statewide. In Carver County, the typical home runs $483,656.
What is the poorest county in Minnesota?
Traverse County is the poorest county in Minnesota by this ranking, coming in last of the 87 counties we scored on income and home prices.
