ExecutivePulse
Official Federal Data

Wright County, Minnesota

FIPS 27171 · Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI · Population 148,269
9 Sources Updated June 22, 2026
$107,209
Median Income
$80,734 national
3.8%
Unemployment
4% national
$7.3B
GDP
34.4%
Bachelor's+
35.7% national

Demographics & Population

Census Bureau American Community Survey 2020-2024 · 5-Year Estimates

Household Income

Source: U.S. Census Bureau · American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates
Median Household
$107,209
Per Capita
$46,650
Mean Household
$126,718
Poverty Rate
5.2%
Median Income Comparison
Wright County$107,209
Minnesota$89,062
National$80,734

Population Profile

Source: Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 · Tables B01001, B02001, B03003
65+: 13.8% (20,391 residents) 55-64: 12.4% (18,428 residents) 35-54: 27.6% (40,893 residents) 18-34: 19.1% (28,252 residents) Under 18: 27.2% (40,305 residents) 38 Median Age
Cohorts
Under 18 · 27.2%
18-34 · 19.1%
35-54 · 27.6%
55-64 · 12.4%
65+ · 13.8%
Race & Ethnicity
White88.6%
Black or African American2.3%
Asian1.8%
Hispanic or Latino(any race)3.6%
Hispanic or Latino is an ethnic category and overlaps with the race categories above.

Educational Attainment

Source: Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 · Table B15003 · Population 25+
94.6%
High School+
National: 89.6%
▲ +5.0 pts
34.4%
Bachelor's+
National: 35.7%
▼ 1.3 pts
9.2%
Graduate+
National: 14.1%
▼ 4.9 pts

Employment Overview

Source: U.S. Census Bureau · American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates
148,269
Population
82,434
Labor Force
Employed
80,144
Unemployment Rate BLS LAUS 2025 annual
3.8% ▲ +0.7 pts YoY
Mean Commute 3 min above national avg
29.4 min
Work From Home vs 15.1% national
15%
Key Takeaways
  • Income premium: Households earn well above the national median, supporting strong retail and housing markets.

Economy & Industry

Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW · Bureau of Economic Analysis

$7.3B
Gross Domestic Product · 2024
Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis · CAGDP1 Regional GDP

Top Industries by Employment

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics · Quarterly Census of Employment & Wages 2025 Annual
Top industries by employment in Wright County, Minnesota, with employment, share of top sectors, and average wage
IndustryEmploymentShare of Top 10Avg Wage
1Retail Trade
7,213 19.3%
$34,459
2Health Care and Social Assistance
6,822 18.3%
$50,403
3Manufacturing
6,585 17.7%
$78,390
4Construction
4,714 12.6%
$84,572
5Accommodation and Food Services
4,599 12.3%
$22,468
6Administrative and Support and Waste Management
1,833 4.9%
$61,277
7Wholesale Trade
1,824 4.9%
$87,034
8Other Services (except Public Administration)
1,673 4.5%
$40,366
9Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
1,074 2.9%
$68,883
10Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation
962 2.6%
$15,887
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Key Takeaways
  • Largest sector: Retail Trade employs 7,213 workers (19.3% of tracked sectors), at an average wage of $34,459.
  • Economic scale: Regional GDP of $7.3B (2024).
  • Wage stratification: Wholesale Trade averages $87,034 while Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation averages $15,887, a 5.5x spread in the same local economy, with implications for workforce development and talent strategy.
Source: BLS QCEW + BEA Regional GDP.
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Industry Concentration

Location Quotient measures regional specialization vs. national average. LQ > 1.0 = concentrated.

Location Quotient Analysis

Concentrated Industries
Source: BLS QCEW · 3-digit NAICS sub-sector · Location Quotient vs. national employment share
Same source as the Top Industries table above, sub-sector view surfaces the specialization the supersector view masks (e.g., Plastics & Rubber Manufacturing inside the Manufacturing supersector).
Animal Production and Aquaculture
6.19x
528
Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing
5.66x
596
Miscellaneous Manufacturing
5.56x
1,073
Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing
3.71x
1,672
Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction
2.87x
1,073
Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing
2.78x
615
Transit and Ground Passenger Transportation
2.77x
493
Gasoline Stations and Fuel Dealers
2.76x
914
Machinery Manufacturing
2.57x
882
Nursing and Residential Care Facilities
2.28x
2,467

Cluster Depth

Source: BLS QCEW · Sub-sectors with LQ ≥ 1.5 indicate genuine cluster concentration
Dominant Cluster
Manufacturing Cluster
Coherent grouping of concentrated sub-sectors, signals supply-chain fit for site selectors
4,838
Cluster Employment
5.66x
Peak LQ
Concentrated Sub-Sectors
Animal Production and Aquaculture
6.19x 528
Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing
5.66x 596
Miscellaneous Manufacturing
5.56x 1,073
Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing
3.71x 1,672
Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction
2.87x 1,073
Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing
2.78x 615
Transit and Ground Passenger Transportation
2.77x 493
Gasoline Stations and Fuel Dealers
2.76x 914
Machinery Manufacturing
2.57x 882
Nursing and Residential Care Facilities
2.28x 2,467

Attraction Opportunities

LQ < 0.5 with ≥ 50 employed, realistic diversification targets. Source: BLS QCEW
0.21x
Chemical Manufacturing
60 employed
0.25x
Management of Companies and Enterprises
203 employed
0.27x
Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing
84 employed
0.30x
Real Estate
171 employed
0.30x
Educational Services
304 employed
0.32x
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
1,074 employed
Key Takeaways
  • Top specialization: Animal Production and Aquaculture concentrates at 6.19x the national norm, top-decile concentration, the kind of signature sector that defines a region's economic identity to site selectors.
  • Cluster depth: 10 sub-sectors register LQ ≥ 1.5, suggesting an interconnected industrial base rather than reliance on a single employer or sector.
  • Attraction whitespace: 8 sub-sectors register LQ < 0.5, candidates for diversification or recruitment depending on labor-market fit.
Source: BLS QCEW sub-sector Location Quotients.
Wright County's Top Sectors by Workforce Share
Each rectangle's area is proportional to that sector's share of total private-sector employment across all NAICS supersectors. Hover for exact employment.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW 2025 Annual · Private sector, NAICS supersectors

Housing & Affordability

Census ACS · HUD Fair Market Rents FY2026

Housing Overview

Source: Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates · Tables B25001, B25077, B25064
$358,900
Median Home Value vs 2019
$1,288
Rent/Mo
84.1%
Owner-Occ
5.9%
Vacancy
3.3x
Home Value to Income Ratio
vs. ~4.1x national average

HUD Fair Market Rents

Source: HUD · Fair Market Rents FY2026
Studio
$1,242/mo
1 Bedroom
$1,405/mo
2 Bedroom
$1,709/mo
3 Bedroom
$2,262/mo
4 Bedroom
$2,531/mo
30% of monthly median household income (~$2,680/mo) · rents above this line are typically considered cost-burdened.
Key Takeaways
  • In line with national: Home value to income ratio of 3.3x sits near the ~4.1x national average; affordability is neither a clear advantage nor a recruitment friction.
  • High home ownership: 84.1% owner-occupied; rental supply may be tight for incoming workers.
  • Broadly affordable rents: All 5 HUD Fair Market Rent bedroom tiers sit below the 30%-of-median-income affordability threshold (~$2,680/mo), a clear cost-of-living advantage for workforce attraction.
Source: Census ACS housing tables + HUD Fair Market Rents.

Workforce Pipeline

Labor force readiness, commuting, and workforce composition

Labor Market Overview

Source: Census ACS 2020-2024 · Tables B01001, B23025, B08303, B08301
87,573
Working Age (18-64) vs 2019
Mean Commute 3 min above national avg
29.4 min
Work From Home vs 15.1% national
15%
Prime-Age Employed (25-54)
90.3%
of prime-age population
Labor force participation rate: 76.4% of working-age population (18-64) 76% Participation
▼ vs 2019

Education & Talent Pipeline

Source: Census ACS 2020-2024 · Table B15003 · College Scorecard
Bachelor's+
34.4%
HS Diploma+
94.6%
Regional / Statewide Institutions
Total credentials awarded
49,702/yr
Capella University 14,847/yr
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities 13,676/yr
Walden University 12,870/yr
Minnesota State University-Mankato 3,728/yr
University of Minnesota-Duluth 2,468/yr
Century College 2,113/yr

Aging Workforce

Source: Census Bureau ACS · Derived from age & employment tables
21%
55-64 of working-age population (18-64)
Elevated retirement risk, above the 20% threshold. Succession planning recommended.

Workforce by Occupation

Source: Census ACS 2020-2024 · Table C24010 · Civilian employed population 16+
Management / Professional
43.5%
Service
12.4%
Sales & Office
20%
Construction / Maint.
10.5%
Production / Transport
13.6%
Bars scaled 2× for visual differentiation; percentage labels show actual share of 80,144 employed workers.
Key Takeaways
  • Strong participation: 76.4% labor force participation among working-age residents indicates an engaged, available workforce.
  • Talent pipeline: 6 regional institutions feed the workforce; the top three combined produce 41,393 annual credentials.
Source: ACS workforce data and College Scorecard.

AI Insights

AI-assisted analysis, drawn from 9 federal data sources

Sample AI Insight

Wright County shows strong potential for animal production and aquaculture attraction, with a 6.19x concentration and 528 jobs in this sub-sector. It ranks in the top decile nationally.

The interconnected base across animal production and aquaculture, furniture and related product manufacturing, and miscellaneous manufacturing creates supply-chain attraction leverage rather than single-employer risk, a structural advantage for industrial recruitment.

Industry Shift Analysis

Manufacturing Automation Risk
High
Healthcare Growth Forecast
+4.2% CAGR
Remote Work Migration
67/100

Prospect Match Scores

Advanced Manufacturing
92/100
Life Sciences
84/100
Data Centers
71/100
Illustrative example

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Data Sources

Updated from official federal government data.

Census ACS 5-Year2024
BLS QCEW2025 annual
BLS LAUS (via FRED)2025 annual
BEA Regional GDP2024
Census CBP2023
HUD Fair Market RentsFY2026
FCC Broadband Map2024
USAspending.govFY2026
College ScorecardAY 2022-23

Frequently Asked Questions

Key economic and demographic figures for Wright County, Minnesota, from federal data sources.

What is the population of Wright County, Minnesota?

148,269 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates).

What is the median household income in Wright County, Minnesota?

$107,209 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates).

What is the unemployment rate in Wright County, Minnesota?

3.8% (2025 annual average, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS).

What is the GDP of Wright County, Minnesota?

$7.3B (U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, CAGDP1).