St. Cloud, Minnesota

Population, housing costs, incomes, jobs, commuting and climate in St. Cloud, compared with Minnesota and the U.S. using Census records and their margins of error.

St. Cloud city · Incorporated city · Census GEOID 2756896 · Minnesota directory

Population · July 1, 2025
72,647 PEP Vintage 2025
Change · 2024 to 2025
+0.7% +518 residents
Household income
$61,374 ACS 2020–2024 · ±$4,054
Home value
$225,000 ACS 2020–2024 · ±$6,877
Monthly gross rent
$1,003 ACS 2020–2024 · ±$44
Median age
30.6 years ACS 2020–2024 · ±0.7
St. Cloud, Minnesota location in the United States St. Cloud, Minnesota
Census 2024 simplified state outlines; 2025 Gazetteer internal points. Alaska and Hawaii use separate insets. Approximate locator; city boundaries are not shown. Map sources.

St. Cloud is an incorporated city in Benton County, Sherburne County and Stearns County, Minnesota. With 72,647 residents on July 1, 2025, it ranks 12th in Minnesota and 534th nationally among Census places. Its population grew by 518 (0.7%) in the year to July 2025; since April 2020 it has grown 4.4%. Median gross rent in the 2020–2024 survey is $1,003 a month, 21.6% below the Minnesota median. Median household income is $61,374, 31.1% below the Minnesota median.

What stands out in St. Cloud?

Compared with other Minnesota places, St. Cloud is most distinctive for more renters, a younger population and denser settlement. Each statement below uses reliable estimates only, and survey differences from the state exceed their combined 90% margin of error.

  • Homeownership rate: 48.6%, 23.6 percentage points below the Minnesota rate (72.2%); lower than 98% of 793 Minnesota places with reliable estimates.
  • Median age: 30.6 years, 8.2 years younger than the Minnesota median (38.8 years); lower than 95% of 802 Minnesota places with reliable estimates.
  • Residents per square mile of land: 1,806; higher than 88% of 856 Minnesota places with reliable estimates.
  • Poverty rate: 20.2%, 10.9 percentage points above the Minnesota rate (9.3%); higher than 88% of 380 Minnesota places with reliable estimates.
  • Population change since April 2020: +4.4%; higher than 83% of 759 Minnesota places with reliable estimates.

How St. Cloud compares with Minnesota and the U.S.

City, state and U.S. figures · ACS 2020–2024, LODES 8.4 and PEP Vintage 2025 · position among Minnesota places with reliable estimates
Measure St. Cloud Minnesota U.S. Position in Minnesota
Population change since April 2020 PEP Vintage 2025 +4.4% — — higher than 83% of 759 Minnesota places
Residents per square mile of land PEP 2025 / Gazetteer 2025 1,806 — — higher than 88% of 856 Minnesota places
Median household income B19013 $61,374 ±$4,054 $89,062 $80,734 lower than 67% of 762 Minnesota places
Median home value B25077 $225,000 ±$6,877 $329,300 $332,700 higher than 63% of 778 Minnesota places
Median real estate taxes paid B25103 $2,320 ±$100 $3,357 $3,119 higher than 59% of 767 Minnesota places
Median gross rent B25064 $1,003 ±$44 $1,280 $1,413 higher than 62% of 595 Minnesota places
Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent B25070 47.5% ±4.7 pp 48.1% 51.1% lower than 56% of 326 Minnesota places
Homeownership rate B25003 48.6% ±2.3 pp 72.2% 65.2% lower than 98% of 793 Minnesota places
Median age B01002 30.6 years ±0.7 38.8 years 38.9 years lower than 95% of 802 Minnesota places
Adults 25+ with a bachelor’s degree or higher B15003 30.4% ±2.0 pp 39.4% 35.7% higher than 62% of 543 Minnesota places
Poverty rate B17001 20.2% ±2.2 pp 9.3% 12.5% higher than 88% of 380 Minnesota places
People without health insurance B27010 6.2% ±1.2 pp 4.7% 8.4% higher than 58% of 203 Minnesota places
Households with a broadband subscription B28002 91.6% ±0.8 pp 91.6% 91.0% higher than 66% of 805 Minnesota places
Unemployment rate (civilian labor force) B23025 6.0% ±1.7 pp 4.1% 5.2% higher than 79% of 112 Minnesota places
Foreign-born residents B05002 13.5% ±1.4 pp 8.7% 14.1% higher than 72% of 149 Minnesota places
Jobs located in the place per 100 residents LODES 8.4 / PEP 65.4 — — higher than 78% of 473 Minnesota places
Change in local jobs since 2019 LODES 8.4 -7.8% — — lower than 76% of 415 Minnesota places
Workers who work from home B08301 8.5% ±1.2 pp 17.6% 15.1% lower than 76% of 333 Minnesota places
Commutes of 45 minutes or longer B08303 9.2% ±1.7 pp 10.5% 16.5% lower than 71% of 385 Minnesota places
Households without a vehicle B08201 9.4% ±1.9 pp 6.7% 8.4% higher than 60% of 173 Minnesota places

Positions compare St. Cloud with Minnesota places in this directory whose estimate has a coefficient of variation of 30% or less (survey measures) or a published PEP value. The marker runs from the lowest value (left) to the highest (right); it is a description, not a score or a recommendation.

How many people live in St. Cloud?

The latest official estimate is 72,647 residents on July 1, 2025. It ranks 534th by population nationally and 12th in Minnesota among this directory’s PEP places. Population changed by 518 residents between the 2024 and 2025 estimates. These are annual estimates, not census enumerations.

St. Cloud population estimates, 2020 through 2025, Census Vintage 2025. Vertical range 66,131 to 74,826; axis does not start at zero. Residents · axis does not start at zero 74,826 66,131 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
Annual July 1 estimates, all from Vintage 2025. Revised April 1, 2020 estimate base: 69,618; the base is separate from July 2020.
Population history · PEP Vintage 2025
Reference date Population Change from previous estimate
July 1, 2020 69,612 Separate from April 2020 base
July 1, 2021 69,802 +190
July 1, 2022 70,503 +701
July 1, 2023 71,542 +1,039
July 1, 2024 72,129 +587
July 1, 2025 72,647 +518

From the revised April 2020 base to July 2025, the change is +3,029 residents (4.4%). This is a within-vintage comparison. Boundary adjustments can affect both the estimates and their interpretation.

Download this population chart (SVG) · Official population release

Where are the boundaries?

Entity and stable identifier
St. Cloud city, Minnesota · Incorporated city · 2756896
Counties or equivalents · 2025 boundaries
Benton County ; Sherburne County ; Stearns County
Metropolitan or micropolitan context · July 2023 delineations
St. Cloud, MN — Metropolitan Statistical Area ; Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI — Metropolitan Statistical Area County associations use Census PEP county place parts. Each county is matched by FIPS code to the official CBSA list; a city can span several counties or statistical areas. A missing association can reflect an area outside a CBSA or changed county codes between vintages. City figures on this page remain place-level statistics.
Land area
40.2 square miles · 2025 Gazetteer
Water area
0.9 square miles · 2025 Gazetteer
Approximate population density
1,806 residents per square mile of land
Internal point
45.526658°, -94.171007° · Census geographic reference point

Density divides the July 2025 estimate by 2025 Gazetteer land area, so it is approximate. The internal point is a locator, not an address. Census place profile reference .

Income and poverty

City, state and U.S. estimates · ACS 2020–2024
Measure / survey universe City estimate ± MOE State estimate ± MOE U.S. estimate ± MOE
Median household income Households · USD/year $61,374 ±$4,054 $89,062 ±$409 $80,734 ±$166
Per-capita income Total population · USD/year $32,108 ±$1,386 $48,237 ±$234 $44,673 ±$122
Population with poverty status determined · B17001 · ACS 2020–2024 People with poverty status determined: 66,583
Category Count ± MOE Share ± MOE (pp)
Below the poverty level 13,435 ±1,473 20.2% ±2.2 pp

Household income combines the incomes of everyone in a household; per-capita income divides all income by every resident. The poverty rate is 20.2% (±2.2 percentage points) under the official Census definition.

Home values, rent and tenure

City, state and U.S. estimates · ACS 2020–2024
Measure / survey universe City estimate ± MOE State estimate ± MOE U.S. estimate ± MOE
Median owner-occupied home value Owner-occupied housing units · USD $225,000 ±$6,877 $329,300 ±$903 $332,700 ±$236
Median gross rent Renter-occupied units paying cash rent · USD/month $1,003 ±$44 $1,280 ±$7 $1,413 ±$2
Occupied housing units by tenure · B25003 · ACS 2020–2024 Occupied housing units: 27,807
Category Count ± MOE Share ± MOE (pp)
Owner occupied 13,505 ±749 48.6% ±2.3 pp
Renter occupied 14,302 ±860 51.4% ±2.8 pp

Owner-occupied units make up 48.6% of occupied housing. Gross rent includes estimated tenant-paid utilities and home values are owners’ own estimates; both cover 2020–2024 leases and homes rather than current listings. The median home value is 3.7 times the median household income.

See housing units, occupancy, rent burden and homeowner costs .

Monthly rent by bedroom count

Median monthly gross rent by bedrooms · ACS 2020–2024 · 2024 dollars
Bedrooms Monthly gross rent 90% margin of error Precision
No bedroom (studio) $766 ±$48 Estimate with MOE
1 bedroom $888 ±$40 Estimate with MOE
2 bedrooms $1,060 ±$69 Estimate with MOE
3 bedrooms $1,432 ±$153 Estimate with MOE
4 bedrooms $1,525 ±$226 Estimate with MOE
5 or more bedrooms $664 ±$258 Estimate with MOE

Census table B25031 describes renter-occupied units paying cash rent within this exact place geography. Gross rent includes contract rent and estimated tenant-paid utilities. These survey medians include existing leases across 2020–2024; they are not current apartment listings. Missing categories stay unavailable, and open-ended medians remain ranges. Small bedroom categories can have large margins of error. Download source values and provenance .

Employment among residents

Labor-force participation · B23025 · ACS 2020–2024 Population age 16 and older: 56,710
Category Count ± MOE Share ± MOE (pp)
In the labor force 38,688 ±878 68.2% ±1.3 pp
Not in the labor force 18,022 ±876 31.8% ±1.5 pp
Civilian labor-force status · B23025 · ACS 2020–2024 Civilian labor force: 38,559
Category Count ± MOE Share ± MOE (pp)
Civilian employed 36,227 ±881 94.0% ±1.0 pp
Civilian unemployed 2,332 ±648 6.0% ±1.7 pp

These estimates describe residents of St. Cloud wherever they work; jobs at workplaces inside the city appear under jobs located in St. Cloud. They are 2020–2024 averages, not a current monthly unemployment rate.

Which industries employ residents?

Education, health care and social assistance is the largest of the published broad industry groups among employed residents: 29.4% (10,644 people; ±2.4 percentage points). The estimate covers residents’ industries wherever they work, rather than employers located inside the place.

Industry of employed residents · C24030 · ACS 2020–2024 Civilian employed population age 16 and older: 36,227
Category Count ± MOE Share ± MOE (pp)
Agriculture, forestry, fishing, hunting and mining 212 ±116 · low precision 0.6% ±0.3 pp · low precision
Construction 2,085 ±389 5.8% ±1.1 pp
Manufacturing 3,910 ±511 10.8% ±1.4 pp
Wholesale trade 761 ±224 2.1% ±0.6 pp
Retail trade 5,315 ±591 14.7% ±1.6 pp
Transportation, warehousing and utilities 2,903 ±541 8.0% ±1.5 pp
Information 332 ±126 0.9% ±0.3 pp
Finance, insurance, real estate, rental and leasing 1,721 ±368 4.8% ±1.0 pp
Professional, scientific, management, administrative and waste services 2,667 ±431 7.4% ±1.2 pp
Education, health care and social assistance 10,644 ±891 29.4% ±2.4 pp
Arts, entertainment, recreation, accommodation and food services 3,583 ±518 9.9% ±1.4 pp
Other services, except public administration 1,424 ±273 3.9% ±0.7 pp
Public administration 670 ±171 1.8% ±0.5 pp

Occupations among employed residents

Broad occupation groups · C24010 · ACS 2020–2024 Civilian employed population age 16 and older: 36,227
Category Count ± MOE Share ± MOE (pp)
Management, business, science and arts 11,978 ±749 33.1% ±1.9 pp
Service occupations 7,819 ±832 21.6% ±2.2 pp
Sales and office 7,404 ±657 20.4% ±1.7 pp
Natural resources, construction and maintenance 2,380 ±383 6.6% ±1.0 pp
Production, transportation and material moving 6,646 ±640 18.3% ±1.7 pp
Selected detailed occupation groups · C24010 · ACS 2020–2024 Civilian employed population age 16 and older: 36,227
Category Count ± MOE Share ± MOE (pp)
Management occupations 2,620 ±442 7.2% ±1.2 pp
Computer and mathematical occupations 756 ±195 2.1% ±0.5 pp
Educational instruction and library occupations 2,411 ±368 6.7% ±1.0 pp
Health practitioners and technical occupations 2,269 ±384 6.3% ±1.0 pp
Sales and related occupations 3,249 ±475 9.0% ±1.3 pp
Transportation occupations 1,675 ±370 4.6% ±1.0 pp

The detailed groups are subsets of the broad groups and should not be added to them.

How residents get to work

Means of transportation to work · B08301 · ACS 2020–2024 Workers age 16 and older: 35,580
Category Count ± MOE Share ± MOE (pp)
Drove alone 25,568 ±1,022 71.9% ±2.2 pp
Carpooled 3,740 ±652 10.5% ±1.8 pp
Public transportation 724 ±310 2.0% ±0.9 pp
Taxi or ride-hailing 242 ±212 · low precision 0.7% ±0.6 pp · low precision
Motorcycle 0 ±23 · low precision 0.0% ±0.1 pp · low precision
Bicycle 187 ±108 · low precision 0.5% ±0.3 pp · low precision
Walked 1,921 ±428 5.4% ±1.2 pp
Other means 170 ±122 · low precision 0.5% ±0.3 pp · low precision
Worked from home 3,028 ±420 8.5% ±1.2 pp
Travel time to work · B08303 · ACS 2020–2024 Workers age 16+ who did not work from home: 32,552
Category Count ± MOE Share ± MOE (pp)
Under 15 minutes 15,174 ±1,039 46.6% ±2.9 pp
15–29 minutes 11,432 ±892 35.1% ±2.5 pp
30–44 minutes 2,960 ±476 9.1% ±1.4 pp
45–59 minutes 1,262 ±365 3.9% ±1.1 pp
60 minutes or longer 1,724 ±417 5.3% ±1.3 pp
Household vehicle availability · B08201 · ACS 2020–2024 Households: 27,807
Category Count ± MOE Share ± MOE (pp)
No vehicle available 2,607 ±521 9.4% ±1.9 pp

Travel times cover workers who did not work from home. Vehicle availability is counted per household, not per driver.

Households and residents

Median age is 30.6 years (±0.7). The demographic profile covers age groups, race and Hispanic origin, household types, nativity, languages, education and moves, each compared with Minnesota and the U.S.

Read St. Cloud demographics →

How many jobs are located in St. Cloud?

Employers in St. Cloud reported 46,798 jobs in 2023, -7.8% compared with 2019 (50,730 jobs). That is 65.4 jobs for every 100 residents in the July 2023 population estimate. These are jobs at workplaces inside the city limits, wherever the workers live, unlike resident employment figures.

Jobs located in St. Cloud by industry (NAICS sector) · 2023 · LODES 8.4
Industry Jobs Share of local jobs Minnesota share
Health care and social assistance 13,930 29.8% 18.5%
Manufacturing 5,564 11.9% 11.5%
Retail trade 4,726 10.1% 9.5%
Accommodation and food services 2,608 5.6% 7.3%
Educational services 2,589 5.5% 8.8%
Public administration 2,495 5.3% 4.4%
Wholesale trade 2,015 4.3% 4.6%
Finance and insurance 1,917 4.1% 4.7%
Administrative, support and waste management services 1,915 4.1% 4.3%
Construction 1,882 4.0% 5.0%
Transportation and warehousing 1,865 4.0% 2.9%
Other services, except public administration 1,452 3.1% 3.3%
Professional, scientific and technical services 1,378 2.9% 6.1%
Information 1,200 2.6% 1.6%
Real estate and rental and leasing 438 0.9% 1.2%
Management of companies and enterprises 418 0.9% 3.1%
Arts, entertainment and recreation 306 0.7% 1.8%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting 95 0.2% 0.8%
Utilities 5 0.0% 0.4%
Monthly earnings and worker age · jobs located in St. Cloud · 2023
Group Jobs Share Minnesota share
$1,250 a month or less 7,622 16.3% 18.1%
$1,251 to $3,333 a month 9,619 20.6% 20.4%
More than $3,333 a month 29,557 63.2% 61.5%
Age 29 or younger 11,486 24.5% 23.2%
Age 30 to 54 24,728 52.8% 52.9%
Age 55 or older 10,584 22.6% 23.8%

Health care and social assistance is the largest sector for jobs located in St. Cloud (29.8% of local jobs, compared with 18.5% statewide). Earnings bands describe what each job pays per month, not household income, and a worker can hold more than one job.

Source: Census LEHD Origin-Destination Employment Statistics (LODES) 8.4, workplace area characteristics, all jobs, second-quarter reference date. Census blocks are summed to 2024 place boundaries. Includes private, state and local government and federal civilian jobs; excludes self-employment, military and informal work. Counts include confidentiality noise and are less precise for small places.

Nearby station climate normals

ST CLOUD RGNL AP, MN (NOAA station USW00014926) is approximately 9.5 km from this place’s Census internal point. The table describes that station’s 1991–2020 climate normals, using NOAA’s corrected version 1.0.1. It is historical station context, rather than a forecast or an average across the city.

ST CLOUD RGNL AP monthly average daily high and low temperature, 1991–2020 NOAA normals. Solid line: high; dashed line: low. Vertical scale 0 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Temperature (°F) 90 0 Jan Mar May Jul Sep Nov
Average daily high: solid line. Average daily low: dashed line. NOAA station normals, 1991–2020; the table gives all monthly values.
ST CLOUD RGNL AP · 1991–2020 monthly normals
Month Average daily high (°F) Average daily low (°F) Precipitation (inches)
January 20.7 2.9 0.67
February 25.7 6.5 0.76
March 38.5 19.8 1.57
April 54.3 32.4 2.61
May 67.8 44.6 3.66
June 77.2 54.8 3.75
July 81.6 58.9 3.60
August 79.2 56.3 4.00
September 71.0 48.0 3.01
October 55.9 35.5 2.61
November 39.3 22.6 1.37
December 25.8 9.8 0.88

Station location: 45.5433°, -94.0514°; elevation 310.3 meters. We select the nearest station within 25 km with all 12 months of high/low temperature and precipitation marked “S” (standard) by NOAA. Standard normals meet NOAA’s data-availability rules and can include estimated missing months. Distance is a straight-line great-circle calculation from the Census internal point. Coastal exposure, elevation and urban conditions can differ between the station and an address. NOAA normals and definitions · Original station CSV · Retained station data, flags and matching details .

Check a specific address before moving

City averages help compare places. A particular home’s school assignment, transit service and flood-map coverage need checks at the address.

  • FEMA Flood Map Service Center — search the address, read the effective map and its date, and check any map changes. An unmapped location does not establish an absence of flood risk.
  • NCES public school district directory — find district contact information, then use the district’s official address locator or enrollment office to confirm school assignment. A city name or district boundary alone does not assign a school.
  • FCC National Broadband Map — check reported service at the exact location, then confirm availability and terms with the provider.
  • Check the official transit operator’s route map and timetable for the address and your actual travel hours; the citywide commuting shares above do not measure service on a particular street.

Sources and data notes

Population: Census PEP Vintage 2025, published May 14, 2026. Survey measures: ACS 2020–2024 five-year estimates, published January 29, 2026, dollar figures in 2024 dollars. Geography: Census 2025 Gazetteer, with simplified 2024 state outlines for the locator. Statistical estimates and derived values use the same retained records in profiles, comparison, filters and downloads.

Climate uses NOAA 1991–2020 station normals (v1.0.1); jobs located in the city use LEHD LODES 8.4. Crime, school assignments and hazard scores are not inferred from these datasets, and missing values are never treated as zero. Inspect original sources, read calculation details, download this place’s source observations , or submit a correction.

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