• county
  • FIPS 27011
  • Largest town: Ortonville

Big Stone County, Minnesota

Big Stone County had 5,067 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 499.1 square miles of land. It ranks 83rd of 87 in Minnesota by population and 67th by land area.

Population
5,067
#83 of 87 in Minnesota · #2,814 in US
Area
499.1 sq mi
#67 of 87 in Minnesota · #2,086 in US
Density
10 / sq mi
#72 of 87 in Minnesota · #2,560 in US
Median household income
$62,245
#81 of 87 in Minnesota · #1,622 in US

Census Vintage 2024 estimates · SAIPE 2023 income · 2024 Gazetteer land area

Big Stone County within Minnesota. Pin: Saint Paul.

Measure from here

Tools and pages that start from Big Stone County

Big Stone County population, land area and income

Big Stone County had 5,067 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 499.1 square miles of land. It ranks 83rd of 87 in Minnesota by population and 67th by land area. That works out to 10.2 people per square mile, below the US average of 96.3, and in the bottom quarter nationally.

The median county-equivalent in Minnesota has 22,050 residents, so Big Stone County has 23% of the typical county's population.

Its SAIPE 2023 median household income of $62,245 is below the national county median among 3,143 counties with an estimate.

National rank among 3,144

Population

5,067

3144th1st

2814th of 3,144 (US)

Land area

499 sq mi

3144th1st

2086th of 3,144 (US)

Density

10.2 / sq mi

3144th1st

2560th of 3,144 (US)

Median household income

$62,245

3143rd1st

1622nd of 3,143 (US)

Rank within Minnesota (87)

Population

5,067

87th1st

83rd of 87 (MN)

Land area

499 sq mi

87th1st

67th of 87 (MN)

Density

10.2 / sq mi

87th1st

72nd of 87 (MN)

Median household income

$62,245

87th1st

81st of 87 (MN)

How Big Stone County's population changed since 2020

Big Stone County lost 93 residents between the July 2020 and July 2024 estimates, a drop of 1.8%. That ranks 73rd of 87 in Minnesota for growth. The median Minnesota county changed by +0.6%, and the state as a whole by +1.4%.

Since the April 2020 estimates base, Big Stone County recorded 250 births and 352 deaths, a natural change of -102. Net international migration added +6 and net domestic migration, people moving to or from other US counties, came to -6. The largest single component was natural change, which removed 102 people.

5,16020205,16920215,14520225,09520235,0672024
Census Vintage 2024 county estimates for July 1 of each year. The axis starts above zero so year-to-year changes are visible.

Components of change, April 2020 to July 2024

Births
250
Deaths
352
Net international migration
+6
Net domestic migration
-6
Change, July 2023 to July 2024
-28

Where Big Stone County is

The Census internal point of Big Stone County is at 45.419900, -96.402200. It sits in UTM zone 14N. The map shades Minnesota's 87 county-equivalents by population change from 2020 to 2024, darker for faster growth, with Big Stone County outlined. Dots are towns of 1,000+ people with residents in it.

Cook County: -0.5%Kanabec County: +3.4%Carlton County: +1.5%Becker County: +0.7%Dodge County: +1.7%Douglas County: +2.1%Murray County: -1.5%Pipestone County: -3.3%Rock County: -1.7%Steele County: +0.1%Waseca County: -1.4%Pennington County: -2.1%Red Lake County: -1.5%Stevens County: +1.6%Hubbard County: +3.1%Mahnomen County: -1.8%Fillmore County: +1.2%Otter Tail County: +1.4%Rice County: +2.9%Meeker County: +0.2%Nobles County: -1.1%Swift County: -1.5%Watonwan County: -0.3%Wadena County: +2.2%Polk County: -2.1%Lyon County: +0.6%St. Louis County: +0.4%Todd County: +2.6%Carver County: +5.0%Kandiyohi County: +2.2%Olmsted County: +2.1%Roseau County: -0.3%Dakota County: +2.9%Yellow Medicine County: -1.2%Crow Wing County: +3.6%Sibley County: +2.7%Morrison County: +1.5%Lac qui Parle County: -1.0%Lincoln County: -1.3%Martin County: -2.2%Clay County: +2.3%Houston County: -2.5%Wilkin County: -3.3%Nicollet County: -0.0%Norman County: -2.4%Benton County: +1.3%Anoka County: +3.4%Blue Earth County: +2.2%Traverse County: -6.7%Aitkin County: +4.0%Marshall County: -3.0%Grant County: +0.3%Wabasha County: +0.8%Lake County: -2.0%Cottonwood County: -1.6%Brown County: -0.8%Cass County: +4.2%Lake of the Woods County: +0.7%Scott County: +3.9%Isanti County: +5.5%Stearns County: +3.5%Clearwater County: +0.7%Hennepin County: -0.7%Kittson County: -4.7%Wright County: +9.0%Goodhue County: +0.8%Jackson County: -1.3%Washington County: +5.8%Chippewa County: -2.5%Freeborn County: -1.9%Koochiching County: -3.6%Big Stone County: -1.8%Redwood County: -1.1%Chisago County: +4.2%Faribault County: -0.1%Renville County: -1.6%Itasca County: +0.9%Mower County: +2.1%Sherburne County: +5.6%Mille Lacs County: +4.2%Winona County: +0.6%Ramsey County: -1.8%Pine County: +4.9%McLeod County: +0.1%Pope County: +1.5%Le Sueur County: +2.8%Beltrami County: +1.1%
Change 2020 to 2024
  1. < -1.7%
  2. < -0.3%
  3. < +1.2%
  4. < +2.8%
  5. ≥ +2.8%
no data

Orange pin: Big Stone County internal point. Dark pin: Saint Paul.

Internal point

Decimal
45.419900, -96.402200
DMS
45°25'11.64"N 96°24'7.92"W
UTM
14N 703244.5E 5032880.6N
Geohash
cb56qk6n1
Plus code
86Q5CH9X+X4

Towns in Big Stone County

One incorporated place of 1,000+ people has residents in Big Stone County, 1,970 people together, or 39% of the county. Each figure counts only the part of the town inside Big Stone County; towns marked "part" extend into another county. The largest is Ortonville with 1,970.

  1. 01Ortonville1,970
Census Vintage 2024 subcounty estimates, county parts of incorporated places (SUMLEV 157).

Counties bordering Big Stone County

The Census 2024 county adjacency file lists 6 neighbors for Big Stone County, including 2 across a state line. The most populous is Roberts County, SD, with 10,283 residents. Distances run between Census internal points in a straight line.

Distance to Saint Paul and the nearest big city

Saint Paul is 163.9 miles E of Big Stone County's internal point in a straight line. The nearest place of 100,000 or more is Fargo, ND (population 136,285), 101.9 miles away. The nearest place of 10,000 or more is Watertown, SD (population 23,492), 50.9 miles away.

Big Stone County FIPS code

The FIPS code of Big Stone County is 27011: state code 27 for Minnesota plus county code 011. Use it as text, with the leading zero, when joining Census, BLS, or CDC county tables. SAIPE lists its 2023 median household income as $62,245.

Questions people ask

What is the population of Big Stone County, Minnesota?

The Census Vintage 2024 estimate for July 1, 2024 is 5,067. That is down 93 people (1.8%) from the July 2020 estimate of 5,160.

What is the FIPS code of Big Stone County?

27011. The first two digits (27) are Minnesota; the last three (011) identify the county.

What is the largest town in Big Stone County?

Ortonville, with 1,970 residents inside Big Stone County in 2024.

Which counties border Big Stone County?

6 county-equivalents border it in the Census 2024 adjacency file: Roberts County, SD; Stevens County, MN; Swift County, MN; Grant County, SD; Lac qui Parle County, MN; Traverse County, MN.

Sources and data as of

Data as of: Census Vintage 2024 population estimates, 2024 Gazetteer land area and internal points, SAIPE 2023 median household income.

  1. 01Census Vintage 2024 county population estimates
  2. 02Census 2024 Gazetteer, counties
  3. 03Census SAIPE 2023 state and county estimates
  4. 04Census Vintage 2024 subcounty population estimates
  5. 05Census 2024 county adjacency file
  6. 06Census 2024 cartographic boundary file, counties (1:5,000,000)

How every number is computed: methodology. Spotted a wrong figure? Report an error.