• county
  • FIPS 27111
  • Largest town: Fergus Falls

Otter Tail County, Minnesota

Otter Tail County had 60,884 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 1,971.6 square miles of land. It ranks 17th of 87 in Minnesota by population and 7th by land area.

Population
60,884
#17 of 87 in Minnesota · #884 in US
Area
1,971.6 sq mi
#7 of 87 in Minnesota · #289 in US
Density
31 / sq mi
#40 of 87 in Minnesota · #1,897 in US
Median household income
$69,107
#58 of 87 in Minnesota · #1,064 in US

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

Otter Tail County within Minnesota. Pin: Saint Paul.

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Otter Tail County population, land area and income

Otter Tail County had 60,884 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 1,971.6 square miles of land. It ranks 17th of 87 in Minnesota by population and 7th by land area. That works out to 30.9 people per square mile, below the US average of 96.3, and below the national county median.

The median county-equivalent in Minnesota has 22,050 residents, so Otter Tail County is 2.8 times that size.

Its SAIPE 2023 median household income of $69,107 is above the national county median among 3,143 counties with an estimate.

National rank among 3,144

Population

60,884

3144th1st

884th of 3,144 (US)

Land area

1,972 sq mi

3144th1st

289th of 3,144 (US)

Density

30.9 / sq mi

3144th1st

1897th of 3,144 (US)

Median household income

$69,107

3143rd1st

1064th of 3,143 (US)

Rank within Minnesota (87)

Population

60,884

87th1st

17th of 87 (MN)

Land area

1,972 sq mi

87th1st

7th of 87 (MN)

Density

30.9 / sq mi

87th1st

40th of 87 (MN)

Median household income

$69,107

87th1st

58th of 87 (MN)

How Otter Tail County's population changed since 2020

Otter Tail County gained 816 residents between the July 2020 and July 2024 estimates, a rise of 1.4%. That ranks 34th 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, Otter Tail County recorded 2,544 births and 3,265 deaths, a natural change of -721. Net international migration added +314 and net domestic migration, people moving to or from other US counties, came to +1,217. The largest single component was domestic migration, which added 1,217 people.

60.1k202060.2k202160.5k202260.7k202360.9k2024
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
2,544
Deaths
3,265
Net international migration
+314
Net domestic migration
+1,217
Change, July 2023 to July 2024
+197

Where Otter Tail County is

The Census internal point of Otter Tail County is at 46.405700, -95.714600. It sits in UTM zone 15N. The map shades Minnesota's 87 county-equivalents by population change from 2020 to 2024, darker for faster growth, with Otter Tail 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: Otter Tail County internal point. Dark pin: Saint Paul.

Internal point

Decimal
46.405700, -95.714600
DMS
46°24'20.52"N 95°42'52.56"W
UTM
15N 291347.5E 5142706.3N
Geohash
cb5zvzyub
Plus code
86R6C74P+75

Towns in Otter Tail County

6 incorporated places of 1,000+ people have residents in Otter Tail County, 23,182 people together, or 38% of the county. Each figure counts only the part of the town inside Otter Tail County; towns marked "part" extend into another county. The largest is Fergus Falls with 14,258.

  1. 01Fergus Falls14,258
  2. 02Perham3,708
  3. 03Pelican Rapids2,594
  4. 04New York Mills1,481
  5. 05Parkers Prairie1,029
  6. 06Wadena (part)112
Census Vintage 2024 subcounty estimates, county parts of incorporated places (SUMLEV 157).

Counties bordering Otter Tail County

The Census 2024 county adjacency file lists 7 neighbors for Otter Tail County. The most populous is Clay County, MN, with 66,848 residents. Distances run between Census internal points in a straight line.

Distance to Saint Paul and the nearest big city

Saint Paul is 161.1 miles SE of Otter Tail County's internal point in a straight line. The nearest place of 100,000 or more is Fargo, ND (population 136,285), 61.6 miles away. The nearest place of 10,000 or more is Fergus Falls, MN (population 14,258), 19.1 miles away.

Otter Tail County FIPS code

The FIPS code of Otter Tail County is 27111: state code 27 for Minnesota plus county code 111. Use it as text, with the leading zero, when joining Census, BLS, or CDC county tables. SAIPE lists its 2023 median household income as $69,107.

Questions people ask

What is the population of Otter Tail County, Minnesota?

The Census Vintage 2024 estimate for July 1, 2024 is 60,884. That is up 816 people (1.4%) from the July 2020 estimate of 60,068.

What is the FIPS code of Otter Tail County?

27111. The first two digits (27) are Minnesota; the last three (111) identify the county.

What is the largest town in Otter Tail County?

Fergus Falls, with 14,258 residents inside Otter Tail County in 2024.

Which counties border Otter Tail County?

7 county-equivalents border it in the Census 2024 adjacency file: Clay County, MN; Douglas County, MN; Becker County, MN; Todd County, MN; Wadena County, MN; Wilkin County, MN; Grant 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.