Data / Rankings / Population speaking a language other than English at home / Counties in Minnesota

Counties in Minnesota by population speaking a language other than English at home

Nobles County had the highest population speaking a language other than English at home of 87 counties in 2021, at 32.9%. Lake of the Woods County had the lowest, at 1.3%. The median was 4.9% and the figure for Minnesota was 12%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest32.9Nobles County
Lowest1.3Lake of the Woods County
Median4.987 counties
Minnesota12History

Map of counties, 2021

Aitkin County: 1.9 %Anoka County: 12.2 %Becker County: 3.1 %Beltrami County: 4.7 %Benton County: 5.7 %Big Stone County: 5.3 %Blue Earth County: 7.2 %Brown County: 4.3 %Carlton County: 3.7 %Carver County: 7.2 %Cass County: 3.4 %Chippewa County: 8.5 %Chisago County: 3 %Clay County: 7.9 %Clearwater County: 5.2 %Cook County: 5.9 %Cottonwood County: 8.7 %Crow Wing County: 2.1 %Dakota County: 13 %Dodge County: 6 %Douglas County: 2.4 %Faribault County: 5.1 %Fillmore County: 5.7 %Freeborn County: 9 %Goodhue County: 3.5 %Grant County: 1.9 %Hennepin County: 18.1 %Houston County: 3.1 %Hubbard County: 3.5 %Isanti County: 3.5 %Itasca County: 2.3 %Jackson County: 4.6 %Kanabec County: 2.8 %Kandiyohi County: 13.6 %Kittson County: 3.5 %Koochiching County: 2.6 %Lac qui Parle County: 4.1 %Lake County: 1.7 %Lake of the Woods County: 1.3 %Le Sueur County: 5.9 %Lincoln County: 2.5 %Lyon County: 10.7 %McLeod County: 5.5 %Mahnomen County: 8.7 %Marshall County: 3.9 %Martin County: 4.7 %Meeker County: 3.1 %Mille Lacs County: 3.4 %Morrison County: 2.9 %Mower County: 18.1 %Murray County: 6 %Nicollet County: 5.3 %Nobles County: 32.9 %Norman County: 4.4 %Olmsted County: 14.3 %Otter Tail County: 4.7 %Pennington County: 4.5 %Pine County: 4.1 %Pipestone County: 7.2 %Polk County: 6.6 %Pope County: 3 %Ramsey County: 23.3 %Red Lake County: 2.7 %Redwood County: 4.7 %Renville County: 7.4 %Rice County: 13.1 %Rock County: 3.1 %Roseau County: 3.9 %St. Louis County: 3.5 %Scott County: 13.5 %Sherburne County: 4.4 %Sibley County: 8.1 %Stearns County: 10.4 %Steele County: 7.3 %Stevens County: 9.2 %Swift County: 6.1 %Todd County: 12.6 %Traverse County: 5.1 %Wabasha County: 3.8 %Wadena County: 2.6 %Waseca County: 5.4 %Washington County: 10.6 %Watonwan County: 23.5 %Wilkin County: 2.7 %Winona County: 5.4 %Wright County: 4.3 %Yellow Medicine County: 4.9 %
  • Under 3
  • 3 to 3.8
  • 3.8 to 4.9
  • 4.9 to 6
  • 6 to 10
  • 10 and over
%, 2021. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

Top 40 counties, 2021

Nobles County: 32.9 %Nobles County32.9Watonwan County: 23.5 %Watonwan County23.5Ramsey County: 23.3 %Ramsey County23.3Hennepin County: 18.1 %Hennepin County18.1Mower County: 18.1 %Mower County18.1Olmsted County: 14.3 %Olmsted County14.3Kandiyohi County: 13.6 %Kandiyohi County13.6Scott County: 13.5 %Scott County13.5Rice County: 13.1 %Rice County13.1Dakota County: 13 %Dakota County13Todd County: 12.6 %Todd County12.6Anoka County: 12.2 %Anoka County12.2Lyon County: 10.7 %Lyon County10.7Washington County: 10.6 %Washington County10.6Stearns County: 10.4 %Stearns County10.4Stevens County: 9.2 %Stevens County9.2Freeborn County: 9 %Freeborn County9Mahnomen County: 8.7 %Mahnomen County8.7Cottonwood County: 8.7 %Cottonwood County8.7Chippewa County: 8.5 %Chippewa County8.5Sibley County: 8.1 %Sibley County8.1Clay County: 7.9 %Clay County7.9Renville County: 7.4 %Renville County7.4Steele County: 7.3 %Steele County7.3Blue Earth County: 7.2 %Blue Earth County7.2Pipestone County: 7.2 %Pipestone County7.2Carver County: 7.2 %Carver County7.2Polk County: 6.6 %Polk County6.6Swift County: 6.1 %Swift County6.1Dodge County: 6 %Dodge County6Murray County: 6 %Murray County6Cook County: 5.9 %Cook County5.9Le Sueur County: 5.9 %Le Sueur County5.9Benton County: 5.7 %Benton County5.7Fillmore County: 5.7 %Fillmore County5.7McLeod County: 5.5 %McLeod County5.5Winona County: 5.4 %Winona County5.4Waseca County: 5.4 %Waseca County5.4Nicollet County: 5.3 %Nicollet County5.3Big Stone County: 5.3 %Big Stone County5.3Nobles County: 32.9 %Nobles County32.9Watonwan County: 23.5 %Watonwan County23.5Ramsey County: 23.3 %Ramsey County23.3Hennepin County: 18.1 %Hennepin County18.1Mower County: 18.1 %Mower County18.1Olmsted County: 14.3 %Olmsted County14.3Kandiyohi County: 13.6 %Kandiyohi County13.6Scott County: 13.5 %Scott County13.5Rice County: 13.1 %Rice County13.1Dakota County: 13 %Dakota County13Todd County: 12.6 %Todd County12.6Anoka County: 12.2 %Anoka County12.2Lyon County: 10.7 %Lyon County10.7Washington County: 10.6 %Washington County10.6Stearns County: 10.4 %Stearns County10.4Stevens County: 9.2 %Stevens County9.2Freeborn County: 9 %Freeborn County9Mahnomen County: 8.7 %Mahnomen County8.7Cottonwood County: 8.7 %Cottonwood County8.7Chippewa County: 8.5 %Chippewa County8.5Sibley County: 8.1 %Sibley County8.1Clay County: 7.9 %Clay County7.9Renville County: 7.4 %Renville County7.4Steele County: 7.3 %Steele County7.3Blue Earth County: 7.2 %Blue Earth County7.2Pipestone County: 7.2 %Pipestone County7.2Carver County: 7.2 %Carver County7.2Polk County: 6.6 %Polk County6.6Swift County: 6.1 %Swift County6.1Dodge County: 6 %Dodge County6Murray County: 6 %Murray County6Cook County: 5.9 %Cook County5.9Le Sueur County: 5.9 %Le Sueur County5.9Benton County: 5.7 %Benton County5.7Fillmore County: 5.7 %Fillmore County5.7McLeod County: 5.5 %McLeod County5.5Winona County: 5.4 %Winona County5.4Waseca County: 5.4 %Waseca County5.4Nicollet County: 5.3 %Nicollet County5.3Big Stone County: 5.3 %Big Stone County5.3
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties2021 (%)
1Nobles County32.9
2Watonwan County23.5
3Ramsey County23.3
4Hennepin County18.1
5Mower County18.1
6Olmsted County14.3
7Kandiyohi County13.6
8Scott County13.5
9Rice County13.1
10Dakota County13
11Todd County12.6
12Anoka County12.2
13Lyon County10.7
14Washington County10.6
15Stearns County10.4
16Stevens County9.2
17Freeborn County9
18Mahnomen County8.7
19Cottonwood County8.7
20Chippewa County8.5
21Sibley County8.1
22Clay County7.9
23Renville County7.4
24Steele County7.3
25Blue Earth County7.2
25Pipestone County7.2
27Carver County7.2
28Polk County6.6
29Swift County6.1
30Dodge County6
31Murray County6
32Cook County5.9
33Le Sueur County5.9
34Benton County5.7
35Fillmore County5.7
36McLeod County5.5
37Winona County5.4
38Waseca County5.4
39Nicollet County5.3
40Big Stone County5.3
41Clearwater County5.2
42Faribault County5.1
42Traverse County5.1
44Yellow Medicine County4.9
45Redwood County4.7
46Martin County4.7
46Otter Tail County4.7
48Beltrami County4.7
49Jackson County4.6
50Pennington County4.5
51Sherburne County4.4
52Norman County4.4
53Brown County4.3
54Wright County4.3
55Pine County4.1
56Lac qui Parle County4.1
57Roseau County3.9
58Marshall County3.9
59Wabasha County3.8
60Carlton County3.7
61Isanti County3.5
62Hubbard County3.5
63Kittson County3.5
64St. Louis County3.5
65Goodhue County3.5
66Mille Lacs County3.4
67Cass County3.4
68Meeker County3.1
69Becker County3.1
70Houston County3.1
71Rock County3.1
72Chisago County3
73Pope County3
74Morrison County2.9
75Kanabec County2.8
76Wilkin County2.7
77Red Lake County2.7
78Wadena County2.6
79Koochiching County2.6
80Lincoln County2.5
81Douglas County2.4
82Itasca County2.3
83Crow Wing County2.1
84Grant County1.9
85Aitkin County1.9
86Lake County1.7
87Lake of the Woods County1.3

Other periods

About this ranking

People aged 5 and over who speak a language other than English at home, as a percentage of all people aged 5 and over. United States: American Community Survey five-year estimate, where the period shown is the last year of the five-year span.

Measures the language used at home, not English ability: most people in this group also speak English. Spanish speakers are shown separately in spanish_at_home_share.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the counties are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table C16001: people aged 5 and over who speak a language other than English at home, as a percentage of the population aged 5 and over, calculated with stored inputs. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-c16001.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Citation styles

The publisher is the author. Invokely is named only as the place the figures were read, where a style asks for it.

APA 7

U.S. Census Bureau. (2026). American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table C16001: people aged 5 and over who speak a language other than English at home, as a percentage of the population aged 5 and over, calculated with stored inputs (Counties in Minnesota by population speaking a language other than English at home, 2021) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-c16001.dat

MLA 9

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table C16001: people aged 5 and over who speak a language other than English at home, as a percentage of the population aged 5 and over, calculated with stored inputs, Counties in Minnesota by population speaking a language other than English at home, 2021. U.S. Census Bureau, 29 Jan. 2026, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-c16001.dat. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/language-other-than-english-at-home/minnesota-counties?period=2021. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Census Bureau. 2026. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table C16001: people aged 5 and over who speak a language other than English at home, as a percentage of the population aged 5 and over, calculated with stored inputs. Counties in Minnesota by population speaking a language other than English at home, 2021. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-c16001.dat. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/language-other-than-english-at-home/minnesota-counties?period=2021.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2026) American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table C16001: people aged 5 and over who speak a language other than English at home, as a percentage of the population aged 5 and over, calculated with stored inputs, Counties in Minnesota by population speaking a language other than English at home, 2021 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-c16001.dat, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/language-other-than-english-at-home/minnesota-counties?period=2021 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_counties_in_minnesota_by_2021,
  author = {{U.S. Census Bureau}},
  title = {{American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table C16001: people aged 5 and over who speak a language other than English at home, as a percentage of the population aged 5 and over, calculated with stored inputs: Counties in Minnesota by population speaking a language other than English at home, 2021}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-c16001.dat},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/language-other-than-english-at-home/minnesota-counties?period=2021. Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table C16001: people aged 5 and over who speak a language other than English at home, as a percentage of the population aged 5 and over, calculated with stored inputs. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary\_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-c16001.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Census Bureau
TI  - American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table C16001: people aged 5 and over who speak a language other than English at home, as a percentage of the population aged 5 and over, calculated with stored inputs: Counties in Minnesota by population speaking a language other than English at home, 2021
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/01/29
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-c16001.dat
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/language-other-than-english-at-home/minnesota-counties?period=2021
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/language-other-than-english-at-home/minnesota-counties?period=2021.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table C16001: people aged 5 and over who speak a language other than English at home, as a percentage of the population aged 5 and over, calculated with stored inputs. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-c16001.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -
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Questions

Which county has the highest population speaking a language other than English at home?

Nobles County, with 32.9% in 2021, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest population speaking a language other than English at home?

Lake of the Woods County, with 1.3% in 2021.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table C16001: people aged 5 and over who speak a language other than English at home, as a percentage of the population aged 5 and over, calculated with stored inputs. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Population speaking a language other than English at home: other rankings

Counties in Minnesota: more rankings