What is the median household income in Wadena, MN?

Name: Income and affordability in Wadena, MN, 2020–2024
Creator: US Census Bureau
License: https://www.census.gov/data/developers/about/terms-of-service.html

The median household income in Wadena, MN is $56,080 (±$8,925) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

Paying the median gross rent of $684 a month would take about $27,400 a year at the common guideline of spending no more than 30% of income on rent.

In Wadena, the median household income went from $38,639 in 2015–2019 to $56,080 in 2020–2024 (+45.1%).

Prices (CPI-U) rose 22.7% over the same years; the change is not measurably different from the rise in prices.

Figures last updated on November 12, 2026.

Median household income: $56,080 (±$8,925)
Median renter income: $30,200 (±$7,988)
Income to afford median rent: about $27,400

Income in Wadena against Wadena County, its state and the nation

Income, estimate (90% margin of error)
	Wadena	Wadena County	Minnesota	United States
Median household income	$56,080 (±$8,925)	$61,467 (±$4,671)	$89,062 (±$409)	$80,734
Median renter household income	$30,200 (±$7,988)	$34,877 (±$4,026)	$51,080 (±$531)	$52,966
Median owner household income	$71,667 (±$31,360)	$73,361 (±$5,284)	$108,214 (±$476)	$100,009
Median gross rent	$684 (±$105)	$746 (±$86)	$1,280 (±$7)	$1,413

In Wadena, median household income is not measurably different from Wadena County ($61,467).

It is also lower than in Minnesota ($89,062).

It is lower than the national figure ($80,734).

In Wadena County, Wadena ranks 14 of 21 places with a published estimate, from highest to lowest median household income.

Statewide, it ranks 2307 of 2,568.

Rankings use the estimates alone; where margins of error overlap, neighboring ranks may not truly differ.

How much you need to earn to rent in Wadena

Many landlords and housing programs use 30% of gross income as the most a household should spend on rent.

At that guideline, the median gross rent of $684 a month ($8,208 a year) needs an income of about $27,400 a year.

The median renting household in Wadena earns $30,200 a year.

This is arithmetic on the published medians, not a rule any landlord must follow; screening criteria vary and some places limit how income may be weighed.

Income against housing costs since 2015–2019

2015–2019 and 2020–2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates
	2015–2019	2020–2024	Amount of change	Verdict
Median household income	$38,639 (±$4,544)	$56,080 (±$8,925)	+45.1%	No measurable change after inflation
Median gross rent	$658 (±$49)	$684 (±$105)	+4.0%	Down after inflation
Median home value	$100,800 (±$22,169)	$160,800 (±$7,414)	+59.5%	Up after inflation

The Census Bureau publishes 2015–2019 dollars in 2019 dollars and 2020–2024 dollars in 2024 dollars.

Prices (the CPI-U, US Bureau of Labor Statistics) rose 22.7% between 2019 and 2024, so a dollar figure’s verdict compares the two after raising the earlier one by that much, using the Census Bureau’s test for a difference.

The two periods do not overlap, as the Census Bureau recommends for 5-year estimates.

Median household income in places near Wadena

Nearest places with a published estimate, compared with Wadena
Place	Distance	Median household income	Compared with this place
Wadena	—	$56,080 (±$8,925)	—
Wadena Township	3.3 mi	$79,063 (±$12,830)	Higher
Leaf River Township	4.0 mi	$86,161 (±$8,669)	Higher
Compton Township	5.1 mi	$74,196 (±$5,792)	Higher
Bluffton	5.3 mi	$100,417 (±$16,874)	Higher
Bluffton Township	5.4 mi	$85,063 (±$33,203)	Not measurably different
Verndale	6.5 mi	$49,063 (±$11,310)	Not measurably different
Stowe Prairie Township	7.5 mi	$79,464 (±$8,232)	Higher
Aldrich Township	8.0 mi	$88,153 (±$4,654)	Higher

Nearby places with a measurably higher figure: Wadena Township, MN ($79,063), Leaf River Township, MN ($86,161), Compton Township, MN ($74,196).

Distance is measured in a straight line between the Census Bureau’s internal points for each place.

Median household income across Wadena County, place by place

Rank	Place	Median household income
8	Red Eye Township	$72,000 (±$12,199)
9	Shell River Township	$63,500 (±$11,012)
10	Wing River Township	$62,500 (±$9,546)
11	North Germany Township	$59,688 (±$7,516)
12	Orton Township	$58,750 (±$22,333)
13	Menahga	$58,036 (±$11,111)
14	Wadena	$56,080 (±$8,925)
15	Huntersville Township	$54,286 (±$9,574)
16	Rockwood Township (Wadena County)	$53,393 (±$17,731)
17	Meadow Township	$52,569 (±$9,293)
18	Verndale	$49,063 (±$11,310)
19	Bullard Township	$39,625 (±$21,708)
20	Sebeka	$39,000 (±$7,377)

Showing 13 of 21 places in Wadena County, ranked from highest to lowest.

Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.

Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.

What you can do on Seayora in Wadena

One account for renting, owning, managing and fixing homes, with these figures beside you.

Own or manage a rental?

List it, sign the lease and collect rent online, with the figures for Wadena beside you.

Create a landlord account · See what landlords get

Looking for a place to rent?

Browse homes for rent near Wadena, save the ones you like and apply online.

Browse rentals · Create a renter account

Do repairs, renovations or maintenance?

Get found by owners and renters near Wadena, and send estimates and invoices from your phone.

Join as a pro · Find a pro

Questions about Wadena

What is the median household income in Wadena?

The median household income in Wadena is $56,080 (±$8,925) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

How much do you need to make to afford rent in Wadena?

About $27,400 a year, if rent is to stay at or below 30% of income at the median gross rent of $684 a month.

Have incomes in Wadena kept up with inflation?

In Wadena, the median household income went from $38,639 in 2015–2019 to $56,080 in 2020–2024 (+45.1%).

Prices (CPI-U) rose 22.7% over the same years; the change is not measurably different from the rise in prices.

What do renters earn in Wadena?

The median renting household in Wadena, MN earns $30,200 (±$7,988) a year.

Sources

To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) and detailed tables (acs/acs5) for Wadena city, Minnesota (place:67504, in state:27).

Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).

The 2015–2019 figures are B19013_001E, B19013_001M, B25064_001E, B25064_001M, B25077_001E, B25077_001M from the 2019 release.

The API needs a free key.

Request a Census API key.

DP03_0062E, DP03_0062M, B25119_003E, B25119_003M, B25119_002E, B25119_002M, DP04_0134E, DP04_0134M

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.