Jury Pool Profile
Big Stone County, Minnesota
- County seat
- Ortonville
- Judicial district
- 8th Judicial District Court
- Population (July 2025 estimate)
- 5,054
- Census PEP. The five-year ACS survey average is 5,127.
At a glance
Big Stone County is a 5,054-person venue. The county population is 94% White (Census race-alone categories). Median household income is $69,982, $17,138 below the MN state median of $87,120; 25.7% of residents 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher. 3.8% of residents 5 and older speak a language other than English at home. The largest employment sector is Education & health services, at 42.8% of covered employment, average pay $51,914/year. Trailing-12-month unemployment is 4.88%, above the 4.31% state average. The county carried the Republican presidential candidate in 2016, 2020, and 2024, taking 59% to 64% of the vote across the three.
- Population
- 5,127
- Median household income
- $70,400
- Unemployment
- 4.9%
Who sits on a jury?
≥70% White (race-alone) and <20% Black. This county: 94% / 0%.
Big Stone County has a population of 5,127, with a median age of 47.0. By Census race-alone categories, White residents make up 94.1%; Black residents 0.3%. Independently, 2.7% of residents identify as Hispanic or Latino of any race.
The median household earns $69,982; 25.7% of residents 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher; 12.3% live below the federal poverty line.
Economic context
Largest sector in BLS QCEW, even counting every withheld job toward the other sectors: Education & health services, about 43% of covered jobs.
Education & health services is the largest employment sector at 42.8% of covered employment, followed by Trade, transportation & utilities at 15.8%. Trailing-12-month unemployment is 4.88%, above the Minnesota state average.
Political composition
Republican candidate carried this county in 2016, 2020, and 2024 (avg winning share: 62%). 'Strongly' threshold: ≥60% avg.
Big Stone County was carried by the Republican candidate in the 2016, 2020, and 2024 cycles, with 63.8% in 2024, 62.6% in 2020, 58.9% in 2016.
Languages, households, faith & health
Family households are 63% of all households (thresholds: ≥70% = 'family-dominant'; 50–70% = 'family-majority'; <50% = 'singles/nonfamily-majority'). 3.8% of residents 5 and older speak a language other than English at home (threshold for 'linguistically diverse' is ≥10%).
3.8% of residents 5 years and older speak a language other than English at home. The most common are Spanish, German or other West Germanic, Tagalog. Veterans account for 6.7% of the adult civilian population (266 individuals).