Wadena County GIS Maps
Wadena County, Minnesota, has 14,065 residents and covers 536.3 square miles. The population grew 1.6% between the 2010 and 2020 census. More residents moved in than left over that decade. The FIPS code for Wadena County is 27159.
Wadena is the county's largest population center. Wadena County also includes 4 zip codes, 5 public school districts and 41 municipalities. Those boundaries help explain why population, schools, and housing can look different from one part of the county to another. The map below shows how those county lines, zip codes, and school districts fit together, and the sections that follow use that same geography to show population, demographics, school enrollment and housing patterns in more detail.
Maps, GIS layers and sample data. Paid packages add full layers, analytics and database files.
Wadena County Trends
- Population
- 14,065▴
- Median Home Value
- $170,500▴
- K-12 Enrollment
- 3,902▾
County analytics dashboards with historical trends & projections included in package downloads.
Free starter access previews county maps, lightweight GIS, and sample data. Paid packages unlock full GIS layers, analytics, and database files.
Wadena County Maps
The maps below show a few of the county map styles included in our downloads. County packages include map exports in JPEG, PNG, SVG, PDF and GeoTIFF formats plus more than 20 GIS layers for mapping, research and analysis. Available layers include zip codes, area codes, subdivisions, school districts, political boundaries, roads, water features, points of interest and more.
County packages also include historical county demographics, business intelligence, analytical dashboards, AI-ready prompts, markdown files and related reference data. Everything is organized to save hours of manual work collecting current data, cleaning it and joining it together. That makes it easier to move faster on analytics, due diligence, business planning and location research. Paid packages are built for commercial use, but some package contents include source-specific attribution or notice guidance. Review Licensing & Data Source Notices.
Wadena County Population
Wadena County had 14,065 residents in 2020. That was 1.6% higher than in 2010. Wadena County added 352 people between 2000 and 2020, which points to steady long-term growth. Wadena is the largest city in the county, but it accounts for only about 31% of the total population. The county is fairly spread out, with about 26 people per square mile. Some of the county's most populated postal areas include Wadena, Menahga and Sebeka.
Population Trend in Wadena County MN
Wadena County Population per 2000, 2010 and 2020 census counts with a baseline 2030 projection.
Wadena County Zip Codes
Wadena County has 4 zip codes. Some of the county's most populated zip codes include Wadena (56482), Menahga (56464) and Sebeka (56477). Wadena is the largest zip by population, with about 6,925 residents or 49% of the county total. Together, the three largest zips account for about 104% of all county residents based on 2020 population estimates.
Most Populated Zip Codes in Wadena County MN
| ZIP | Area | Population | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|
| 56482 | Wadena | 6,925 | ▴ 3.9% |
| 56464 | Menahga | 4,864 | ▴ 12.2% |
| 56477 | Sebeka | 2,771 | ▴ 0.5% |
| 56481 | Verndale | 1,972 | ▾ -2.9% |
| Download all zip code data | |||
Wadena County Zip Code populations and trends per most recent census data.
Wadena County Demographics
Wadena County has a median age of 40.1, which makes the county a little older than Minnesota overall. About 26% of residents are under 18, while 20.1% are 65 or older. That gives the county a fairly even mix of younger families and older adults. The largest age group is 25 to 44 at about 27.8% of the population, which points to a solid working-age base. About 17.5% of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher, above the statewide figure of 38.8%. The county is mostly White by population, though Hispanic, Asian, Black and multiracial residents are also part of the local mix.
Key Demographics for Wadena County MN
Median Age
40.1
Under 18
26%
Age 65+
20.1%
Bachelor's+
17.5%
Wadena County School Districts
Wadena County is served by 5 public school districts with 3,902 students enrolled in 2024. The largest districts on the county map are Wadena-Deer Creek, Menahga Public and Staples-Motley. Those three districts account for about 76% of public school enrollment in the map area. Total enrollment has stayed fairly steady in recent years, but it is slightly lower than it was in 2017.
Largest School Districts by Enrollment in Wadena County MN
| District | Enrollment | Share | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wadena-Deer Creek School District | 1,079 | 27.7% | ▾ -3% |
| Menahga Public School District | 987 | 25.3% | ▴ 4.4% |
| Staples-Motley School District | 901 | 23.1% | ▴ 1.5% |
| Verndale Public School District | 484 | 12.4% | ▾ -4.9% |
| Sebeka Public School District | 451 | 11.6% | ▾ -6.4% |
| Download all school district data | |||
Wadena County school district enrollment and trends per most recent NCES reporting data.
Wadena County Housing & Real Estate
Wadena County has a median home value of $170,500 and a median gross rent of $706. About 73% of occupied homes in the county are owner-occupied, so the local housing market leans heavily toward ownership. Home values run below the Minnesota median, while rents come in below the state average. In March 2026, the median listing price was $269,900 and homes spent about 129 days on the market.
Wadena County Housing Mix
Wadena County housing mix: owner, renter and vacant units.
Wadena County Housing Trends
Wadena County median home value and rent trend (last 5 years).
Businesses in Wadena County, MN
Wadena County has 725 business listings across 282 categories. The largest categories in Wadena County business listings are Churches & Religious Organizations (33, 4.6%), Gas Stations (17, 2.3%), and Contractors (16, 2.2%). The full Wadena County business listings dataset includes names, categories, addresses and contact details where available. Wadena County packages also include U.S. Census County Business Patterns data with establishment counts, employment and payroll by industry sector.
Top Business Categories in Wadena County, MN
| Category | Businesses | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Churches & Religious Organizations | 33 | 4.6% |
| Gas Stations | 17 | 2.3% |
| Contractors | 16 | 2.2% |
| Auto Repair | 13 | 1.8% |
| Parks & Recreation | 12 | 1.7% |
| Hardware Stores | 12 | 1.7% |
| Lake | 12 | 1.7% |
| Farm | 11 | 1.5% |
| ATMs | 10 | 1.4% |
| Beauty Salons | 10 | 1.4% |
Wadena County Business Listings
| Business | Category | City |
|---|---|---|
| Endeavor Place | Abuse And Addiction Treatment | Verndale |
| Erik J Olson, CPA | Accountant | Wadena |
| Gloege's Northern Sun Canoe Outfitting | Active Life | Nimrod |
| Active Acupuncture Menahga | Acupuncture | Menahga |
| Alcoholics Anonymous | Addiction Rehabilitation Center | Wadena |
| AH Grafix, LLC | Advertising Agency | Menahga |
| Leaf River Ag Service | Agricultural Service | Wadena |
| Staples Municipal Airport | Airport | Staples |
| Fired | American Restaurants | Wadena |
| Homestead Veterinary Clinic | Animal Shelters | Aldrich |
| Download Wadena County business listings | ||
Wadena County business listings sourced from Overture Maps. Includes locations with a high level of confidence.
Wadena County Basemaps
Wadena County map and data packages include a set of useful basemaps to help you get started quickly. These include a custom light grey canvas, USGS topo, imagery and other reference layers that make it easier to build clear, meaningful county maps using the included GIS layers, your own data or both. Pre-rendered map tiles for the light grey basemap are included so you can use them offline or host them on your own CDN.
Get the Full Wadena County Data Package
This page shows a preview of what's included in the Wadena County data package. The full package gives you a ready-to-use county data system with GIS layers, historical data, maps, database files and planning tools that save hours of manual data gathering, cleanup and joins. Everything is organized to help you skip data wrangling and start analysis faster.
- 20+ GIS layers for zip codes, school districts, roads, water, boundaries and more
- Historical county demographics, housing, income and trend data
- ZIP code population files and school district enrollment history
- Database files, markdowns, AI-ready prompts and documentation
- Map exports in PNG, JPEG, PDF, SVG and GeoTIFF formats
- Offline-ready data explorer, map and analytics tools
Paid packages support commercial use, client work, and derived outputs. Some package contents may include source-specific attribution or provider notices. See Licensing & Data Source Notices.
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Nearby Counties
Browse county data pages for the counties that border Wadena County. These nearby pages include the same mix of county maps, demographic summaries, school district context, housing trends and package links.