MHP Research Highlights Housing Costs, Homeownership Gaps, and Rental Shortages in All 87 Counties

A stable home is the foundation for strong communities, economic opportunity, and a thriving Minnesota. Yet new research from MHP finds that people in every corner of the state are increasingly struggling to find a home they can afford.

MHP’s County Profiles report is one of the organization’s most widely used research tools. Updated every two years, the profiles examine housing conditions in all 87 Minnesota counties, providing local data on housing costs, renter and homeowner cost burden, homeownership disparities, the wages needed to afford housing, and the shortage of homes affordable and available to renters with extremely low incomes.

Key Findings from the 2026 County Profiles

• Every county in Minnesota has too few homes that are affordable and available to renters with extremely low income.* In 79% of counties, the shortage exceeds 100 homes; in nearly one-third of counties (32%), it exceeds 500 homes. 
• Home values rose faster than homeowner incomes from 2023 to 2024. Home values increased in every county in Minnesota this year, while homeowner incomes increased in only 65% of counties.  
• At least one in four renters are cost burdened— paying more than they can afford for housing—in every county in the state. In 20 counties, more than half of renters are burdened. 
• Senior renters face especially high housing costs. In every county, at least 30% of senior renter households are cost burdened, and in 78% of counties, more than half are cost burdened.
• White, non-Hispanic households have high homeownership rates across Minnesota, ranging from 65% to 89%. Yet large disparities remain: in Minnesota’s most populous counties,** homeownership rates for Black, Indigenous, and other households of color ranges from 42% to 74%. 

*Extremely low-income indicates people are those earning less than $33,000 a year. Because higher-income households often occupy homes affordable to lower-income renters, the shortage of affordable and available homes for extremely low-income renters can exceed the state’s overall housing shortfall.
**Counties with over 100,000 households.

“The data in these profiles tell a remarkably consistent story across Minnesota’s 87 counties,” said Gabriela Norton, Director of Research at MHP. “In every county, renters with extremely low incomes face a shortage of homes that are affordable and available to them, and in every county, at least one in four renters is cost burdened. We also see that older adults and households of color are more likely to face barriers to stable housing and homeownership. By making these trends visible at the local level, we hope these profiles can help communities and policymakers better understand the challenges they face and identify solutions that can make a difference.”

“A stable home is the foundation for opportunity and strong communities. These profiles show that communities across Minnesota are facing a common challenge: housing costs are rising and there are too few homes people can afford. The good news is that communities across Minnesota are already showing us what is working in their communities when we invest in more homes and more housing choices.” said Anne Mavity, Executive Director of MHP.

The County Profiles are intended to help local leaders, advocates, policymakers, and community members better understand housing conditions in their communities and support local conversations about solutions.

Links to Profiles by County

County Profiles data is gathered from a variety of sources, including:

• Cost burden and homeownership: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS), 2024 5-year estimates.
• ELI renters and affordable homes: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), ACS 5-year Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy (CHAS) county estimates, 2025 release based on 2018-2022 data 
• In-demand jobs: Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (MN DEED), Occupations in Demand, 2025