Census place 2700694

Albert Lea

A Census profile of the people, homes, and daily patterns that shape this place.

Official Census name: Albert Lea city

Relocation snapshot

What stands out in Albert Lea.

According to the 2025 estimate, Albert Lea has a population of 18,217 and 1,367 residents per square mile. Of the six relocation measures evaluated, the three largest relative differences from the median among 103 covered Minnesota places are: median home value is $157,500, below the comparison median of $331,800; median gross rent is $857, below the comparison median of $1,393; and population density is 1,367/sq mi, below the comparison median of 1,941/sq mi. These unweighted medians compare covered Census places and are not statewide estimates.

median home value
$157,500
Below the comparison median of $331,800
median gross rent
$857
Below the comparison median of $1,393
population density
1,367/sq mi
Below the comparison median of 1,941/sq mi

National context

Follow the metrics.

Compare Albert Lea's values with other covered Census places. Rankings are descriptive, not recommendations.

At a glance

A city in numbers.

Population
18,217
2025 estimate
Annual change
0%
Population estimate
Density
1,367/sq mi
13.3 sq mi land area
Median age
44.3 years
ACS 5-year estimate

Living here

The everyday equation.

Households, homes, education, and the time it takes to get around.

Median household income
$64,603
Median home value
$157,500
Median gross rent
$857
Bachelor’s degree or higher
17.4%
Typical commute
17.8 min
Drive-alone commute
77.5%
Public transit commute
0.2%
Walked to work
3.5%

Housing

Who rents, and what it takes.

Renter share and rent burden help describe the housing choices visible in this place.

Renter-occupied homes
25.9%
Renters paying 30%+ of income
49.2%

Work

How the workday lands.

Employment status and working-from-home share add context to income and commuting patterns.

Employed residents 16+
54.1%
Unemployed residents 16+
3.3%
Working from home
7.1%

Community

The everyday infrastructure.

Access, mobility, housing growth, and household composition add another layer to a place's day-to-day picture.

Households with broadband
85.1%
Homes built 2020+
0.3%
Households without a vehicle
7.8%
Households with children
24.3%
Residents with a disability
15.5%
Residents without insurance
8.1%

Environmental context

A record of declared events.

FEMA declarations for Freeborn County provide historical context, not a forecast or a property-level risk assessment.

Environmental declarations since 2000
12
Flood declarations
5
Severe Storm declarations
5
Hurricane declarations
1

Climate normals

The long view of weather.

Thirty-year averages, not a forecast. Temperature and precipitation describe the typical conditions recorded from 1991 through 2020.

Representative station: MASON CITY MUNI AP (35 mi from place center)
Average high
56°F
Average low
35.2°F
Annual rainfall
36.3"
Annual snowfall
44.4"

Month by month

A year in Albert Lea.

Typical high and low °F
0°F20°F40°F60°F80°F100°F
JFMAMJJASOND
Typical precipitation inches

Data vintage

Population is from the 2025 Population Estimates Program. Household, housing, education, and commute data are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-year release. Disaster declarations are from FEMA's OpenFEMA dataset and are refreshed with this edition.

Similar places

More places to consider.

Selected by the closest mix of population, density, median home value, and average annual high.

Wisconsin Rapids, WI

Population, housing, work, and travel data for this Census place.

Population
18,654
Median home
$131,900

Waterville, ME

Population, housing, work, and travel data for this Census place.

Population
17,579
Median home
$184,600

Marshfield, WI

Population, housing, work, and travel data for this Census place.

Population
18,980
Median home
$177,800

Keep exploring

Compare Albert Lea with Wisconsin Rapids