Map the Block › Places › Minnesota › Otter Tail County
Otter Tail County, Minnesota: crime rate, income and local data
Otter Tail County averaged 1.1 reported violent crimes per 1,000 residents a year in 2021-2025, 60% lower than the Minnesota rate (2.7). Households here have a median income of $72,255 and the unemployment rate was 4.8% in August 2026. It is home to roughly 60,475 residents.
Last updated . Crime: FBI 2021-2025. Income and housing: Census ACS 2020-2024. Unemployment: BLS August 2026. Road work: October 11, 2026.
Also on the map: income · hazard risk · Superfund · dams
What is the crime rate in Otter Tail County?
Over 2021-2025, the county's police agencies sent the FBI reports of about 64 violent and 503 property crimes per year. Per 1,000 residents, the violent-crime rate works out to 1.1: 60% lower than the Minnesota rate (2.7), and 71% lower than the national rate (3.7). For property crime the county rate is 8.3 per 1,000 (Minnesota: 17.5; U.S.: 18.1). Aggravated assaults make up 73% of the violent total. CDC death records show about 2 homicide deaths a year in the county (2.7 per 100,000), a count that includes cases police may classify differently.
| Offense (yearly average, 2021-2025) | Otter Tail County | Per 1,000 | Minnesota per 1,000 | U.S. per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crime | 64 | 1.1 | 2.7 | 3.7 |
| Murder | 0 | 0.00 | 0.03 | 0.06 |
| Rape | 15 | 0.25 | 0.40 | 0.40 |
| Robbery | 2 | 0.03 | 0.52 | 0.62 |
| Aggravated assault | 47 | 0.78 | 1.7 | 2.6 |
| Property crime | 503 | 8.3 | 17.5 | 18.1 |
| Burglary | 66 | 1.1 | 2.0 | 2.4 |
| Larceny-theft | 410 | 6.8 | 13.1 | 13.0 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 28 | 0.46 | 2.4 | 2.6 |
Most crime never reaches the police, so these are reported crimes, a floor rather than the full count. In 2024 about half of violent crimes (48%) and about 3 in 10 property crimes (31%) were reported to police (U.S. Justice Department, National Crime Victimization Survey). Rates also depend on how completely each agency reports to the FBI. County figures add up the city police and sheriff reports in the county (8 agencies; 100% of residents covered).
What is the median household income in Otter Tail County?
Half of households in Otter Tail County make more than $72,255 and half make less; across Minnesota the midpoint is $89,062. Owner-occupied homes have a median value of $273,000, and the median rent is $868 a month. 6.5% of households received SNAP benefits in the past year (state: 7.9%). The newest monthly figure from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is 4.8% for August 2026 (preliminary), with 1,466 people out of work and looking.
| Census ACS 2020-2024 | Otter Tail County | Minnesota | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 60,475 | 5,739,445 | 334,922,499 |
| Median household income | $72,255 | $89,062 | $80,734 |
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $273,000 | $329,300 | $332,700 |
| Median gross rent | $868 | $1,280 | $1,413 |
| Unemployment rate (2020-2024 average) | 4.8% | 4.1% | 5.2% |
| People below the poverty line | 8.7% | 9.3% | 12.5% |
| Households receiving SNAP (food stamps) | 6.5% | 7.9% | 12.1% |
| Adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher | 28.3% | 39.4% | 35.7% |
| Homeowner households | 79.5% | 72.2% | 65.2% |
| Median age | 46.2 | 38.8 | 38.9 |
| Households with broadband internet | 87.7% | 91.6% | 91.0% |
| People without health insurance | 5.6% | 4.7% | 8.4% |
What natural hazards and environmental sites are in Otter Tail County?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates the overall natural-hazard risk for Otter Tail County as “Relatively Low”. No single hazard among floods, wildfire, tornadoes, heat waves, earthquakes and hurricanes is rated higher than “Relatively Moderate”. The index compares counties with each other and also weighs how vulnerable and resilient a community is, so it is a long-run estimate, not a forecast.
Superfund sites
1 Superfund site is on or proposed for EPA's National Priorities List in Otter Tail County: Perham Arsenic Site. A listing means EPA is managing a long-term cleanup; it does not by itself mean anyone is exposed today.
High-hazard dams
The National Inventory of Dams lists 1 high-hazard dam in Otter Tail County. The tallest is Orwell Dam (60 ft). “High hazard” describes what lies downstream (people would probably die if the dam failed), not how likely the dam is to fail.
Industrial chemical releases
7 facilities in the county filed Toxics Release Inventory reports for 2024, together reporting 68,716 pounds of listed chemicals released on site. Reported releases are legal permitted amounts in most cases.
Disasters, air and water
No federal major disaster declaration covered Otter Tail County from 2016 through 2025 (COVID-19 excluded). Of 16 community water systems, none had an open health-based drinking-water violation in EPA's records (September 2026). EPA puts the county in radon zone 1 (highest). NHTSA counted 10 traffic deaths in the county in 2024.
Is there road construction in Otter Tail County?
Otter Tail County had 8 highway work zones in the October 11, 2026 feed from the state DOT (all active that day). Where crews are working: I-94, MN 210 and US 10. 4 are on interstates. The map's construction layer is refreshed every morning.
See today's work zones on the map →
How many schools, nursing homes and parks are in Otter Tail County?
Otter Tail County has 36 public schools (2024-25) and 5 private schools (2023-24) in federal school lists. 7 nursing homes are certified by Medicare or Medicaid here; star ratings for each are on the map and on Medicare's Care Compare. USGS mapping shows 16 fire or EMS stations and 9 police or sheriff stations. 3 state parks or recreation areas: Glendalough State Park, Inspiration Peak State Wayside and Maplewood State Park.
What tribal lands and sacred sites are in Otter Tail County?
Census tribal areas that reach into Otter Tail County: Minnesota Chippewa Trust Land.
Tribal areas are Census statistical boundaries, shown for reference; they are not legal boundaries.
See them on the map: tribal lands →
Gun shops, liquor stores and Planned Parenthood in Otter Tail County
Gun shops
11 gun shops with a public storefront are on the map in Otter Tail County, plus 24 more licensed dealers without a public storefront (not shown). One of them is a pawnshop licensed to sell guns. On the ATF list: Ben's Bait (Battle Lake), Bluff Creek Outdoors (Bluffton), Chasing Cast Iron (Perham), Fleet Farm (Fergus Falls), Gene's Sport Shop (Perham), Jk Outdoors (Fergus Falls), Lakeland General Store (Pelican Rapids), Ottertail Marine Service & Storage (Ottertail) and 3 more.
Liquor stores
13 liquor stores are on the map in Otter Tail County: Battle Lake Municipal Liquor, DJ's Powerhouse (Bluffton), Elizabeth Liquor Store (Elizabeth), Fergus Liqour, Fergus Liquors, Landmark Liquor (Perham), Mills Liquors-On & Off Sale (New York Mills), Ottertail Liquors (Ottertail) and 5 more. Minnesota has no complete public liquor licence list we can use, so this count also draws on OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps and may miss some stores or include closed ones.
Planned Parenthood
There is no Planned Parenthood health center in Otter Tail County on the map.
See them on the map: gun shops · liquor stores →
Sources: ATF licensee list (Sept 2026); state liquor licence lists, OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps (non-official; partial in some states); HHS Title X directory and CMS NPPES.
Common questions
What is the crime rate in Otter Tail County?
Otter Tail County averaged 64 reported violent crimes a year in 2021-2025, or 1.1 per 1,000 residents, 60% lower than the Minnesota rate (2.7). The property-crime rate was 8.3 per 1,000 (FBI Uniform Crime Reporting).
What is the median household income in Otter Tail County?
$72,255 (Census American Community Survey, 2020-2024 average), compared with $89,062 for Minnesota and $80,734 nationally.
What is the unemployment rate in Otter Tail County?
The newest monthly figure from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is 4.8% for August 2026 (preliminary), with 1,466 people out of work and looking.
What natural hazards affect Otter Tail County?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates the overall natural-hazard risk for Otter Tail County as “Relatively Low”. No single hazard among floods, wildfire, tornadoes, heat waves, earthquakes and hurricanes is rated higher than “Relatively Moderate”.
Are there Superfund sites in Otter Tail County?
1 Superfund site is on or proposed for EPA's National Priorities List in Otter Tail County: Perham Arsenic Site.
Is there road construction in Otter Tail County right now?
Otter Tail County had 8 highway work zones in the October 11, 2026 feed from the state DOT (all active that day). Where crews are working: I-94, MN 210 and US 10. 4 are on interstates.
How many nursing homes are in Otter Tail County?
7 Medicare- or Medicaid-certified nursing homes (CMS provider data, September 2026).
How does Otter Tail County compare with neighboring counties?
| County | Population | Violent crimes per 1,000 (2021-25) | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Becker County | 35,343 | 1.7 | $71,388 |
| Clay County | 66,059 | 3.2 | $81,172 |
| Douglas County | 39,575 | 1.4 | $79,043 |
| Grant County | 6,127 | 0.65 | $73,917 |
| Todd County | 25,575 | 1.3 | $67,662 |
| Wadena County | 14,256 | 1.2 | $61,467 |
| Wilkin County | 6,371 | 1.6 | $71,410 |
More: Minnesota statewide numbers · Sex-offender registry search (U.S. Justice Department, NSOPW)
Where do these numbers come from?
- Crime: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting 2021-2025 (agency level, Return A), averaged and summed by county by Map the Block; Census population; state and national rates: FBI estimated crimes 2021-2025.
- Income, housing, education: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year, table B19013 (median household income) and related tables.
- Monthly unemployment: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS), county data, not seasonally adjusted. Public domain.
- Hazards: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), county scores; disasters: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
- Superfund: U.S. EPA, Superfund site boundaries and NPL status (October 2026). Dams: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, National Inventory of Dams (public map service, October 2026). Chemical releases: U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory, reporting year 2024 (basic data file).
- Air and water: U.S. EPA AirData, annual AQI by county 2024; EPA Air Quality Design Values 2023-2025 (June 2026); U.S. EPA SDWIS via ECHO drinking-water download (September 30, 2026). Traffic deaths: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) 2024; Census population.
- Work zones: State departments of transportation, via the U.S. DOT Work Zone Data Exchange (WZDx) and state 511 feeds; refreshed every morning (snapshot October 11, 2026).
- Schools: National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE public school locations 2024-25; budgets: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2024; National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE Private School geocodes (Private School Survey 2023-24). Nursing homes: U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Nursing Home Provider Information and Penalties (September 2026). Stations: U.S. Geological Survey, National Structures Dataset (Fire Stations/EMS Stations), October 2026 pull.
- Parks: USGS Protected Areas Database of the U.S. (PAD-US 4.1); state park agencies' open data (CA, NY, PA, TN, TX, FL, NJ, KY, HI, UT, MT and others); OpenStreetMap contributors for some hours, phones, fees and camping; U.S. National Park Service: unit boundaries (Land Resources Division), Acreage Report (Sept 30, 2026), park pages on nps.gov (hours, fees), Visitor Use Statistics (2025).
Map the Block shows public statistics about places, not people, and does not rate or rank neighborhoods as places to live. Figures are as published by each source; check the source before relying on a number.
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