City safety & data profile

MoorheadMN

Clay County, Minnesota. Federal health, economic and safety indicators for Moorhead, drawn from Census, CDC and CMS data. Larger than 75% of the 4,640 U.S. cities Areazine tracks.

42K
Population
Top 25%
By size
$72,761
Median income
$249,000
Median home
16.1%
Poverty rate

The read on Moorhead

Moorhead posts a median household income higher than 40% of U.S. cities Areazine tracks.

Top 60%
by median income, US cities

Where Moorhead income ranks nationally

Median household income vs. every place Areazine profiles (place-level ACS)

$72,761 Bottom 40% higher than 40% of 3,889 places Areazine profiles

$0–$20,000: 0 places Areazine profiles (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 71 places Areazine profiles (2%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 788 places Areazine profiles (20%). Below this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 1,055 places Areazine profiles (27%). This entry sits in this band. $80,000–$100,000: 768 places Areazine profiles (20%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 515 places Areazine profiles (13%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 308 places Areazine profiles (8%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 171 places Areazine profiles (4%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 92 places Areazine profiles (2%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 47 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $220,000–$240,000: 18 places Areazine profiles (0%). Above this entry. $240,000–$260,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. MN $0 $260,000 every profiled place, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more places Areazine profiles. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (place-level) · 2024 ACS 5-year

The quick read

Reading Moorhead, MN beyond the headline numbers

Moorhead sits inside Clay County, Minnesota, at roughly 46.87°N, -96.77°W. Its population of 42,005 and $72,761 median household income are the two most quoted figures, but in isolation they hide the shape of the city. A median home value of $249,000 paired with median rent of $1,033 is the starting point for a price-to-income read that tells you how stretched a typical household is before any other cost of living factor is considered. The 16.1% poverty rate next to that income figure is the better signal, two cities with identical medians can have very different lived realities depending on the income distribution underneath.

Health and healthcare access are the next layer most residents and prospective movers actually care about. CDC PLACES indicators for Moorhead show the highest-prevalence measure is obesity at 33.2%, followed by short sleep duration at 32.9%.

Areazine reconstructs these layers from U.S. Census ACS (place-level economics and demographics), CDC PLACES, and CMS Hospital Compare, each updated on its own cadence, and pairs them with live alerts from FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC scoped to the Moorhead area. The comparison bars next to each metric anchor the number against a national reference, which is the fastest way to tell whether Moorhead is an outlier on a given dimension before drilling into the raw value.

Population
42,005
Moorhead
Median Income
$72,761
+7% vs avg
Median Home Value
$249,000
+9% vs avg
Median Age
31.3
years

10-Year Trends 2013–2024

County-level trend (Clay County) - Moorhead's own historical series isn't separately published by the Census Bureau, so these year-over-year figures track the surrounding county, not the city alone.

20132024
Population
66K+11%
Median Income
$81,172+55%
Median Home Value
$265,500+71%
Poverty Rate
13.3%+8%
Unemployment
4.1%-24%

Economics

Economics indicators for Moorhead, MN
IndicatorValue
Median Rent
$1,033/mo
Poverty Rate
16.1% +13% vs avg
Unemployment 5%
Bachelor's Degree+ 41.6%
Work From Home 12.6%
Public Transit 2.4%

Population

White 82.4%
African American 6.4%
Asian 2%
Two or More Ethnicities 3.9%

Health Profile 15 measures

Health Indicators

Obesity
33.2%
Short Sleep Duration
32.9%
High Blood Pressure
28.9%
Physical Inactivity
22.3%
Binge Drinking
19.4%
Frequent Mental Distress
17.4%
Current Smoking
14.1%
Frequent Physical Distress
11%
Current Asthma
10.6%
Diabetes
8.9%

Preventive Care

Dental Visit 64.8%
Annual Checkup 72%

Other Measures

Lack of Health Insurance
7.7%
Coronary Heart Disease
5.2%
Stroke
2.7%

Frequently Asked Questions 5

What is the population of Moorhead, MN?
Moorhead, MN has a population of 42,005 people, located in Clay County, Minnesota.
What is the median household income in Moorhead?
The median household income in Moorhead, MN is $72,761 per year, per the U.S. Census ACS. The poverty rate is 16.1%.
What is the median home value in Moorhead?
The median home value in Moorhead, MN is $249,000. Median rent is $1,033/month.
What are the top health concerns in Moorhead?
The top health indicators in Moorhead include Obesity (33.2%), Short Sleep Duration (32.9%), High Blood Pressure (28.9%). Data from CDC PLACES.
What is the median age in Moorhead?
The median age in Moorhead, MN is 31.3 years. 41.6% of residents have a bachelor's degree or higher.

Safety Context

Moorhead, MN is located in Clay County, Minnesota. With a population of 42K and a $72,761 median household income, the community faces health challenges including obesity and short sleep duration. Safety alerts for the Moorhead area are monitored from federal and state agencies including FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC.

Safety Guides

Primary source data

Nearby Cities 8

Using Moorhead's profile

Use this as a starting research checklist, not a verdict on whether to live here.

  • Check live recalls, weather and hazard alerts scoped to the Moorhead area before relying on national headlines. Check your area
  • Read the poverty rate alongside the income figure, two places with the same median can have very different realities.
  • Compare Moorhead against Minnesota peers on any ranking lens. Explore Minnesota

Population and economics (income, home value, poverty, education) are place-level U.S. Census ACS; health is CDC PLACES; hospital counts reflect facilities in and around the city.

Data Sources

All data on this page comes from official U.S. government sources. Population and economic data from the Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates, place geography). Health data from the CDC PLACES program (2023). Hospital ratings from CMS Hospital Compare (2024). Climate data from NOAA. Education data from NCES. Cost of living from Bureau of Economic Analysis. Crime statistics, where referenced on Areazine, originate from the FBI Crime Data Explorer. Housing market figures referenced on Areazine come from HUD Fair Market Rents. Census economics and population are at place geography; some health and hospital indicators are reported at the county level (Clay County) where that is the smallest published unit.

Every figure on Areazine is published directly from official U.S. government sources, no number is typed in by an editor. City demographic and health figures are compiled directly from U.S. Census, CDC, and CMS releases, updated quarterly within 30 days of upstream release. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026.