Jobs, pay and daily life in Albert Lea, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Albert Lea is a city in Minnesota with 18,330 residents. The median household earns $64,603 a year and the median rent is $857 a month, which is 15.9% of the median household income. We could not match it to a metropolitan area in the BLS wage tables, so metro pay data is not shown.
How Albert Lea compares. Among the 80 largest places in Minnesota, Albert Lea is #65 by population, #80 for college degrees (#1 = most), #3 for rent (#1 = cheapest), #75 for remote work (#1 = most). Its county, Freeborn County, is #53 of 87 counties for average pay ($53,099).
Albert Lea has 18,330 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.3% of the population of Minnesota. It covers 13 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 1,380 people per square mile. The median age is 44.3, 14% older than the state median (44.3 against 38.8).
The median gross rent is $857 a month (rent plus utilities), 33% below the state median ($857 against $1,280). Over a year that is 15.9% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $157,500, which is 2.4 times the median household income ($64,603); a ratio under 4 usually means ownership is within reach for many households. 74.1% of households own their home, about the same as the state average (74.1% against 72.2%).
In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Freeborn County was 4.3%. 57.4% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Freeborn County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 77.5% drive alone, 0.1% use public transit, 3.5% walk, 7.1% work from home. 9.1% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 13% below the state average (9.1% against 10.5%).
17.4% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 56% below the state share (17.4% against 39.4%). 5.5% of residents were born outside the United States, 37% below the state share (5.5% against 8.7%). The poverty rate is 12.8%, 37% above the state rate (12.8% against 9.3%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 72°F (22.5°C), and the coolest is Jan at 16°F (-8.9°C). About 901 mm (35 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Jun is the wettest month (140 mm) and Jan the driest (22 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: Austin (19 miles, rent 11% higher); Owatonna (31 miles, rent 25% higher); Clear Lake (36 miles, rent 6% lower); Mason City (36 miles, similar rent). Rent differences are against Albert Lea; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Minnesota (792) →State guide: MinnesotaCountry guideFreeborn CountyMinnesota rankings
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
There are 792 federal postings open in Minnesota (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
No metropolitan wage table is matched to this city. Employment shares of residents by industry (ACS):
| Industry ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 22.6% |
| Manufacturing | 18.1% |
| Retail trade | 12.5% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 10.7% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 6.4% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 6.1% |
| Construction | 5.6% |
| Other services | 5.0% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 4.1% |
| Public administration | 3.5% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 2.9% |
| Wholesale trade | 1.6% |
| Information | 0.9% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Albert Lea lies and cover the whole county, not only the city.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Freeborn County | 30,623 | $1,740 million | $56,823 | 11,963 | 832 | $53,099 | +1.5% | 4.3% | 15,537 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 2,596 | 28.3% | $61,782 | 2.64 |
| Retail trade | 1,911 | 20.8% | $38,734 | 1.60 |
| Health care and social assistance | 1,615 | 17.6% | $58,425 | 0.94 |
| Accommodation and food services | 1,077 | 11.7% | $19,016 | 0.99 |
| Construction | 526 | 5.7% | $76,376 | 0.84 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 414 | 4.5% | $34,304 | 1.15 |
| Administrative and waste services | 398 | 4.3% | $44,594 | 0.57 |
| Finance and insurance | 330 | 3.6% | $85,267 | 0.68 |
| Information | 106 | 1.2% | $51,801 | 0.47 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 103 | 1.1% | $20,228 | 0.51 |
| Real estate and rental | 67 | 0.7% | $30,848 | 0.36 |
| Educational services | 30 | 0.3% | $14,531 | 0.12 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 77.5% |
| Public transit | 0.1% |
| Walk | 3.5% |
| Work from home | 7.1% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 9.1% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $64,603 |
| Income per person | $39,282 |
| Median gross rent per month | $857 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 15.9% |
| Median home value | $157,500 |
| Homeowners | 74.1% |
| Poverty rate | 12.8% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | n/a |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | n/a |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set; graduated states show 0 until you enter your own estimate. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: Graduated, top rate 9.85%.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 44.3 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 89.4% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 17.4% |
| Born abroad | 5.5% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 57.4% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | -8.9 | 16 | 22 |
| Feb | -7.2 | 19 | 30 |
| Mar | 0.5 | 33 | 49 |
| Apr | 7.7 | 46 | 92 |
| May | 14.3 | 58 | 120 |
| Jun | 20.1 | 68 | 140 |
| Jul | 22.5 | 72 | 103 |
| Aug | 20.9 | 70 | 100 |
| Sep | 16.8 | 62 | 98 |
| Oct | 8.5 | 47 | 70 |
| Nov | 1.3 | 34 | 39 |
| Dec | -5.8 | 22 | 38 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austin | MN | 19 mi | 26,358 | $68,057 | $953 |
| Owatonna | MN | 31 mi | 26,498 | $80,750 | $1,067 |
| Clear Lake | IA | 36 mi | 7,607 | $79,415 | $808 |
| Mason City | IA | 36 mi | 27,050 | $64,804 | $882 |
| Faribault | MN | 45 mi | 24,631 | $61,449 | $1,074 |
| Mankato | MN | 47 mi | 45,473 | $66,873 | $1,132 |
| North Mankato | MN | 50 mi | 14,211 | $80,791 | $973 |
| Rochester | MN | 51 mi | 122,330 | $89,389 | $1,399 |
| Charles City | IA | 53 mi | 7,232 | $59,180 | $735 |
| Northfield | MN | 56 mi | 20,742 | $84,895 | $1,103 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
18,330 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$857 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 15.9% of the median household income.
$64,603 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
4.3% (BLS county, Freeborn County (latest month 2026M09)).
Minnesota. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.