County outline
Where Becker County is located
Area breakdown
Land accounts for 91% of Becker County’s measured area and water for 9%. Its combined area converts to 3,742.9 square kilometers or approximately 924,896 acres.
Green: land · blue: water
| Measurement | Square miles | Square kilometers | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| Land | 1,315.037 | 3,405.93 | 841,623.7 |
| Water | 130.113 | 336.991 | 83,272.3 |
| Total | 1,445.15 | 3,742.921 | 924,896 |
How Becker County compares
By original Census land area, Becker County ranks #15 of 87 in Minnesota and #453 of 3,222 nationally. National rankings include the 50 states, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
Its land area is 1.949 times the Minnesota county-equivalent median of 674.6 square miles. It accounts for 1.7% of the combined county land area in the state.
See the complete Minnesota ranking · What counts as a county equivalent?
Population and density of Becker County
The Census Bureau estimates that 35,497 people lived in Becker County on July 1, 2025. That ranks #1,334 of 3,222 county equivalents nationally and #31 of 87 in Minnesota. Since the April 1, 2020 estimates base of 35,165, the population has grown by 332 (+0.9%), compared with +2.2% for Minnesota as a whole.
With 1,315 square miles of land, that is 27 people per square mile (10 per km²), placing Becker County #2,091 nationally for density and #45 in Minnesota. The median county equivalent has 47 people per square mile; the Minnesota median is 27. Put another way, there are about 24 acres of land per resident.
| July 1 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estimate | 35,184 | 35,322 | 35,355 | 35,282 | 35,385 | 35,497 |
| Change | — | +138 | +33 | −73 | +103 | +112 |
U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 population estimates. Estimates are revised each year and are not decennial census counts. Density divides the whole population by the whole county’s land area, so it describes an average, not how settlement is distributed within the county. Population sources and methods.
Cities and towns in Becker County
Becker County is divided into 44 municipalities and townships. In Minnesota, county subdivisions are local governments, and together they cover all of the county’s land and residents.
The most populous is Detroit Lakes city, with 10,019 residents (28.2% of the county). The largest by land is Sugar Bush township, at 65.7 mi², or 5% of the county’s land. Among those with at least 1,000 residents in 2020, Burlington township grew fastest since then (+2%).
| County subdivision | Population 2025 | Since 2020 | Land mi² | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Detroit Lakes cityCounty seat | 10,019 | −0% | 12 | 0.9% |
| Detroit township | 1,974 | +1.7% | 22.3 | 1.7% |
| Lake View township | 1,794 | +1.4% | 20.8 | 1.6% |
| Lake Eunice township | 1,752 | +1.9% | 29.9 | 2.3% |
| Erie township | 1,737 | +1.9% | 32.3 | 2.5% |
| Burlington township | 1,718 | +2% | 33.1 | 2.5% |
| Cormorant township | 1,405 | +1.5% | 26.3 | 2% |
| Frazee city | 1,310 | −1.5% | 1.074 | 0.1% |
| Osage township | 897 | +1.7% | 35 | 2.7% |
| White Earth township | 791 | +2.1% | 32.5 | 2.5% |
| Lake Park city | 711 | −2.7% | 0.974 | 0.1% |
| Height of Land township | 692 | +1.9% | 58.6 | 4.5% |
| Audubon township | 660 | +2% | 32.2 | 2.5% |
| Richwood township | 658 | +1.5% | 34.7 | 2.6% |
| Runeberg township | 649 | +1.4% | 35.7 | 2.7% |
Show the other 29 subdivisions
| Name | Population 2025 | Since 2020 | Land mi² |
|---|---|---|---|
| Audubon city | 567 | +0.2% | 0.721 |
| Sugar Bush township | 567 | +1.8% | 65.7 |
| Holmesville township | 560 | +1.8% | 28.2 |
| Lake Park township | 557 | +1.5% | 30.9 |
| Silver Leaf township | 522 | +1.4% | 35.1 |
| Toad Lake township | 512 | +2.2% | 32.9 |
| Maple Grove township | 505 | +2% | 27.9 |
| Spruce Grove township | 413 | +1.2% | 35.5 |
| Evergreen township | 408 | +2% | 36.2 |
| Green Valley township | 350 | +1.7% | 35.4 |
| Pine Point township | 345 | +1.8% | 34.4 |
| Callaway township | 318 | +1.3% | 34.2 |
| Cuba township | 304 | +1.7% | 34.2 |
| Shell Lake township | 294 | +1.4% | 28.5 |
| Wolf Lake township | 277 | +1.5% | 33 |
| Carsonville township | 216 | +1.9% | 35 |
| Round Lake township | 215 | +1.9% | 64.6 |
| Hamden township | 213 | +1.4% | 34.1 |
| Two Inlets township | 209 | +1.5% | 34.2 |
| Eagle View township | 205 | +1.5% | 31.3 |
| Ogema city | 200 | −2% | 1.16 |
| Savannah township | 179 | +1.7% | 34.3 |
| Callaway city | 176 | +0.6% | 0.626 |
| Forest township | 124 | +1.6% | 32.6 |
| Spring Creek township | 118 | +1.7% | 37.2 |
| Atlanta township | 112 | +1.8% | 35.8 |
| Walworth township | 103 | +2% | 36.2 |
| Riceville township | 94 | +2.2% | 37.2 |
| Wolf Lake city | 67 | −2.9% | 0.32 |
Population: U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2025 subcounty estimates, counting only the part of each subdivision inside Becker County. Land: 2026 Census Gazetteer. How communities are listed.
Metropolitan area
Becker County is a central county of the Detroit Lakes, MN Micropolitan Statistical Area. Becker County is the area’s only county equivalent, so the micro area has the same 1,315 square miles of land. By combined land it ranks #127 of 542 micropolitan areas, and #387 by population.
ZIP codes
16 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Becker County; 10 of them have most of their land inside the county, and the others mainly cover neighboring areas.
56464564705650156511565215654456552565545656956570565725657556578565855658956591
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas are the Census Bureau’s approximations of USPS ZIP Code service areas, from the 2020 Census relationship files. Lighter codes have less than half of their land in this county. Post-office-box and single-address ZIP Codes have no tabulation area.
Counties bordering Becker County
Becker County shares a land border with 7 county equivalents. It has more land than 6 of them. The largest neighbor is Otter Tail County (1,971.6 mi²) and the smallest is Wadena County (536.3 mi²). Together with its neighbors, Becker County forms a block of 8,223.9 mi² of land, of which it holds 16%.
| Bordering county equivalent | Land mi² | Size vs. Becker | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Otter Tail County | 1,971.6 | 1.5× larger | Compare |
| Clay County | 1,045.2 | 1.3× smaller | Compare |
| Clearwater County | 999 | 1.3× smaller | Compare |
| Hubbard County | 926 | 1.4× smaller | Compare |
| Norman County | 872.8 | 1.5× smaller | Compare |
| Mahnomen County | 557.9 | 2.4× smaller | Compare |
| Wadena County | 536.3 | 2.5× smaller | Compare |
How big is Becker County compared with U.S. states?
Becker County has more land than 1 of the 50 states. It is about 1.3 times the land area of Rhode Island (1,033.9 mi²), while Delaware, the next larger state, has 1.5 times as much land (1,948.6 mi²). Minnesota’s county land could hold about 61 areas the size of Becker County.
Another way to picture it: the same land area would fill a square about 36.3 miles (58.4 km) on each side. Real county shapes are rarely square, so this is a scale reference rather than a width or driving distance.
State figures are the sums of each state’s county-equivalent land measurements in the same Census release, so states and counties are compared on the same basis. Published state totals can differ slightly because of rounding. Compare all states · Counties bigger than entire states.
What stands out about Becker County?
Becker County has more land than 2,769 of the other 3,221 county equivalents in the dataset.
A median is the middle county-equivalent measurement, not the average of the largest and smallest. All three bars use the same linear scale. Very small areas may appear as a thin sliver; the labels retain their values.
Does including water change its rank?
Using land plus water places Becker County at #473 nationally by total area, 20 places farther from the top than its land rank. Other county equivalents gain more area when their water measurements are included.
Its water share is 9%, compared with a national county-equivalent median of 1.2% — 7.8 percentage points higher. This describes the statistical geography’s land/water mix, not flood exposure or developable land.
Closest positions in the national land ranking
These entries sit immediately beside Becker County in the national ranking. They can be in different states and are not necessarily geographic neighbors.
| Land rank | County equivalent | Land mi² | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| #452 | Tuscaloosa County, Alabama | 1,320.9 | Compare |
| #453 | Becker County, Minnesota | 1,315 | This county |
| #454 | Glenn County, California | 1,313.9 | Compare |
Calculated from the same Census release as the area table. Total-area order uses original ALAND + AWATER; water shares and chart labels use published square miles. Calculation details.
Representative coordinates
The Census internal point is 46.937629, -95.741757. It represents a location inside the geography; it is not necessarily the centroid or the address of a courthouse.
Source and precision
U.S. Census Bureau, 2026 Gazetteer Files, Counties. Original ALAND: 3,405,929,548 m²; AWATER: 336,989,905 m². Rankings use ALAND; exact ties use ascending GEOID. Tables preserve Census-published square miles to three decimals, with conversions based on those values.
Common questions
How big is Becker County?
Becker County, Minnesota has 1,315 square miles (3,405.9 km²) of land and 130.1 square miles of water, for a total area of 1,445.2 square miles. It ranks #453 of 3,222 U.S. county equivalents by land area.
Is Becker County the largest county in Minnesota?
No. Becker County ranks #15 of 87 in Minnesota by land area. The largest is St. Louis County, with 6,248.1 square miles of land.
What counties border Becker County?
Becker County shares a land border with Otter Tail County, Clay County, Mahnomen County, Hubbard County, Clearwater County, Norman County, and Wadena County.
What is the population of Becker County?
The Census Bureau estimates Becker County had 35,497 residents on July 1, 2025, ranking #1,334 of 3,222 county equivalents. That is 27 people per square mile of land.
What is the county seat of Becker County?
The county seat of Becker County is Detroit Lakes.
What cities and towns are in Becker County?
Becker County has 44 county subdivisions (cities, towns and townships). The most populous five are Detroit Lakes city, Detroit township, Lake View township, Lake Eunice township, and Erie township.
Is Becker County part of a metropolitan area?
Yes. It is a central county of the Detroit Lakes, MN Micropolitan Statistical Area.
How many ZIP codes are in Becker County?
16 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Becker County, and 10 of them have most of their land inside the county. Census ZIP Code Tabulation Areas approximate USPS ZIP Code areas.
How does Becker County compare with U.S. states?
It has more land than 1 of the 50 states, including Rhode Island (1,033.9 square miles of land).
How many acres of land are in Becker County?
The land measurement converts to approximately 841,624 acres. Including water, total area is approximately 924,896 acres. One square mile equals 640 acres.
Why might another source show a different area?
Check whether it reports land or total area, its Census vintage, and its rounding. Our guide explains how to reconcile county area figures.
Can this establish a property boundary?
No. Statistical measurements and generalized maps do not establish property lines. Consult the relevant local surveying or land-records authority.