Austin is a city in and the county seat of Mower County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 26,174 at the 2020 census. The town was originally settled along the Cedar River and has two artificial lakes, East Side Lake and Mill Pond. It was named for Austin R. Nichols, the area's first European settler.
Hormel Foods Corporation is Austin's largest employer, and the city is sometimes called "SPAM Town USA". Austin is home to Hormel's corporate headquarters, a factory that makes most of North America's SPAM tinned meat, and the Spam Museum. Austin is also home to the Hormel Institute, a leading cancer research institution operated by the University of Minnesota with significant support from the Mayo Clinic.
| Ethnicity | Austin | USA |
|---|---|---|
| White | 68.7% | 60.1% |
| African American | 5.6% | 12.2% |
| American Indian | 0.2% | 0.6% |
| Asian | 6.7% | 5.6% |
| Hawaiian | 0.2% | 0.2% |
| Multiracial | 1.7% | 2.8% |
| Hispanic | 16.8% | 18.2% |
| Other | 0% | 0.3% |
| HOUSEHOLD INCOME | Austin | USA |
|---|---|---|
| Less than $10,000 | 4.5% | 5.8% |
| $10,000 to $14,999 | 6.2% | 4.1% |
| $15,000 to $24,999 | 13.5% | 8.5% |
| $25,000 to $34,999 | 11.6% | 8.6% |
| $35,000 to $49,999 | 15.4% | 12.0% |
| $50,000 to $74,999 | 16.9% | 17.2% |
| $75,000 to $99,999 | 14.1% | 12.8% |
| $100,000 to $149,999 | 11.2% | 15.6% |
| $150,000 to $199,999 | 3.9% | 7.1% |
| Education | Austin | USA |
|---|---|---|
| < 9th Grade | 6% | 5.0% |
| 9-12th Grade | 8% | 7.0% |
| High School or GED | 32% | 27.0% |
| Other College | 20% | 20.0% |
| Associate's Degree | 10% | 9% |
| Bachelor's Degree | 15% | 20.0% |
| Master's Degree | 6% | 9.0% |
| Professional Degree | 2% | 2.0% |
| Doctorate Degree | 1% | 1.0% |