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Get paid to care for family in Meeker County

Most of the 5,240 people in Meeker County who are 65 or older are cared for at home, by a relative. Minnesota Medicaid can pay you for that work.

Meeker County at a glance

Aged 65+
5,240

22% of residents

Aged 85+
617

when daily help usually starts

Rank in MN
45th

of 87 counties, by residents 65+

Median age
42.9

older than the country

A farmhouse set back from a gravel road, typical of Meeker County

U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Population Estimates (Vintage 2024). Meeker County is a rural county (Rural-Urban Continuum Code 6).

50 + DC
states covered
3,144
counties with local data
$0
it is always free to apply
2 min
to see if you qualify

Population figures from the U.S. Census Bureau · Rules from each state's published Medicaid program

Care in Meeker

What being a paid caregiver looks like here

About 5,240 people in Meeker County are 65 or older — 22% of everyone who lives here. That is an older county than Minnesota overall, so more families here are already doing this work. Roughly 617 are 85 or older, the age when daily help usually starts. In a rural county, an agency aide may be a long drive away — when one is available at all. That is exactly why the state lets you be the paid caregiver instead.

Statewide, 1.1 million people in Minnesota are 65 or older — 18% of the state, across 87 counties.

What Minnesota pays family caregivers

$22.74/hr

Rates vary — check with the program.

Your exact pay is set by the program and your care plan. We'll tell you your real number before you enroll.

Source: Minnesota Medicaid program data · Updated September 2026

Minnesota's programs at a glance

  • CFSS
  • CDCS
  • Elderly Waiver
Spouse paid?
Yes
Parent paid for a child?
Yes
Waitlist
Some programs have no waitlist.

These rules are set by the state, so they are the same in every county. Read the full Minnesota guide →

Towns and cities in Meeker County

Minnesota sets eligibility, not your town — so a family in Litchfield and a family at the far edge of the county apply the same way. The largest communities in Meeker County:

  • Litchfield6,515
  • Dassel1,626
  • Dassel1,520
  • Kingston1,272
  • Collinwood1,206
  • Watkins1,010
  • Forest Prairie1,000
  • Ellsworth849

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Subcounty Population Estimates.

How families in Meeker apply

You do not need a county office to start. Families in Meeker County start with Minnesota's program:

Start with a MnCHOICES/long-term care consultation assessment through your county (or call the Senior LinkAge Line); also apply for Medical Assistance (MA-LTC application).

Or skip the phone tag — our free 2-minute check tells you which Minnesota program fits your family, then we help with the forms.

See if you qualify →

Meeker questions, answered honestly

Can I get paid to care for a family member in Meeker County?

Yes. Minnesota runs real Medicaid programs — like CFSS — that pay family caregivers, and they cover families in Meeker County. We help you enroll, and applying costs you nothing.

How much do family caregivers earn in Meeker County?

Reported figures in Minnesota are around $22.74/hr, but rates vary — the program sets your exact pay. We'll tell you your real number before you enroll.

Where do families in Meeker County apply?

Families in Meeker County start with the state, not the county. Start with a MnCHOICES/long-term care consultation assessment through your county (or call the Senior LinkAge Line); also apply for Medical Assistance (MA-LTC application).

Can I get paid to care for my spouse in Meeker County?

Yes — a spouse can be paid here. The fine print for Minnesota: yes — since 10/1/2024 spouses can be paid CFSS/PCA workers (per MN DHS bulletin); spouses also hirable under CDCS

How many people in Meeker County might need this?

5,240 residents of Meeker County are 65 or older and about 617 are 85 or older, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2024 population estimates. Most of them are cared for at home by a relative rather than in a facility. Minnesota's programs exist to pay for exactly that care.

Which towns in Meeker do you cover?

All of Meeker County — including Litchfield, Dassel, Dassel, Kingston and Collinwood. Eligibility is set by Minnesota, not by your town, so where you live inside the county does not change whether you qualify.

Program facts come from Minnesota's published Medicaid program rules · Population figures from the U.S. Census Bureau · Updated September 2026. Rules change — always confirm with the program.

Nearby

Counties next to Meeker

The counties Meeker touches, by Census boundaries — a few of those borders run across water.

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