Get paid to care for family in Wadena County
Most of the 2,900 people in Wadena County who are 65 or older are cared for at home, by a relative. Minnesota Medicaid can pay you for that work.
Wadena County at a glance
- Aged 65+
- 2,900
- Aged 85+
- 344
- Rank in MN
- 62nd
- Median age
- 39.3
20% of residents
when daily help usually starts
of 87 counties, by residents 65+
older than the country
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Population Estimates (Vintage 2024). Wadena County is one of the most rural counties in the country (Rural-Urban Continuum Code 9).
- 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 Wadena
What being a paid caregiver looks like here
About 2,900 people in Wadena County are 65 or older — 20% of everyone who lives here. That tracks with Minnesota as a whole. Roughly 344 are 85 or older, the age when daily help usually starts. Out here, hiring an outside agency often is not realistic at all. Being paid to do the care yourself is not a workaround — it is how these programs were designed to work.
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
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 Wadena County
Minnesota sets eligibility, not your town — so a family in Wadena and a family at the far edge of the county apply the same way. The largest communities in Wadena County:
- Wadena4,261
- Menahga1,366
- Wadena935
- Staples898
- Blueberry866
- Thomastown859
- Sebeka753
- Red Eye530
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Subcounty Population Estimates.
How families in Wadena apply
You do not need a county office to start. Families in Wadena 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 →Wadena questions, answered honestly
Can I get paid to care for a family member in Wadena County?
Yes. Minnesota runs real Medicaid programs — like CFSS — that pay family caregivers, and they cover families in Wadena County. We help you enroll, and applying costs you nothing.
How much do family caregivers earn in Wadena 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 Wadena County apply?
Families in Wadena 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 Wadena 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 Wadena County might need this?
2,900 residents of Wadena County are 65 or older and about 344 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 Wadena do you cover?
All of Wadena County — including Wadena, Menahga, Wadena, Staples and Blueberry. 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.
Guides
For families in Wadena County
Start with the Minnesota caregiver program, then read how the pieces fit together.
Nearby
Counties next to Wadena
The counties Wadena touches, by Census boundaries — a few of those borders run across water.
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