Mankato is a medium-sized city located in the state of Minnesota. With a population of 45,742 people and 11 associated neighborhoods, Mankato is the 22nd largest community in Minnesota. Mankato has seen a significant amount of newer housing growth in recent years. Quite often, new home construction is the result of new residents moving in who are middle class or wealthier, attracted by jobs, a healthy local economy, or other amenities as they leave nearby or far away areas for greener pastures. This seems to be the case in Mankato, where the median household income is $64,826.00.

A relatively large number of people in Mankato telecommute to their jobs. Overall, about 7.80% of the workforce works from home. While this may seem like a small number, as a fraction of the total workforce it ranks among the highest in the country. These workers are often telecommuters who work in knowledge-based, white-collar professions. For example, Silicon Valley has large numbers of people who telecommute. Other at-home workers may be self-employed people who operate small businesses out of their homes.

Because Mankato has a very large number of students who are 18 years or older and in college, it is thought of as a college town. This has a major influence on local Mankato lifestyle, entertainment, and culture in general. Life in Mankato is very much tied to the academic calendar: when students return from the summer break in the fall, one will notice them out and about, buying groceries, out with friends, and generally getting re-acquainted with each other. In Mankato people study hard and play hard, and there is ample opportunity to do both.

Residents of the city have the good fortune of having one of the shortest daily commutes compared to the rest of the country. On average, they spend only 15.44 minutes getting to work every day.

The citizens of Mankato are very well educated compared to the average community in the nation: 36.17% of adults in Mankato have a bachelor's degree or even advanced degree.

The per capita income in Mankato in 2022 was $32,788, which is lower middle income relative to Minnesota, and middle income relative to the rest of the US. This equates to an annual income of $131,152 for a family of four. However, Mankato contains both very wealthy and poor people as well.

Mankato is a somewhat ethnically-diverse city. The people who call Mankato home describe themselves as belonging to a variety of racial and ethnic groups. The greatest number of Mankato residents report their race to be White, followed by Black or African-American. Important ancestries of people in Mankato include German, Norwegian, Irish, English, and Swedish.

The most common language spoken in Mankato is English. Other important languages spoken here include Spanish and African languages.