Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 2,155, founded in 1870.
Aitkin’s best subject grades are an A− for walkability and history; its weakest is a D− for incomes. 38% of working residents work locally in Aitkin, above both the Minnesota town median (9.8%) and the median of U.S. towns (8%). Only 4 of Minnesota’s 574 towns score lower on incomes. FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 85% of U.S. communities, with inland flooding at the top. On history, just 43 of Minnesota’s 574 towns do better. Aitkin has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Aitkin beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Where Aitkin’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Minnesota), ordered by how far Aitkin is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 136 in 1880, 2,168 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1910 and 2 maps from 1914 on.
5 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Aitkin, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Aitkin.
22% of residents live below the poverty line in Aitkin, where Minnesota’s towns sit at 7% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. Aitkin’s median household income is $48,000. Since 2013, Aitkin has lost 580 jobs, to 1,902 in 2023.
| Aitkin | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 22% | 7% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 14 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $48,000 | $90,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Its public schools are run by the Aitkin Public School District. Two of its 4 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Aitkin Secondary School, with 509 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rippleside ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 476 | B+ |
| Aitkin Secondary SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 509 | B |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MN on state tests and graduation
The median rent in Aitkin is $679 a month. The typical Aitkin home is worth about $197,000, up 3.7% in a year, 44% below the Minnesota typical home. 59% of households own their home in Aitkin.
| Aitkin | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 59% | 75% | 73% |
| Median rent | $679 a month | $1,196 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Only 2 of the 275 Minnesota towns we compare have a higher FEMA risk score than Aitkin. One flood insurance claim has been paid in Aitkin since 2012.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Aitkin has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 80°, January nights drop to 0° and about 43 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Aitkin beats the Minnesota average on 2 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 12. 40% of Aitkin adults have high blood pressure. Only 3 of the 272 Minnesota towns we compare have a higher share of adults who have diabetes than Aitkin.
| Aitkin | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 31% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 10% | 12% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 23% | 25% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 30% | 33% |
| What stands out | Aitkin | MN |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 82.5% | 76.1% |
| More adults getting a yearly checkup | 78.8% | 74.8% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 19.6% | 8.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Aitkin City Park | — | 18 |
| 2. Aitkin County Parks | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Aitkin; the nearest are
About 5 of every 100 Aitkin residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Minnesota.
5 places in Aitkin on the National Register of Historic Places.
5 notable people were born in Aitkin.
City in Minnesota, United States
Aitkin ( AY-kin) is a city in and the county seat of Aitkin County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 2,168 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
3 towns share a border with Aitkin.
| Town | MN rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aitkin · Aitkin Township | — | — | B | B | B+ | C+ |
| Spencer Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Farm Island Township | — | — | C | — | B+ | B− |
Aitkin and Farm Island Township have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Farm Island Township reports no FBI crime data of its own. Spencer Township isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Aitkin Township and Aitkin are one community, graded once. Compare Aitkin with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.
5 notable people were born here, including Warren William and Jonathan Edwards.
