FireDeptAldenMN, 2023
Alden Township’s story
157 years in pictures
Census counts: 235 in 1880, 583 in 2020. The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 2005 and 2 maps from 1955 on.
- 1869Alden Township is platted
Alden TownshipMN
279 people live in this town, platted in 1869.
Population
279
2025 Census estimate · −1.1% since 2020
Median home value
$245K
Census ACS
Household income
$74K
median
Median age
41.1
years
Jobs based here
6
A commuter town
Is Alden Township a good place to live?
Alden Township’s mean commuting time is 17 minutes, where Minnesota’s towns sit at 23 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. Alden Township has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
279 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
CongerMansfield TownshipCarlston TownshipPickerel Lake TownshipAldenFoster TownshipAlden Township
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Alden Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Alden Township, and how to reach them.
PowerFreeborn Mower Electric Cooperative15.3¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterAlden water system1 health-based violation in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Alden Township’s trash rules yet
Register to voteOnlineIn Minnesota you can register online until 21 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (received 21 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereFreeborn County Government CenterFreeborn County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2025
ZIP codes56009, 5609756009 96% · 56097 4%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Alden Township.
Work & commute
About half of Alden Township’s working residents commute to Albert Lea
Half commute less than 13 miles. The share of residents in Alden Township who live below the poverty line: 12%. The top destinations are Albert Lea (48%), Rochester (9%) and Mankato (3%). Its median household income comes in at $74,000.
0%work in town
| Alden Township | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 12% | 7% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $74,000 | $90,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Alden Township0%
Albert Lea48%
Rochester9%
Mankato3%
Alden2%
13 mi
median commute distance
6
jobs based in Alden Township
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Alden Township has snowy winters and pleasant summers
In July, afternoons reach 81°; in January, nights fall to 7°, and about 40 inches of snow falls in a winter.
40″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter10–26°
Spring35–55°
Summer59–79°
Fall37–58°
Oct 6
typical first frost
Apr 30
typical last frost
+0.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Alden Township is
Just over one in ten adults have diabetes in Alden Township. The town beats the Minnesota average on 2 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 11. Two figures for adults here: 32% sleep under 7 hours, 19% binge drink.
| Alden Township | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 30% | 33% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 30% | 36% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 18% | 16% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 23% | 25% |
32 measures vs. Minnesota
2 better19 too close to call11 worse
| What stands out | Alden Township | MN |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 80% | 76.1% |
| More adults getting cholesterol checked | 87.1% | 85.3% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 12.5% | 8.9% |
Mayo Clinic Health System - Albert Lea and Austin
11.9 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazards
Natural hazards: moderate risk in Alden Township, mostly inland flooding
Storm and flood damage is expected to run lower than in three fifths of U.S. communities. Just over a third of Alden Township’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by tornadoes at 21%. Federal disaster aid has reached households in Alden Township after 5 declared disasters, most recently in 2024.
40risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesDrought
5
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
0.7%conserved
0.7%
conserved · 165 of 22,465 acres
1.0 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Alden Township
17pages on Alden Township
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Alden Township; the nearest are
Waldorf UniversityUniversity or college · Private for-profit · Forest City, IA24.9 mi$25,978 tuitionRiverland Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Austin30.8 mi$6,298 in-state tuitionMinnesota State University-MankatoUniversity or college · Public · Mankato41.1 mi$9,572 in-state tuition
About 4 of every 100 Alden Township residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Minnesota.
A commuter town
100% of working residents leave Alden Township for work
Where Alden Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
6jobs based in Alden Township
0%of working residents work in town
13 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Alden Township
City in Minnesota, United States
Alden ( AWL-din) is a city in Freeborn County, Minnesota, United States. As of the 2020 census, Alden had a population of 583.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.1 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,270 ft
- ZIP code
- 56009
- Area code
- 507
Questions about Alden Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Alden Township, MN a good place to live?
Alden Township has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real. 279 people live in this town, platted in 1869.