Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 195, laid out in 1872.
Gethsemane Episcopal Church is on the National Register of Historic Places. Appleton Township has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Where Appleton Township beats most towns.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Census counts: 400 in 1880, a peak of 2,871 in 2000, 1,392 in 2020. The archive holds 11 old photos and papers going back to 1895 and 2 maps from 1958 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Appleton Township, 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 Appleton Township.
People 65 and older are 35% of residents (17% statewide); children under 18 are 14% of residents (23% statewide). College graduates make up 35% of adults 25 and older, against 39% across Minnesota.
| Appleton Township | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 52.1 years | 39.9 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 35% | 33% | 29% |
55% women, 45% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±8.5 points. Across Minnesota, 49.9% of residents are women.
| Appleton Township | MN | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 4.8% | 12.1% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 9.3% | 10.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 10.5% | 8.8% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 6.5% | 13% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 2.4% | 13.5% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 22.6% | 11.6% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 8.5% | 12.9% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 18.5% | 10.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 16.9% | 7% | 7% |
| No diploma | 4.8% | 6.1% | 10.4% |
| High school | 34.8% | 23.3% | 26% |
| Some college | 18.2% | 19.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 7% | 11.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 25.1% | 25.6% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 10.2% | 13.8% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 200, single groups can be off by several points
Appleton Township: 2.5% of working residents work locally. Its average trip to work stands at 18 minutes, against 23 minutes in Minnesota’s towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns. Also worth knowing: in Appleton Township, the middle household income is $104,000. The top destinations are Appleton (25%), Morris (6%) and Madison (4%).
| Appleton Township | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 18 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $104,000 | $90,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 2.5% | 9.8% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 8.5% | 7% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
FEMA expects less storm and flood damage in Appleton Township than in 71% of U.S. communities. Of the losses FEMA expects here, 41% come from inland flooding and 22% from cold waves. Households in the town have drawn federal disaster aid once, in 2001.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Expect July afternoons of 83° and January nights of 3°, with about 51 inches of snow a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
15% of Appleton Township adults report frequent physical distress, where Minnesota’s towns sit at 12% and U.S. towns at 14%. The share of adults in Appleton Township who have obesity: 40%. Among 272 Minnesota towns, just 3 have a higher share of adults who have diabetes than Appleton Township. CDC measures, 32 in all: Appleton Township beats Minnesota on 1 and trails on 17.
| Appleton Township | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 31% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 10% | 12% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 14% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 23% | 25% |
| What stands out | Appleton Township | MN |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 80.9% | 76.1% |
| More adults with COPD | 8.5% | 5.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
In 2 parks and preserves, walkers have 24 miles of trail. The biggest place to walk is Appleton Area Recreational Park, 343 acres with 18.5 miles of trail. Appleton Township’s trail density stands at 0.7 miles per square mile.
| Appleton Township | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.7 miles per square mile | 0.5 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 7.5% | 4.7% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Appleton Area Recreational Park | 18.5 mi | 343 |
| 2. Lac Qui Parle Wildlife Management Area Main Unit | 2.7 mi | 4,808 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Appleton Township; the nearest are
About 1 of every 100 Appleton Township residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Minnesota.
Where Appleton Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
City in Minnesota, United States
Appleton is a city in Swift County, Minnesota, United States. Its population was 1,392 at the 2020 census. The town is home to a vacant medium-security prison, the Prairie Correctional Facility, which is wholly owned and operated by Corrections Corporation of America. Appleton also includes a plant-protein factory operated by Eat Just, Inc. Elmer A. Benson, who served as a United States Senator and as governor of Minnesota, was born in Appleton on September 22, 1895. All of its twenty-odd streets, except Minnesota Street, are named for local veterans who died in combat.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Appleton Township has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
