Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 1,363, settled in 1920.
The best of Babbitt’s subject grades is an A+ for cost of living; the weakest is a D for incomes. 32% of the land in Babbitt is conserved, against 4.7% in Minnesota’s towns and 4.3% across U.S. towns. The biggest place to walk is Superior National Forest, 12,996 acres with 1.2 miles of trail. Only 11 of Minnesota’s 574 towns score lower on history. Babbitt has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Babbitt beats most towns.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Minnesota), ordered by how far Babbitt is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 2,587 in 1960, a peak of 3,076 in 1970, 1,397 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1937 and 3 maps from 1951 on.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Babbitt, 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 Babbitt.
87% of Babbitt households live in a home they own, above both the Minnesota town median (75%) and the median of U.S. towns (73%). In Babbitt, the typical rent is $737 a month. Home values are up 5.4% over the year to September 2026.
| Babbitt | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 87% | 75% | 73% |
| Median rent | $737 a month | $1,196 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its two schools are below. The public schools here belong to the St. Louis County School District. Also worth knowing: 2 public schools serve Babbitt, with 209 students in all.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Babbitt ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 95 | C+ |
| Northeast Range SecondaryLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 114 | C− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MN on state tests and graduation
25 miles of trail wind through 4 parks and preserves. Babbitt’s trail network density is 0.2 miles per square mile.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Superior National Forest | 1.2 mi | 12,996 |
| 2. Fountain Hill Park | 0.2 mi | 15 |
| 3. Red Pine Run Park | — | 5 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Half commute less than 18 miles. In Babbitt, the average trip to work is 33 minutes. One in 4 of the town’s working residents works locally. For residents here, the share who live below the poverty line is 11%.
| Babbitt | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 33 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 25% | 9.8% | 8% |
| Median household income | $56,000 | $90,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 11% | 7% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The FEMA hazard score for Babbitt comes to 31 of 100. Of the losses FEMA expects here, 67% come from cold waves and 26% from inland flooding. Households in the town have drawn federal disaster aid in 2 declared disasters, most recently in 2024.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The seasons in Babbitt: cold, snowy winters, pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 78°, January nights drop to -5° and about 84 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Only 7 of the 168 Minnesota towns we compare have a higher violent crime rate than Babbitt. For Babbitt, the property offense rate is 5.1 per 1,000 residents.
| Babbitt | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 3.7 per 1,000 residents | 1.1 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 5.1 per 1,000 residents | 8.7 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
On the CDC’s 32 measures, Babbitt is ahead of Minnesota on 2 and behind on 12. Only 3 of the 272 Minnesota towns we compare have a higher share of adults who have diabetes than Babbitt. 17% of Babbitt adults binge drink.
| Babbitt | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 10% | 12% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 31% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 12% | 14% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 14% | 14% |
| What stands out | Babbitt | MN |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 82.3% | 76.1% |
| More adults getting cholesterol checked | 87.5% | 85.3% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 14.8% | 8.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
None within 15 miles of Babbitt; the nearest are
About 1 of every 100 Babbitt residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Minnesota.
City in Minnesota, United States
Babbitt is a city in St. Louis County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 1,397 at the 2020 census. Saint Louis County Highway 21 (CR 21) serves as a main route in the community.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A+.