BigelowMN
A town of 223, settled in 1872.
Is Bigelow a good place to live?
Bigelow has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
223 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Moving to Bigelow: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Bigelow, 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.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Bigelow.
With 0.1 jobs for every working resident, most of Bigelow’s workers commute out
Bigelow’s mean commuting time stands at 18 minutes. The share of residents in Bigelow who live below the poverty line is 12%, above both the Minnesota town median (7%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). The top destinations are Worthington (28%), Brewster (10%) and Ellsworth (5%). Half commute less than 17 miles.
| Bigelow | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 18 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $58,000 | $90,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 12% | 7% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Snowy winters and pleasant summers in Bigelow
A winter brings about 42 inches of snow, with January nights at 6° and July afternoons at 83°.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Bigelow stands out in Minnesota and nationally, with more of its adults 18 to 64 who have no health insurance
For adults in Bigelow, the share who binge drink is 19%. The share of adults in Bigelow who had a checkup this year is 72%, against 75% in Minnesota’s towns and 79% across U.S. towns. Also worth knowing: among 272 Minnesota towns, just 7 have a lower share of adults who have been diagnosed with depression than Bigelow. Of 32 CDC measures, Bigelow beats the Minnesota average on 1 and trails it on 6.
| Bigelow | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 72% | 75% | 79% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 7.3% | 8.1% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 30% | 36% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 18% | 16% |
| What stands out | Bigelow | MN |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 7.4% | 8.5% |
| More uninsured adults | 13.3% | 7.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Moderate risk in Bigelow, with inland flooding at the top
Of the losses FEMA expects in Bigelow, 34% come from inland flooding and 24% from hail. Compared with 60% of U.S. communities, expected storm and flood damage here is lower. Federal aid has come to Bigelow households in 3 declared disasters; the latest was in 2024.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Everything we know about Bigelow
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Bigelow; the nearest are
About 5 of every 100 Bigelow residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Minnesota.
100% of working residents leave Bigelow for work
Where Bigelow’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
About Bigelow
City in Minnesota, United States
Bigelow is a city in Nobles County, Minnesota, United States. As of the 2020 census, Bigelow had a population of 227.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.4 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,644 ft
- ZIP code
- 56117
- Area code
- 507
Questions about Bigelow
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Bigelow, MN a good place to live?
Bigelow has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.