Birch Coulee · National Register of Historic Places
Birch Cooley Township’s story
Birch Cooley Township in pictures
The archive holds 3 maps from 1952 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Explore the history →Birch Cooley TownshipMN
A town of 216.
6 bordering townsMap →
Birch Coulee · Photo: JonHarder · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
216
2025 Census estimate · −1.8% since 2020
Median home value
$181K
Census ACS
Household income
$92K
median
Median age
53.3
years
Jobs based here
29
A commuter town
Is Birch Cooley Township a good place to live?
Among 274 Minnesota towns, just 4 have a higher median age than Birch Cooley Township. Birch Coulee is on the National Register of Historic Places. Birch Cooley Township has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
216 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Sherman TownshipMortonCamp TownshipBeaver Falls TownshipBandon TownshipNorfolk TownshipBirch Cooley Township
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Birch Cooley Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Birch Cooley Township, and how to reach them.
PowerRenville-Sibley Coop Pwr AssnEIAHIFLD · EIA
WaterFranklin water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet8 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Birch Cooley Township’s trash rules yet
SchoolsRedwood Area School DistrictCedar Mountain School District2 districts serve Birch Cooley Township; which school depends on your address and gradeNCES
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 hereRenville County CourthouseRenville County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, May 2024
ZIP codes55333, 5627055333 64% · 56270 36%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 Birch Cooley Township.
Work & commute
Most of Birch Cooley Township’s workers commute out: the town has 0.3 jobs for each of them
Most working residents leave Birch Cooley Township for work: only 0% work in town. 17% of residents live below the poverty line in Birch Cooley Township, above both the Minnesota town median (7%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). The average trip to work in Birch Cooley Township is 22 minutes.
0%work in town
| Birch Cooley Township | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 17% | 7% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 22 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $92,000 | $90,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Birch Cooley Township0%
Redwood Falls15%
Renville14%
Willmar7%
Emmet Township7%
19 mi
median commute distance
29
jobs based in Birch Cooley Township
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Snowy winters and pleasant summers in Birch Cooley Township
Birch Cooley Township has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 83°, January nights drop to 6° and about 44 inches of snow falls in a winter.
44″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter9–26°
Spring35–55°
Summer59–81°
Fall37–58°
Oct 4
typical first frost
Apr 30
typical last frost
+1.1°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazards
Birch Cooley Township faces a low natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 67% of U.S. communities.
33risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Health
Birch Cooley Township stands out in Minnesota and nationally, with more of its adults who smoke cigarettes
19% of adults smoke cigarettes in Birch Cooley Township, against 14% in Minnesota’s towns and 14% across U.S. towns. 29% of adults get no exercise outside work in Birch Cooley Township. Birch Cooley Township beats the Minnesota average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 18.
| Birch Cooley Township | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 14% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 10% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 12% | 14% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 35% | 35% |
32 measures vs. Minnesota
0 better14 too close to call18 worse
| What stands out | Birch Cooley Township | MN |
|---|---|---|
| More smokers | 19% | 13.1% |
| More adults with COPD | 7.8% | 5.4% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 12.7% | 8.9% |
Centracare - Redwood
8.5 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Birch Cooley Township
16pages on Birch Cooley Township
The big questions
Out and about
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Birch Cooley Township; the nearest are
Martin Luther CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · New Ulm29 mi$18,120 tuitionMinnesota West Community and Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · Granite Falls35 mi$6,491 in-state tuitionSouthwest Minnesota State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Marshall41.1 mi$10,361 in-state tuition
About 2 of every 100 Birch Cooley Township residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Minnesota.
A commuter town
100% of working residents leave Birch Cooley Township for work
Where Birch Cooley Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
29jobs based in Birch Cooley Township
0%of working residents work in town
19 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Birch Cooley Township
Township in Minnesota, United States
Birch Cooley Township is a township in Renville County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 257 at the 2000 census. Birch Cooley Township was organized in 1867, and named after Birch Coulee Creek.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 42 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,030 ft
Questions about Birch Cooley Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Birch Cooley Township, MN a good place to live?
Birch Cooley Township has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.