Bluffton MN downtown, 2013
Bluffton Township’s story
146 years in pictures
Census counts: 69 in 1880, 210 in 2020. The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 2005 and 2 maps from 1953 on.
- 1880Bluffton Township is platted
Bluffton TownshipMN
A town of 463, platted in 1880.
5 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Royalbroil · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
463
2025 Census estimate · +1.1% since 2020
Median home value
$217K
Census ACS
Household income
$85K
median
Median age
34.1
years
Jobs based here
8
A commuter town
Is Bluffton Township a good place to live?
Of the 274 Minnesota towns we compare, none has a lower share of working residents who work in town than Bluffton Township. Bluffton Township’s January low is -1°F, against 6°F in Minnesota’s towns and 22°F across U.S. towns. The biggest park or preserve is Black's Grove, at 25 acres. Bluffton Township has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
463 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
BlufftonNewton TownshipBlowers TownshipLeaf River TownshipCompton TownshipBluffton Township
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Bluffton Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Bluffton Township, and how to reach them.
PowerLake Region Electric Cooperative13.6¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterWadena water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers98% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Bluffton Township’s trash rules yet
SchoolsWadena-Deer Creek School DistrictNew York Mills Public School District2 districts serve Bluffton 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 hereOtter Tail County Government Services CenterOtter Tail County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP codes56482, 56518, 5656756482 49% · 56518 35% · 56567 16%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 Bluffton Township.
Work & commute
Most of Bluffton Township’s workers commute out: the town has 0.0 jobs for each of them
Since 2013, Bluffton Township has lost 23 jobs, to 8 in 2023. At 28 minutes, Bluffton Township’s average trip to work is where Minnesota’s towns sit at 23 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. The top destinations are Perham (24%), New York Mills (22%) and Wadena (7%).
0%work in town
| Bluffton Township | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 28 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 8.4% | 7% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Bluffton Township0%
Perham24%
New York Mills22%
Wadena7%
Detroit Lakes6%
18 mi
median commute distance
8
jobs based in Bluffton Township
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Snowy winters and pleasant summers in Bluffton Township
Bluffton Township has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. The July high in Bluffton Township is 79°F.
46″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter3–22°
Spring30–52°
Summer56–77°
Fall35–53°
Sep 29
typical first frost
May 10
typical last frost
+1.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Bluffton Township is
Bluffton Township beats the Minnesota average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 11. 18% of adults smoke cigarettes in Bluffton Township.
| Bluffton Township | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 14% | 14% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 74% | 75% | 79% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 23% | 25% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 30% | 36% |
32 measures vs. Minnesota
0 better21 too close to call11 worse
| What stands out | Bluffton Township | MN |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 15.5% | 8.9% |
| More adults with COPD | 7.4% | 5.4% |
| More smokers | 17.6% | 13.1% |
Astera Health
4.4 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazards
Inland flooding leads a moderate hazard risk in Bluffton Township
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 52% of U.S. communities.
48risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Outdoors
Conserved land covers 0% of Bluffton Township
1.8 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve. Bluffton Township’s trail density is 0.1 miles per square mile.
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 20,967 acres
1.8 mi
of trails · 0.1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Black's Grove | 0.6 mi | 25 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Bluffton Township
16pages on Bluffton Township
The big questions
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Bluffton Township; the nearest are
Alexandria Technical & Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Alexandria44.2 mi$6,236 in-state tuitionBemidji State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Bemidji69.5 mi$10,237 in-state tuition
About 2 of every 100 Bluffton Township residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Minnesota.
A commuter town
100% of working residents leave Bluffton Township for work
Where Bluffton Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
8jobs based in Bluffton Township
0%of working residents work in town
18 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Bluffton Township
City in Minnesota, United States
Bluffton is a city in Otter Tail County, Minnesota, United States, along the Leaf River. The population was 210 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 2.8 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,362 ft
- ZIP code
- 56518
- Area code
- 218
Questions about Bluffton Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Bluffton Township, MN a good place to live?
Bluffton Township has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.