Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Brownton’s average trip to work is 32 minutes, against 23 minutes in Minnesota’s towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns. Only 2 of the 274 Minnesota towns we compare have a lower share of adults with a bachelor’s degree than Brownton. Brownton has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Census counts: 75 in 1880, 731 in 2020. The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 1942 and 2 maps from 1958 on.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Brownton, 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 Brownton.
Most working residents leave Brownton for work: only 2% work in town. Jobs based in Brownton grew to 40 in 2023, 21 more than in 2013. 11% of Brownton residents live below the poverty line, where Minnesota’s towns sit at 7% and U.S. towns at 9.6%.
| Brownton | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 1.7% | 9.8% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 11% | 7% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Brownton has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 82°, January nights drop to 5° and about 50 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 65% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
3 crimes were reported in Brownton in 2025: 3 property and 0 violent. In a town this small, a few incidents move the numbers a lot, so rates aren't shown.
Brownton is small, so we show counts rather than rates.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
43% of Brownton adults have obesity. Brownton beats the Minnesota average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 3. 33% of Brownton adults have high blood pressure.
| Brownton | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 43% | 35% | 35% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 74% | 75% | 79% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 18% | 16% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 30% | 36% |
| What stands out | Brownton | MN |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 11.4% | 8.9% |
| More adults with obesity | 42.5% | 33.5% |
| More adults with arthritis | 25.9% | 22.3% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The typical Brownton home is worth about $307,000, up 5% in a year, 12% below the Minnesota typical home. 90% of households own their home in Brownton.
| Brownton | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 90% | 75% | 73% |
| Median rent | $875 a month | $1,196 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
None within 15 miles of Brownton; the nearest are
About 1 of every 100 Brownton residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Minnesota.
Where Brownton’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
City in Minnesota, United States
Brownton is a city in McLeod County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 731 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Brownton has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.