Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
More historic than 17% of U.S. towns · #235 of 273 in Minnesota. What drives it
Most of Centerville was built recently: 3% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1993. Below: maps from 1902 on and the census since 1880.
Centerville dates its founding to 1857 (Wikipedia’s history). The census first counted it in 1880.
Centerville was named for its location in relation to Saint Paul, the Mississippi River at Anoka, and the Saint Croix River at Stillwater.
More historic than 17% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Centerville is more historic than 17% of U.S. towns, #235 of 273 in Minnesota. Its age holds the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
Minnesota towns list about as much on the Register as the country (a typical Minnesota town has 2.1 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Centerville’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (23% of Minnesota towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.
Founding year: Wikipedia (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Centerville’s history is told.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Centerville. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Centerville.
Centerville had its own post office from 1893 to 1905. Two other post offices opened and closed inside today’s town.
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From Wikipedia’s history of Centerville.
Centerville was established in 1857. It was named for its location in relation to Saint Paul, the Mississippi River at Anoka, and the Saint Croix River at Stillwater.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological SurveyWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Grew from 130 people in 1880 to 3,896 in 2020, more than tenfold.
12 censuses, 1880–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Centerville’s Wikipedia page.
In 1857, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. Centerville’s post office opened in 1856, and the census of 1880 counted 130 people here.
Centerville is more historic than 17% of U.S. towns, #235 of 273 in Minnesota. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
3% of Centerville’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±2.6 points), against a typical 8.1% for a Minnesota town; the median home was built in 1993.
What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
