Chokio Grain Elevators, Minnesota Highway 28
Chokio’s story
147 years in pictures
Census counts: 300 in 1900, a peak of 559 in 1980, 405 in 2020. The archive holds 1 old photo or paper and 2 maps from 1910 on.
- 1879Chokio is settled
ChokioMN
A town of 407, settled in 1879.
Population
407
2025 Census estimate · +0% since 2020
Median home value
$93K
Census ACS
Household income
$47K
median
Median age
44.5
years
Jobs based here
106
A commuter town
Is Chokio a good place to live?
31% of residents are 65 or older in Chokio, above both the Minnesota town median (18%) and the median of U.S. towns (18%). Among 274 Minnesota towns, just 3 have a lower median household income than Chokio. Chokio has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
407 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Chokio: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Chokio, and how to reach them.
PowerOtter Tail Power11.3¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterChokio water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet2 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Chokio’s trash rules yet
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 hereStevens County AuditorStevens County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP code5622156221 100%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 Chokio.
Schools
The schools Chokio’s kids attend
Its public schools are run by the Chokio-Alberta Public Schools. Its two schools are below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chokio-Alberta ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 73 | B− |
| Chokio-Alberta SecondaryLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 69 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts
Work & commute
About half of Chokio’s working residents commute to Morris
Most working residents leave Chokio for work: only 3% work in town. Jobs based in Chokio fell to 106 in 2023, 112 fewer than in 2013. At 20 minutes, Chokio’s average trip to work is against 23 minutes in Minnesota’s towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns.
3%work in town
| Chokio | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 20 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 13% | 7% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 3.4% | 9.8% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Chokio3%
Morris49%
Hancock5%
Fargo4%
Darnen Township4%
13 mi
median commute distance
106
jobs based in Chokio
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazards
Inland flooding leads a low hazard risk in Chokio
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 73% of U.S. communities.
27risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesHail
3
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Snowy winters and pleasant summers in Chokio
Chokio has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. The July high in Chokio is 82°F.
43″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter6–24°
Spring32–54°
Summer58–80°
Fall35–56°
Oct 8
typical first frost
May 1
typical last frost
+1.3°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Chokio is
Chokio beats the Minnesota average on 6 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 6. 26% of adults sleep under 7 hours in Chokio.
| Chokio | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 30% | 36% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 30% | 33% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 16% | 17% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 36% | 31% | 35% |
32 measures vs. Minnesota
6 better20 too close to call6 worse
| What stands out | Chokio | MN |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 7.1% | 9.3% |
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 4.5% | 5.7% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 12% | 8.5% |
Essentia Health Holy Trinity Hospital
12.6 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 278 acres
0.1 mi
of trails · 0.3 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. W Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Chokio
18pages on Chokio
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Chokio
University of Minnesota-MorrisUniversity or college · Public · Morris13.3 mi$14,526 in-state tuition
About 6 of every 100 Chokio residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Minnesota.
A commuter town
97% of working residents leave Chokio for work
Where Chokio’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
106jobs based in Chokio
3%of working residents work in town
13 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Chokio
City in Minnesota, United States
Chokio ( shə-KY-oh) is a city in Stevens County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 404 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.4 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,125 ft
- ZIP code
- 56221
- Area code
- 320
Questions about Chokio
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Chokio, MN a good place to live?
Chokio has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.