Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Only 2 of the 274 Minnesota towns we compare have a lower share of adults with a bachelor’s degree than Cosmos. Cosmos has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Where Cosmos beats most towns.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Census counts: 230 in 1930, 507 in 2020. The archive holds 10 old photos and papers going back to 2010 and 2 maps from 1967 on.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Cosmos, 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 Cosmos.
Cosmos’ rent at the middle of the market is $685 a month, below both the Minnesota town median ($1,196 a month) and the median of U.S. towns ($1,185 a month). Typical home values rose 6.1% in the year to September 2026. Also worth knowing: the share of households in Cosmos who are owner-occupiers: 83%.
| Cosmos | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $685 a month | $1,196 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 83% | 75% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| SWWC ELC - CosmosLargest public high schoolGrades K–12 | Grades K–12 | 39 | D− |
NCES · EDFacts
1.9% of working residents work locally in Cosmos, against 9.8% in Minnesota’s towns and 8% across U.S. towns. Jobs locally fell by 38 from 2013 to 2023, to 69. Cosmos: 15% of residents live below the poverty line. Half of commuters travel less than 21 miles.
| Cosmos | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 15% | 7% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $57,000 | $90,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 1.9% | 9.8% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 26 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
In July, afternoons reach 82°; in January, nights fall to 4°, and about 38 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Expected damage from storms and floods is lower here than in 62% of U.S. communities. Federal disaster aid has reached households in Cosmos once, in 2011. Of the losses FEMA expects here, 45% come from inland flooding and 14% from tornadoes.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Nearly a fifth of adults say their health is fair or poor in Cosmos. Two figures for adults locally: 28% get no exercise outside work, 13% have diabetes.
| Cosmos | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 14% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 23% | 25% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 10% | 12% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 35% | 35% |
| What stands out | Cosmos | MN |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 7.5% | 5.4% |
| More smokers | 17.8% | 13.1% |
| More adults with heart disease | 7.6% | 5.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Cosmos Park | — | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Cosmos; the nearest are
About 4 of every 100 Cosmos residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Minnesota.
Where Cosmos’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
City in Minnesota, United States
Cosmos is a city in Meeker County, Minnesota, United States, along the South Fork of the Crow River. The population was 507 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.
Cosmos has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.