Volunteer Fire Department, 2025
Cotton Township’s story
121 years in pictures
The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 2025 and 2 maps from 1956 on.
- 1905Cotton Township is settled
Cotton TownshipMN
A town of 453, settled in 1905.
3 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Myotus · CC BY 4.0
Population
453
2025 Census estimate · −0.4% since 2020
Typical home
$219K
+9.1% in a year
Household income
$73K
median
Median age
57.4
years
Jobs based here
58
A commuter town
Is Cotton Township a good place to live?
14% of the land in Cotton Township is conserved, above both Minnesota’s towns (4.7%) and U.S. towns (4.3%). The biggest park or preserve is Cloquet Valley State Forest, at 5,999 acres. Cotton Township has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
453 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Kelsey TownshipEllsburg TownshipNorthland TownshipCotton Township
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Cotton Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Cotton Township, and how to reach them.
PowerLake Country Power18.3¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
InternetProviders and speedsData pending · D4
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Cotton Township’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 hereSt. Louis County AuditorSt. Louis County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2017
ZIP code5572455724 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 Cotton Township.
Housing
Cotton Township stands out in Minnesota and nationally, with more of its households who own their home
Values rose 9.1% in the 12 months to September 2026.
$219KZillow home value
Typical home value
Cotton Township$219K
Minnesota$349K
+9.1%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Work & commute
Compared with most of Minnesota and the rest of the country, the average trip to work in Cotton Township is longer
Cotton Township’s income of the median household is $73,000, below both the Minnesota town median ($90,000) and the median of U.S. towns ($80,000). The share of working residents in Cotton Township who work locally: 2.2%. The median commute is under 29 miles. The top destinations are Duluth (22%), Virginia (8%) and Cloquet (8%).
2%work in town
| Cotton Township | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 44 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 2.2% | 9.8% | 8% |
| Median household income | $73,000 | $90,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 6.5% | 7% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Cotton Township2%
Duluth22%
Virginia8%
Cloquet8%
Hermantown6%
29 mi
median commute distance
58
jobs based in Cotton Township
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Snowy winters and pleasant summers in Cotton Township
Cotton Township’s July high stands at 78°F.
56″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter1–22°
Spring26–51°
Summer51–76°
Fall32–52°
Sep 20
typical first frost
May 27
typical last frost
+2.1°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Outdoors
13.8% of Cotton Township is conserved land
Trails run 14 miles in 2 parks and preserves. For Cotton Township, the concentration of trails is 0.2 miles per square mile. Parks and preserves locally: 2, covering 6,861 acres.
13.8%conserved
13.8%
conserved · 6,304 of 45,756 acres
14 mi
of trails · 0.2 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Gichigami Ziibi WMA | 1.3 mi | 862 |
| 2. Cloquet Valley State Forest | — | 5,999 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Health
How healthy Cotton Township is
30% of Cotton Township adults feel lonely. On the CDC’s 32 measures, Cotton Township is ahead of Minnesota on 5 and behind on 9. Among 272 Minnesota towns, just 7 have a higher share of adults who had a checkup this year than Cotton Township.
| Cotton Township | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 31% | 35% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 30% | 36% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 79% | 75% | 79% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 30% | 33% |
32 measures vs. Minnesota
5 better18 too close to call9 worse
| What stands out | Cotton Township | MN |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 7.4% | 9.3% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 82.6% | 76.1% |
| More adults with heart disease | 9% | 5.9% |
Community Memorial Hospital
27.3 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazards
High risk in Cotton Township, with inland flooding at the top
The FEMA hazard score in Cotton Township is 60 of 100. 47% of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by cold waves at 46%. Households locally have drawn federal disaster aid in 3 declared disasters, most recently in 2023.
60risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold waves
3
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Cotton Township
17pages on Cotton Township
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Cotton Township; the nearest are
The College of Saint ScholasticaUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Duluth26.6 mi$41,778 tuitionUniversity of Minnesota-DuluthUniversity or college · Public · Duluth27.2 mi$14,610 in-state tuitionLake Superior CollegeCommunity college · Public · Duluth27.4 mi$5,785 in-state tuition
About 0 of every 100 Cotton Township residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Minnesota.
A commuter town
98% of working residents leave Cotton Township for work
Where Cotton Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
58jobs based in Cotton Township
2%of working residents work in town
29 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Cotton Township
Unincorporated community in Minnesota, United States
Cotton is an unincorporated community in Cotton Township, Saint Louis County, Minnesota, United States. The community is located 36 miles (58 km) north of the city of Duluth at the junction of U.S. Highway 53 (U.S. 53) and Saint Louis County Road 52 (CR 52). Cotton is located 27 miles south of the city of Virginia. Cotton is generally considered the half way point between the cities of Duluth and Virginia. The Whiteface River flows through the community.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Elevation
- 1,329 ft
- ZIP code
- 55724
Questions about Cotton Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Cotton Township, MN a good place to live?
Cotton Township has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.