Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 1,138, settled in 1888.
The best of Cottonwood’s subject grades are an A for cost of living and schools. Cottonwood’s average trip to work is 14 minutes, where Minnesota’s towns sit at 23 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. Only 29 of Minnesota’s 573 towns score higher on cost of living. Cottonwood is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 75% of U.S. towns. Martin Norseth House is on the National Register of Historic Places. Cottonwood has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Cottonwood beats most towns.
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Lakeview Elementary | PK–6 | 389 |
| Lakeview Secondary | 7–12 | 331 |
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Minnesota), ordered by how far Cottonwood is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 549 in 1900, 1,149 in 2020. The archive holds 1 old photo or paper and 2 maps from 1962 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Cottonwood, 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 Cottonwood.
Its public schools are run by the Lakeview School District. Its two schools are below. The largest public high school is Lakeview Secondary, with 331 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lakeview ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 389 | A− |
| Lakeview SecondaryLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 331 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MN on state tests and graduation
The typical Cottonwood home is worth about $255,000, up 8.4% in a year, 27% below the Minnesota typical home.
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Cottonwood beats the Minnesota average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 20% of adults binge drink in Cottonwood, above both the Minnesota town median (18%) and the median of U.S. towns (16%). 29% of Cottonwood adults sleep under 7 hours.
| Cottonwood | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 18% | 16% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 30% | 36% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 35% | 35% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 30% | 33% |
| What stands out | Cottonwood | MN |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 12.8% | 8.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Cottonwood has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. Among 275 Minnesota towns, just 1 have a higher July high than Cottonwood.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Most working residents leave Cottonwood for work: only 12% work in town. Jobs based in Cottonwood grew to 625 in 2023, 156 more than in 2013. Cottonwood’s median household income is $98,000.
| Cottonwood | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $98,000 | $90,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 10% | 14% | 11% |
| Working residents who work in town | 12% | 9.8% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 7.1% | 7% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 57% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
2 within 15 miles of the center of Cottonwood
About 3 of every 100 Cottonwood residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Minnesota.
City in Minnesota, United States
Cottonwood is a city in Lyon County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 1,149 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.
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A.