Flandrau State Park CCC/WPA/Rustic Style Historic Resources · National Register of Historic Places
Cottonwood Township’s story
167 years in pictures
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1859Cottonwood Township is settled
Cottonwood TownshipMN
This town of 843 people was settled in 1859.
6 bordering townsMap →
Flandrau State Park CCC/WPA/Rustic Style Historic Resources · Photo: Bobak Ha'Eri · CC BY 3.0
Population
843
2025 Census estimate · −1.3% since 2020
Median home value
$247K
Census ACS
Household income
$84K
median
Median age
46.2
years
Jobs based here
84
A commuter town
Is Cottonwood Township a good place to live?
95% of households live in a home they own in Cottonwood Township, above both the Minnesota town median (75%) and the median of U.S. towns (73%). Only 4 of the 274 Minnesota towns we compare have a lower share of working residents who work in town than Cottonwood Township. The biggest park or preserve is Flandrau State Park, at 307 acres. Cottonwood Township has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
843 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
New UlmCourtland TownshipCambria TownshipSigel TownshipLinden TownshipMilford TownshipCottonwood Township
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Cottonwood Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Cottonwood Township, and how to reach them.
PowerBrown County Rural Elec AssnEIAHIFLD · EIA
WaterNew Ulm water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers71% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Cottonwood 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 hereBrown County CourthouseBrown County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP codes56073, 5604156073 96% · 56041 4%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 Cottonwood Township.
Work & commute
With 0.2 jobs for every working resident, most of Cottonwood Township’s workers commute out
Cottonwood Township had 84 jobs in 2023, down 34 from 2013. Most people who work leave Cottonwood Township to do it: just 1% work in town. Its typical journey to work is 21 minutes. The top destinations are New Ulm (41%), Sleepy Eye (6%) and Springfield (4%).
1%work in town
| Cottonwood Township | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 7.3% | 7% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Cottonwood Township1%
New Ulm41%
Sleepy Eye6%
Springfield4%
Madelia3%
13 mi
median commute distance
84
jobs based in Cottonwood Township
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Expect four seasons and pleasant summers in Cottonwood Township
Expect July afternoons of 82° and January nights of 6°, with about 38 inches of snow a winter.
38″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter10–26°
Spring35–55°
Summer60–80°
Fall38–58°
Oct 7
typical first frost
Apr 29
typical last frost
+0.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Cottonwood Township is
In Cottonwood Township, 18% of adults binge drink. CDC measures, 32 in all: Cottonwood Township beats Minnesota on 1 and trails on 5. Among adults locally, 29% feel lonely and 77% had a checkup this year.
| Cottonwood Township | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 30% | 36% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 30% | 33% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 77% | 75% | 79% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 12% | 14% |
32 measures vs. Minnesota
1 better26 too close to call5 worse
| What stands out | Cottonwood Township | MN |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 78.9% | 76.1% |
| More adults with COPD | 6.6% | 5.4% |
New Ulm Medical Center
5.4 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazards
Cottonwood Township has a moderate natural-hazard risk, chiefly from inland flooding
FEMA puts 37% of Cottonwood Township’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 31% to cold waves. Compared with 56% of U.S. communities, expected storm and flood damage locally is lower. Federal aid has come to Cottonwood Township households in 3 declared disasters; the latest was in 2019.
44risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes
3
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Outdoors
Conserved land covers 1.7% of Cottonwood Township
0.8 miles of trail wind through 1 park or preserve.
1.7%conserved
1.7%
conserved · 370 of 22,053 acres
0.8 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Flandrau State Park | — | 307 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Cottonwood Township
17pages on Cottonwood Township
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Cottonwood Township
About 5 of every 100 Cottonwood Township residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Minnesota.
A commuter town
99% of working residents leave Cottonwood Township for work
Where Cottonwood Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
84jobs based in Cottonwood Township
1%of working residents work in town
13 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Cottonwood Township
Township in Minnesota, United States
Cottonwood Township is a township in Brown County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 938 as of the 2000 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 35 sq mi
- Elevation
- 978 ft
Questions about Cottonwood Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Cottonwood Township, MN a good place to live?
Cottonwood Township has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.