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Minnesota›Steele County
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EllendaleMN

A town of 658, platted in 1900.

Population
658
2025 Census estimate · −1.9% since 2020
Typical home
$301K
+5.2% in a year
Household income
$89K
median
Median age
37.4
years
Jobs based here
198
A commuter town

Is Ellendale a good place to live?

Ellendale has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.

Small town

658 people, and everyone knows the way

In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.

Nearby towns
Berlin Township · 2 miSummit Township · 4 miGeneva · 4 miBath Township · 4 miGeneva Township · 6 miLemond Township · 8 mi
Berlin TownshipSummit TownshipBerlin TownshipSummit TownshipEllendale
MNMap-doton-Ellendale
MNMap-doton-Ellendale, 2005
Ellendale’s story

126 years in pictures

Census counts: 261 in 1910, 676 in 2020. The archive holds 1 old photo or paper going back to 2005 and 2 maps from 1967 on.

  • 1900Ellendale is platted
Explore the history →
Getting set up

Moving to Ellendale: who provides what

Who provides power, water and the rest in Ellendale, and how to reach them.

The full setup list →
PowerSteele-Waseca Cooperative Electric16.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterEllendale water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet8 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Ellendale’s trash rules yet
SchoolsNRHEG School DistrictWhich school depends on your addressNCES
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.gov
Who runs elections hereSteele County AuditorSteele County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP code5602656026 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 Ellendale.

Work & commute

Most of Ellendale’s workers head elsewhere: there are 0.6 jobs for each of them

Among residents in Ellendale, 2.7% live below the poverty line, where Minnesota’s towns sit at 7% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. Commuting out is the norm locally: 3% of working residents work locally. Also worth knowing: jobs in Ellendale grew by 35 from 2013 to 2023, reaching 198. Half of commuters travel less than 16 miles.

3%work in town
EllendaleMinnesota townsU.S. towns
Below the poverty line2.7%7%9.6%
Working residents who work in town2.5%9.8%8%
Average trip to work27 minutes23 minutes25 minutes

Where working residents work

In Ellendale3%
Owatonna28%
Blooming Prairie16%
Austin8%
Rochester6%
16 mi
median commute distance
198
jobs based in Ellendale
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Full pageEllendale’s work & commute pageOpen the page
The jobs here198 jobs based here · A commuter townWhere people work3% work in EllendaleCommute times27 minutes · The average commuteHow far they goHalf commute less than 16 miles

Census LEHD 2023 · ACS

Schools

The schools Ellendale’s kids attend

The Nrheg School District runs its public schools. Its one school is below. Ellendale’s only public school teaches 354 students.

SchoolLevelStudentsLetter
Nrheg ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5Grades PK–5354B−
Full pageEllendale’s schools pageOpen the page
The districtsNRHEG SCHOOL DISTRICTVs. the neighbors2 bordering townsEvery school1 school · Nrheg ElementaryQuestions“Are Ellendale’s schools good?”

NCES · EDFacts

Natural hazards

Natural hazards: low risk in Ellendale, mostly inland flooding

In Ellendale, the FEMA risk score is 32 of 100, against 40 of 100 in Minnesota’s towns and 44 of 100 across U.S. towns. Of the losses FEMA expects locally, 38% come from inland flooding and 22% from tornadoes. Households in the town have drawn federal disaster aid in 7 declared disasters, most recently in 2024.

32risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
32Low riskLowerHigher
Inland floodingTornadoesStrong wind
7
federal disasters paid out here
Full pageEllendale’s hazards pageOpen the page
What it facesLow riskFlood claims0 paid flood claims · No paid flood claims on recordPast disasters7 federal disasters · Paid out in EllendaleGet ready0.8 events a year, on average · Ready for inland flooding

FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA

Climate

The climate in Ellendale brings snowy winters and pleasant summers

For Ellendale, the July high is 81°F.

44″snow a winter

Typical low → high °F

Winter10–26°
Spring34–54°
Summer59–79°
Fall37–57°
Oct 6
typical first frost
May 5
typical last frost
+1.0°
vs. the 20th-century average
Full pageEllendale’s climate pageOpen the page
A year of weatherJuly highs 81°, January lows 6°Rain & snow44″ of snow a winter · 36 inches of rain and snow a yearHeating & coolingMostly a heating billThen and now+1.0° vs. the 20th century · Warmer than the 20th-century average

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020

Housing

The typical home in Ellendale: about $301K

Ellendale: 83% of households live in a home they own. Home values are up 5.2% over the year to September 2026. In Ellendale, the midpoint rent is $804 a month.

$301KZillow home value
EllendaleMinnesota townsU.S. towns
Median rent$804 a month$1,196 a month$1,185 a month
Households that own their home83%75%73%

Typical home value

Ellendale$301K
Minnesota$349K
+5.2%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in May
Full pageEllendale’s housing & cost-of-living pageOpen the page
Prices over the yearsUp 5.2% in a yearYears of income to buyA typical home costs 3.4 years of incomeRents$804 a month · Median rentVs. the neighbors2 bordering towns

Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center

Health

How healthy Ellendale is

Among adults in Ellendale, 34% have high blood pressure. 31% of adults in Ellendale sleep under 7 hours; 16% smoke cigarettes.

EllendaleMinnesota townsU.S. towns
Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES)74%75%79%
Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES)31%30%36%
Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES)16%14%14%
Obesity (CDC PLACES)38%35%35%
32 measures vs. Minnesota
0 better27 too close to call5 worse
What stands outEllendaleMN
More older adults who have lost all their teeth13.5%8.9%
More adults with COPD6.9%5.4%
More adults with heart disease7.1%5.9%
Owatonna Hospital
13.4 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
Full pageEllendale’s health reportOpen the page
Everyday habitsMore smokersHospitals & doctors nearby13.4 miles to an ER · Owatonna HospitalHow adults are doingMore adults in frequent physical distressEvery CDC estimateBetter than MN on 0 of 32

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Ellendale

17pages on Ellendale
The big questions
Schools1 schoolHealthBetter than MN on 0 of 32 CDC measuresCost of living$301K typical home · up 5.2% in a yearWork & commute$89K median household income · 198 jobs hereNatural hazardsFEMA risk higher than 32% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
PlacesAttractions10 nearby · Minnesota State Public School for Dependent and Neglected Children 15 miLibraryNew Richland Public LibraryColleges
The story
HistoryPlatted 1900Town Hall & politicsOne full-time town employee per 658 residentsClimate81° summer highs · 44″ of snow
Day to day
NewsWeatherHandbookZIP code 56026Town SquareNeighbors
After high school

Colleges nearby

None within 15 miles of Ellendale; the nearest are

Riverland Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Austin20.3 mi$6,298 in-state tuitionMinnesota State University-MankatoUniversity or college · Public · Mankato39.6 mi$9,572 in-state tuition

About 1 of every 100 Ellendale residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Minnesota.

Prices by family income, graduation and earnings →

A commuter town

97% of working residents leave Ellendale for work

Where Ellendale’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.

28% → Owatonna Owatonna 28% 16% → Blooming Prairie Blooming Prairie 16% 8% → Austin Austin 8% 6% → Rochester Rochester 6% 5% → Albert Lea Albert Lea 5% 2% → Faribault Faribault 2% Ellendale · 3% stay
198jobs based in Ellendale
3%of working residents work in town
16 mimedian commute distance

Census LEHD 2023

About Ellendale

City in Minnesota, United States

Official town website ↗

Ellendale is a city in Steele County, Minnesota, United States. As of the 2020 census, Ellendale had a population of 676.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

Established
1901
Area
1.0 sq mi
Elevation
1,280 ft
ZIP code
56026
Area code
507

Questions about Ellendale

Short answers, built from the data on this page.

Is Ellendale, MN a good place to live?

Ellendale has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.