Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town platted in 1856, now home to 1,042 people.
The best of Elysian Township’s subject grades is an A− for incomes; the weakest is a D for walkability. On walkability, just 23 of Minnesota’s 574 towns do worse. A typical home costs about $392K, 3.9 years of the Minneapolis metro’s $100K median household income. Only 4 of the 274 Minnesota towns we compare have a higher age of the median resident than Elysian Township. Geldner Sawmill is on the National Register of Historic Places. Elysian Township's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 82% of U.S. towns. The biggest park or preserve is Dove Lake Wildlife Management Area, at 255 acres. Elysian Township has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Elysian Township beats most towns.
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 Elysian Township is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 167 in 1880, 708 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 2005 and a map from 1985 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Elysian Township, 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 Elysian Township.
In Elysian Township, the mean commuting time is 29 minutes, above both the Minnesota town median (23 minutes) and the median of U.S. towns (25 minutes). Among residents locally, 2% live below the poverty line. For half of commuters, work is under 18 miles away. The top destinations are Mankato (11%), Le Center (10%) and Faribault (6%).
| Elysian Township | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 2% | 7% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 29 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 0.9% | 9.8% | 8% |
| Median household income | $100,000 | $90,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Elysian Township’s typical July afternoon high comes in at 82°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Elysian Township: 77% of adults had a checkup this year. Of 32 CDC measures, Elysian Township beats the Minnesota average on 2 and trails it on 7. In Elysian Township, 15% of adults report frequent mental distress, and 32% sleep under 7 hours.
| Elysian Township | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 30% | 33% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 16% | 17% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 30% | 36% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 36% | 31% | 35% |
| What stands out | Elysian Township | MN |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 79.8% | 76.1% |
| More adults getting cholesterol checked | 87.3% | 85.3% |
| More adults with heart disease | 7.4% | 5.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Federal aid has come to Elysian Township households in 5 declared disasters; the latest was in 2024. Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 64% of U.S. communities. 47% of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by tornadoes at 16%.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
In 4 parks and preserves, walkers have 1.1 miles of trail.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Dove Lake Wildlife Management Area | — | 255 |
| 2. Seha Wildlife Management Area | — | 127 |
| 3. Earl Swain Wildlife Management Area | — | 104 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
2 within 15 miles of the center of Elysian Township
About 1 of every 100 Elysian Township residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Minnesota.
Where Elysian Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
City in Minnesota, United States
Elysian ( el-EE-zyən) is a city in Le Sueur and Waseca counties in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The population was 708 at the 2020 Census. The city is distinct from Elysian Township.
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−.
