Floodwood water tower, 2012
Floodwood’s story
136 years in pictures
Census counts: 224 in 1900, 517 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2005 and 2 maps from 1963 on.
- 1890Floodwood is settled
FloodwoodMN
A town of 511, settled in 1890.
1 bordering townMap →
Photo: MNTRT2009 · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
511
2025 Census estimate · −1.9% since 2020
Typical home
$182K
+8.7% in a year
Household income
$37K
median
Median age
41.4
years
Jobs based here
150
Balanced
Is Floodwood a good place to live?
Floodwood has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
511 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Floodwood TownshipFloodwood
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Floodwood: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Floodwood, and how to reach them.
PowerMinnesota Power15.9¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterFloodwood water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers99% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Floodwood’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 code5573655736 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 Floodwood.
Housing
Floodwood stands out in Minnesota and nationally, with the median rent lower than most
Zillow values the typical Floodwood home at about $182,000, up 8.7% in a year, 48% below the Minnesota typical home. The share of households in Floodwood who live in a home they own is 71%, below Minnesota’s towns (75%) and close to U.S. towns (73%).
$182KZillow home value
| Floodwood | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $653 a month | $1,196 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 71% | 75% | 73% |
Typical home value
Floodwood$182K
Minnesota$349K
+8.7%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Schools
The schools Floodwood’s kids attend
Its two schools are below. The public schools here belong to the Floodwood Public School District. Public school enrollment in the town: 168 students across 2 schools.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Floodwood ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 88 | B+ |
| Floodwood SecondaryLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 80 | C |
NCES · EDFacts
Climate
Expect snowy winters and pleasant summers in Floodwood
The range runs from -2° on a January night to 78° on a July afternoon, with about 56 inches of snow a winter.
56″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter2–22°
Spring27–51°
Summer52–76°
Fall33–52°
Sep 18
typical first frost
May 29
typical last frost
+2.1°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazards
Top of a high hazard risk in Floodwood: inland flooding
For Floodwood, the natural-hazard score from FEMA is 67 of 100. 18 flood insurance claims have been paid locally since 1978. FEMA puts 89% of the town’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding. Households locally have drawn federal disaster aid in 4 declared disasters, most recently in 2023.
67risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland flooding
18
paid flood claims since 1978
4
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commute
The average trip to work in Floodwood is longer than in most of Minnesota or the rest of the country
The top destinations are Duluth (18%), Cloquet (17%) and Hermantown (5%). Of the 274 Minnesota towns we compare, none has a lower median household income than Floodwood. That said, the share of residents in Floodwood who live below the poverty line is 24%, above both the Minnesota town median (7%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). This Minnesota town had 150 jobs in 2023, down 25 from 2013.
7%work in town
| Floodwood | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 40 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 24% | 7% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $37,000 | $90,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 6.5% | 9.8% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Floodwood7%
Duluth18%
Cloquet17%
Hermantown5%
Grand Rapids4%
35 mi
median commute distance
150
jobs based in Floodwood
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Safety
Crime reported in Floodwood
In a town this small, a few incidents move the numbers a lot, so rates aren't shown.
Floodwood is small, so we show counts rather than rates.
0
violent crimes reported in 2025
1
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Health
How healthy Floodwood is
Only 2 of the 272 Minnesota towns we compare have a higher share of adults who report frequent physical distress than Floodwood. This Minnesota town does better than the Minnesota average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and worse on 19. A fifth of adults smoke cigarettes in the town.
| Floodwood | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 14% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 12% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 10% | 12% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 16% | 19% |
32 measures vs. Minnesota
1 better12 too close to call19 worse
| What stands out | Floodwood | MN |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 79.6% | 76.1% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 17.9% | 8.9% |
Community Memorial Hospital
25.4 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Floodwood
19pages on Floodwood
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Floodwood; the nearest are
Fond du Lac Tribal and Community CollegeUniversity or college · Public · Cloquet27.4 mi$6,006 in-state tuitionMinnesota North CollegeCommunity college · Public · Hibbing34.5 mi$6,022 in-state tuition
About 1 of every 100 Floodwood residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Minnesota.
About Floodwood
City in Minnesota, United States
Floodwood is a city in Saint Louis County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 518 as of September 2025 Originally a logging community, Floodwood was a dairy community for most of its history, but could now be best described as a bedroom community, since most of its working population finds employment in nearby Duluth, Grand Rapids, Hibbing and Cloquet. The city calls itself "The Catfish Capital of the World", a nickname it gave itself following the introduction of its annual Catfish Days festival. U.S. Highway 2 and State Highway 73 (MN 73) are two of the main routes in Floodwood.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.5 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,250 ft
- ZIP code
- 55736
- Area code
- 218
Questions about Floodwood
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Floodwood, MN a good place to live?
Floodwood has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.