Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
30% of residents are 65 or older in Heron Lake, where Minnesota’s towns sit at 18% and U.S. towns at 18%. No town among the 232 in Minnesota we compare has a lower typical home value than Heron Lake. Church of the Sacred Heart (Catholic) is on the National Register of Historic Places. Heron Lake has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Where Heron Lake beats most towns.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Census counts: 163 in 1880, a peak of 928 in 1900, 602 in 2020. The archive holds 17 old photos and papers going back to 2005 and 2 maps from 1970 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Heron Lake, 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 Heron Lake.
The typical Heron Lake home is worth about $114,000, down 1.8% in a year, 67% below the Minnesota typical home. Heron Lake’s median rent is $833 a month, below both Minnesota’s towns ($1,196 a month) and U.S. towns ($1,185 a month). 83% of households own their home in Heron Lake.
| Heron Lake | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $833 a month | $1,196 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 83% | 75% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its public schools are run by the Heron Lake-Okabena School District. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heron Lake-Okabena ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 123 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts
Most working residents leave Heron Lake for work: only 10% work in town. Heron Lake’s average trip to work is 18 minutes. The top destinations are Worthington (16%), Jackson (7%) and Windom (5%).
| Heron Lake | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 18 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $68,000 | $90,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 9.2% | 7% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Heron Lake has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 83°, January nights drop to 6° and about 49 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 67% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
2 crimes were reported in Heron Lake in 2024: 2 property and 0 violent. In a town this small, a few incidents move the numbers a lot, so rates aren't shown.
Heron Lake is small, so we show counts rather than rates.
FBI crime data, 2024 · crimes reported to police
Heron Lake beats the Minnesota average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 5. 28% of Heron Lake adults feel lonely. Only 9 of the 272 Minnesota towns we compare have a lower share of adults who have been diagnosed with depression than Heron Lake.
| Heron Lake | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 30% | 33% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 30% | 36% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 16% | 17% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 25% | 23% |
| What stands out | Heron Lake | MN |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 80.3% | 76.1% |
| More adults with heart disease | 7.6% | 5.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Heron Lake Memorial Field | — | 10 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Heron Lake; the nearest are
About 3 of every 100 Heron Lake residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Minnesota.
Where Heron Lake’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
5 notable people were born in Heron Lake.
City in Minnesota, United States
Heron Lake is a city in Jackson County, Minnesota, United States. As of the 2020 census, Heron Lake had a population of 602.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Heron Lake has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
5 notable people were born here, including Frederick William Freking and Garland Buckeye.
