Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 14,655, settled in 1855. 61% more nonprofits per person than the typical Minnesota town.
Trash day: look up yoursHutchinson gives you more for your money than most places: a typical home costs about $298K, 3.7 years of the Hutchinson area’s $80K median household income. It grades B+ overall, 147th among Minnesota's 271 graded towns. On the plus side, its public schools beat 80% of Minnesota towns on state tests and graduation. 45% of working residents work locally in Hutchinson, where Minnesota’s towns sit at 9.7% and U.S. towns at 8%. On civic life, just 54 of Minnesota’s 572 towns do better. Hutchinson has 3 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Merton S. Goodnow House and Harry Merrill House.
Where Hutchinson beats most towns.
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Hutchinson West Elementary | PK–1 | 431 |
| Hutchinson Tiger Elementary | 2–3 | 375 |
| Hutchinson Park Elementary | 4–5 | 371 |
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Minnesota), ordered by how far Hutchinson is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 580 in 1880, 14,599 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1858 and 2 maps from 1958 on.
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Hutchinson, 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 Hutchinson.
Hutchinson pairs an A− for schools with modest home prices, has fewer 90° days than most of the country, though not than most of Minnesota and is healthy by national standards but behind most towns in Minnesota.
5.1 miles of trail in 31 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is McLeod County Fairgrounds, at 50 acres.
| Hutchinson | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.6 miles per square mile | 0.5 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 4.1% | 4.7% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. McLeod County Fairgrounds | 0.7 mi | 50 |
| 2. Miller Park | 0.6 mi | 22 |
| 3. Roberts Park | 0.4 mi | 35 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its A− for schools comes with a B for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $298K.
Its public schools are run by the Hutchinson Public School District. Three of its 16 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hutchinson MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 535 | B+ |
| Hutchinson Senior HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 863 | A− |
| Hutchinson Park ElementaryTop results in townGrades 4–5 | Grades 4–5 | 371 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MN on state tests and graduation
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 68% of U.S. communities. Since 1979, 4 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Hutchinson.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The Brownton Wwtp weather station, 11 miles away, records that about 6 days a year reach 90°: fewer than most of the country, but more than 76% of Minnesota places with climate records.
Hutchinson has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 82°, January nights drop to 5° and about 50 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Within Minnesota it is less healthy than 68% of the 271 graded towns: Minnesota sets a high bar.
Hutchinson beats the Minnesota average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 3. 42% of adults have obesity in Hutchinson.
| Hutchinson | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 35% | 35% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 18% | 16% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 30% | 33% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 74% | 75% | 79% |
| What stands out | Hutchinson | MN |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with obesity | 41.5% | 33.5% |
| More adults with arthritis | 25.6% | 22.3% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.5% | 8.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Jobs based here grew from 6,551 in 2013 to 8,644.
Hutchinson’s average trip to work is 19 minutes. Since 2013, Hutchinson has added 2,093 jobs, to 8,644 in 2023. 12% of Hutchinson residents live below the poverty line.
| Hutchinson | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 19 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 12% | 7% | 9.6% |
| Work from home | 9.6% | 14% | 11% |
| Median household income | $73,000 | $91,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The median rent in Hutchinson is $940 a month. The typical Hutchinson home is worth about $298,000, up 1.9% in a year, 15% below the Minnesota typical home.
| Hutchinson | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $940 a month | $1,199 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 69% | 75% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
None within 15 miles of Hutchinson; the nearest are
About 4 of every 100 Hutchinson residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Minnesota.
3 places in Hutchinson on the National Register of Historic Places.
13 notable people were born in Hutchinson.
City in Minnesota, United States
Hutchinson is the largest city in McLeod County, Minnesota, United States. It lies along the South Fork of the Crow River. The population was 14,599 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
4 towns share a border with Hutchinson.
| Town | MN rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hutchinson | #147 | B+ | B | B− | A− | B |
| Hassan Valley Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Lynn Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Hutchinson Township | — | — | C− | — | A− | B |
| Acoma Township | — | — | B− | — | A− | B |
Hutchinson Township and Acoma Township have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Hutchinson Township and Acoma Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Hassan Valley Township and Lynn Township aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Hutchinson with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
By most measures, yes. Hutchinson grades B+ overall, better than 74% of U.S. towns and #147 of 271 in Minnesota. It grades B for health, B− for safety and A− for schools.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.
13 notable people were born here, including Lindsay Whalen and John Jeremiah McRaith.
