Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 5,039, settled in 1880. 68% more nonprofits per person than the typical Minnesota town.
Few places in the country grade higher. Lindstrom earns an A, 53rd among Minnesota's 271 graded towns. The median household earns $98K, its schools outperform 80% of the state's, and it is healthier than 76% of U.S. towns. Its lowest mark, a B, is in cost of living. Only 18 of Minnesota’s 572 towns score higher on civic life. Lindstrom’s average trip to work is 30 minutes, above both the Minnesota town median (23 minutes) and the median of U.S. towns (25 minutes). Lindstrom has 3 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Gustaf Anderson House and Frank A. Larson House.
Where Lindstrom beats most towns.
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Chisago Lakes Middle | 6–8 | 742 |
| Chisago Lakes Senior High | 9–12 | 1,053 |
| Chisago Lakes HS Alt Learning Prog | 9–12 | 1 |
4,442 counted in 2010 and 4,888 in 2020; an estimated 5,039 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Minnesota), ordered by how far Lindstrom is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 395 in 1900, 4,888 in 2020. The archive holds 3 old photos and papers and 2 maps from 1955 on.
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Lindstrom, 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 Lindstrom.
3.4 miles of trail in 7 parks and preserves. Lindstrom’s trail density is 0.9 miles per square mile. The biggest place to walk is Allemansrätt Park, 121 acres with 1.3 miles of trail.
| Lindstrom | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.9 miles per square mile | 0.5 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 3.6% | 4.7% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Allemansrätt Park | 1.3 mi | 121 |
| 2. Lion’s Park | 0.1 mi | 5 |
| 3. North Meadow Park | 0.2 mi | 4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by the Chisago Lakes School District. Two of its 5 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Chisago Lakes Senior High, with 1,053 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chisago Lakes MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 742 | B− |
| Chisago Lakes Senior HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,053 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MN on state tests and graduation
27% of Lindstrom adults feel lonely. Lindstrom beats the Minnesota average on 2 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 31% of Lindstrom adults sleep under 7 hours.
| Lindstrom | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 30% | 33% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 30% | 36% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 18% | 16% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 16% | 17% |
| What stands out | Lindstrom | MN |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 9.4% | 11.4% |
| Fewer adults without reliable transportation | 6% | 7.1% |
| More adults with arthritis | 26.2% | 22.3% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The average commute for its 2,469 working residents takes 30.1 minutes, against 22.7 across Minnesota.
Most working residents leave Lindstrom for work: only 6% work in town. 17% of workers work from home in Lindstrom. Since 2013, Lindstrom has added 60 jobs, to 1,103 in 2023.
| Lindstrom | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 17% | 14% | 11% |
| Median household income | $98,000 | $90,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 6.5% | 7.1% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 6.1% | 9.9% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 72% of U.S. communities. Since 1986, 3 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Lindstrom.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Lindstrom has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 82°, January nights drop to 5° and about 52 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The typical Lindstrom home is worth about $392,000, up 2.2% in a year, 12% above the Minnesota typical home.
| Lindstrom | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 85% | 75% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,176 a month | $1,199 a month | $1,185 a month |
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Lindstrom. Close and well known come first.
Big draw35 mi Stadium & arenaU.S. Bank Stadium
34 mi Stadium & arenaHuntington Bank Stadium
35 mi Stadium & arenaTarget Field
33 mi Stadium & arenaGrand Casino Arena
34 mi Stadium & arenaAllianz Field
38 mi LakeBde Maka SkaU.S. Bank Stadium: Darb02, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Huntington Bank Stadium: Lectrician2, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Target Field: Lectrician2, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Grand Casino Arena: AlexiusHoratius, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Allianz Field: Andy Witchger, CC BY 2.0 · Bde Maka Ska: Tyler Vigen, CC BY-SA 4.0
1 within 15 miles of the center of Lindstrom
About 4 of every 100 Lindstrom residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Minnesota.
Where Lindstrom’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
3 places in Lindstrom on the National Register of Historic Places.
City in Minnesota, United States
Lindström (also spelled Lindstrom) is a city in Chisago County, Minnesota, United States, located 35 miles northeast of the Twin Cities. The population was 4,888 at the 2020 census. Lindström's motto is America's Little Sweden. U.S. Highway 8 serves as a main route for the community.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
4 towns share a border with Lindstrom.
| Town | MN rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lindstrom | #53 | A | B | — | A− | A− |
| Chisago Lake Township | #103 | A− | B− | — | A− | A− |
| Center City | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Franconia Township | — | — | C | — | A− | A− |
| Chisago City | #140 | A− | C+ | — | A− | B+ |
Franconia Township has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Lindstrom, Chisago Lake Township, Franconia Township and Chisago City report no FBI crime data of their own. Center City isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Lindstrom with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Yes, by almost any measure. Lindstrom grades A overall, better than 93% of U.S. towns and #53 of 271 in Minnesota. It grades A− for health and A− for schools.
That is 3.9 years of the area's median household income ($99,833 across the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.
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