Flanders' Block · National Register of Historic Places
Madelia’s story
166 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1872.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1860Madelia is settled
West Bridge · Photo: McGhiever · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
2,488
2025 Census estimate · +3.5% since 2020
Typical home
$187K
+2.7% in a year
Household income
$77K
median
Median age
34.1
years
Jobs based here
1,220
Balanced
Is Madelia a good place to live?
The best of Madelia’s subject grades are an A for cost of living and walkability and an A− for safety; the weakest is a C for schools. 32% of working residents work locally in Madelia, against 9.8% in Minnesota’s towns and 8% across U.S. towns. Only 36 of Minnesota’s 573 towns score higher on cost of living. Madelia has 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them West Bridge and Flanders' Block. Madelia has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Madelia stand out
Where Madelia beats most towns.
Typical home value
Madelia$187K
Minnesota$349K
Cost of livingA
2.6 years of income buys a home
More affordable than 94% of U.S. towns
Zillow Home Value Index; area median household income, Census ACS.
WalkabilityA
More walkable than 89% of U.S. towns
EPA National Walkability Index; Census ACS.
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Madelia0
Minnesota2.3
U.S.3.3
SafetyA−
No violent crime reported in 2025
FBI data, 2025. Crimes reported to police.
How Madelia grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Minnesota), ordered by how far Madelia is from typical.
Cost of livingAOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 8.4 of 20; 7.9% of households have no carAOpen →SafetyA−Open →SchoolsCOpen →HealthMadelia Health 0.5 miles awayBOpen →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listC+Open →Jobs & income$77K median household incomeC+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
OutdoorsC−Open →History2 places on the National Register; 3 notable people born hereB+Open →Civic life9.5 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsBOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 34.1; 17% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Madelia: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Madelia, and how to reach them.
PowerCity of MadeliaEIAHIFLD · EIA
WaterMadelia water system1 health-based violation in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet7 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpMondayTrash dayTown site
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 hereWatonwan County CourthouseWatonwan County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2025
ZIP code5606256062 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 Madelia.
HousingCost of living grade A
A typical Madelia home is worth about $187K
The typical Madelia home is worth about $187,000, up 2.7% in a year, 46% below the Minnesota typical home. At $833 a month, Madelia’s median rent is where Minnesota’s towns sit at $1,196 a month and U.S. towns at $1,185 a month.
$187KZillow home value
| Madelia | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $833 a month | $1,196 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 79% | 75% | 73% |
Typical home value
Madelia$187K
Minnesota$349K
+2.7%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
SchoolsC
Public schools in Madelia fall behind 68% of Minnesota districts
Its public schools are run by the Madelia Public School District. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
32%of MN districts it outscoresCSchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Madelia ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 352 | B |
| Madelia SecondaryLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 294 | C− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MN on state tests and graduation
SafetyA−
Madelia is safer than 79% of U.S. towns, by crime per resident
Madelia’s violent crime rate is 0 per 1,000 residents.
79%of U.S. towns report more crimeA−Safety Grade
| Madelia | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0 per 1,000 residents | 1.1 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 3.7 per 1,000 residents | 8.7 | 9.9 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Madelia0
Minnesota2.3
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Madelia3.7
Minnesota14.3
U.S.15.5
79th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
0
violent crimes reported in 2025
9
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Climate
Madelia has snowy winters and pleasant summers
Madelia has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 83°, January nights drop to 6° and about 50 inches of snow falls in a winter.
50″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter10–27°
Spring35–55°
Summer60–81°
Fall38–58°
Oct 7
typical first frost
Apr 30
typical last frost
+0.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HealthB
Madelia ranks healthier than 64% of the country’s towns
Madelia beats the Minnesota average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 2. 13% of Madelia adults 18 to 64 have no health insurance.
64%healthier than U.S. townsBHealth Grade
| Madelia | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 7.3% | 8.1% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 74% | 75% | 79% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 30% | 36% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 23% | 25% |
32 measures vs. Minnesota
0 better30 too close to call2 worse
| What stands out | Madelia | MN |
|---|---|---|
| More uninsured adults | 12.8% | 7.5% |
| More adults facing housing insecurity | 11.5% | 9.3% |
Madelia Health
0.5 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C+
With 1.2 jobs for every working resident, Madelia draws in 880 commuters
About one in 3 of Madelia’s working residents works in town. 14% of residents live below the poverty line in Madelia. Since 2013, Madelia has added 308 jobs, to 1,220 in 2023.
32%work in town
| Madelia | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 14% | 7% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 27 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $77,000 | $90,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Madelia32%
Mankato11%
St. James10%
New Ulm6%
North Mankato2%
16 mi
median commute distance
1,220
jobs based in Madelia
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
A
Walkability grade: more walkable than 88% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C+
Inland flooding leads a moderate hazard risk in Madelia
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 57% of U.S. communities. Since 2010, 8 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Madelia.
57risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes
8
paid flood claims since 2010
4
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 965 acres
0.0 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Watona Park | — | 8 |
| 2. Flanders Park | — | 4 |
| 3. Lion's Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Madelia
20pages on Madelia
The big questions
SchoolsCBehind 68% of MN districts · 3 schoolsSafetyA−0 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthBBetter than MN on 0 of 32 CDC measuresCost of livingA$187K typical home · up 2.7% in a yearWork & commuteC+$77K median household income · 1,220 jobs hereNatural hazardsC+FEMA risk higher than 57% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Madelia; the nearest are
Martin Luther CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · New Ulm18 mi$18,120 tuitionSouth Central CollegeCommunity college · Public · North Mankato20.4 mi$6,146 in-state tuitionMinnesota State University-MankatoUniversity or college · Public · Mankato21.9 mi$9,572 in-state tuition
About 4 of every 100 Madelia residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Minnesota.
Landmarks
2 places in Madelia on the National Register of Historic Places.
Famous people from Madelia
3 notable people were born in Madelia.
About Madelia
City in Minnesota, United States
Madelia ( mə-DEE-lee-ə) is a city in Watonwan County, Minnesota, United States, along the Watonwan River. The population was 2,396 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.5 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,024 ft
- ZIP code
- 56062
- Area code
- 507
Questions about Madelia
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Madelia, MN expensive?
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.
What is Madelia, MN known for?
3 notable people were born here, including Howard Haycraft and Howard Olson.