Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 1,181, settled in 1904.
Mahnomen’s best subject grades are an A for cost of living and walkability; its weakest is a D− for health. 44% of working residents work locally in Mahnomen, where Minnesota’s towns sit at 9.8% and U.S. towns at 8%. No town in Minnesota scores lower than Mahnomen on health. The median household income is $45K, and 19% of residents live below the poverty line. No town in Minnesota scores lower than Mahnomen on the outdoors. Mahnomen is home to White Earth Tribal and Community College. Mahnomen has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Mahnomen beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
| Widest gap | Mahnomen | MN |
|---|---|---|
| More adults facing food insecurity | 25.6% | 11.4% |
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Minnesota), ordered by how far Mahnomen is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1909.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Mahnomen, 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 Mahnomen.
30% of adults say their health is fair or poor in Mahnomen, against 16% in Minnesota’s towns and 19% across U.S. towns. 35% of adults feel lonely in Mahnomen. No town among the 272 in Minnesota we compare has a higher share of adults who have diabetes than Mahnomen.
| Mahnomen | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 16% | 19% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 14% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 10% | 12% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 36% | 23% | 25% |
| What stands out | Mahnomen | MN |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 14.6% | 17.8% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 80.5% | 76.1% |
| More adults facing food insecurity | 25.6% | 11.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by the Mahnomen Public School District. Two of its 4 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Mahnomen Secondary, with 312 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mahnomen ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 319 | C− |
| Mahnomen SecondaryLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 312 | D |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MN on state tests and graduation
Only 3 of the 274 Minnesota towns we compare have a lower median household income than Mahnomen. The average trip to work in Mahnomen is 13 minutes. Since 2013, Mahnomen has lost 542 jobs, to 1,225 in 2023.
| Mahnomen | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 13 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $45,000 | $90,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The typical Mahnomen home is worth about $152,000, up 8.6% in a year, 56% below the Minnesota typical home. Mahnomen’s median rent is $753 a month.
| Mahnomen | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 56% | 75% | 73% |
| Median rent | $753 a month | $1,196 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 81% of U.S. communities. One flood insurance claim has been paid in Mahnomen since 1979.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Mahnomen has cold winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 80° and January nights drop to -3°.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
1 within 15 miles of the center of Mahnomen
About 4 of every 100 Mahnomen residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Minnesota.
Where Mahnomen’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
2 places in Mahnomen on the National Register of Historic Places.
City in Minnesota, United States
Mahnomen ( mə-NOH-mən) is a city in Mahnomen County, Minnesota, United States, along the Wild Rice River. The population was 1,240 at the 2020 census. It is the seat of Mahnomen County. U.S. Highway 59 and Minnesota State Highway 200 are two of the main routes in Mahnomen.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
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.
