Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 15,670, platted in 1854. Public schools that outperform most of Minnesota.
Trash & recyclingMonticello is a solid, middle-of-the-road choice. It grades A overall, 63rd of 271 graded towns in Minnesota, with no subject far below average. Its best mark is schools: its public schools beat 86% of Minnesota towns on state tests and graduation. It also does better than most on incomes: the median household earns $80K. A typical home there costs about $334K, 3.3 years of the Minneapolis metro’s $100K median household income. 11% of residents are 65 or older in Monticello, below both the Minnesota town median (18%) and the median of U.S. towns (18%). The biggest park or preserve is Montissippi County Park, at 153 acres. Monticello's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 85% of U.S. towns.
Where Monticello beats most towns.
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Pinewood Elementary | 1–5 | 794 |
| Little Mountain Elementary | 1–5 | 576 |
| Eastview Education Center | PK–K | 301 |
Nicherson-Tarbox House, Shed and Barn12,759 counted in 2010 and 14,455 in 2020; an estimated 15,670 in 2025.
Growth hasn’t slowed: 8.3% since 2020, after 13.3% in the decade before.
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 Monticello is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 290 in 1880, 14,455 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1855 and 3 maps from 1961 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Monticello, 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 Monticello.
Monticello trades workers with Minneapolis and other neighbors, gets more snow than most of the country, though not than most of Minnesota and is healthy by national standards but mid-pack in Minnesota.
| Monticello | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.6 miles per square mile | 0.5 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 3.6% | 4.7% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Pioneer Park | 0.3 mi | 19 |
| 2. Montissippi County Park | 0.2 mi | 153 |
| 3. River Mill Park | 0.1 mi | 10 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by the Monticello Public School District. Three of its 18 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monticello MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 860 | B |
| Monticello Senior HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,313 | B |
| Swan River Montessori Charter SchTop results in townGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 161 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MN on state tests and graduation
Within Minnesota it is less healthy than 62% of the 271 graded towns: Minnesota sets a high bar.
Monticello beats the Minnesota average on 2 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 5. 20% of adults binge drink in Monticello.
| Monticello | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 18% | 16% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 73% | 75% | 79% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 30% | 36% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 25% | 23% |
| What stands out | Monticello | MN |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 7.2% | 8.5% |
| Fewer adults with heart disease | 5.2% | 5.9% |
| More uninsured adults | 9.3% | 7.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The Buffalo 2ne weather station, 7 miles away, records that 40 inches of snow fall in a normal winter: more than most of the country, but less than 85% of Minnesota places with climate records.
Monticello has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. Monticello’s July high is 81°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 66% of U.S. communities. Since 1979, 4 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Monticello.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Monticello has about as many jobs (6,836) as working residents, but only 1,269 people both live and work here. Jobs based here grew from 5,231 in 2013 to 6,836.
Most working residents leave Monticello for work: only 17% work in town. Since 2013, Monticello has added 1,605 jobs, to 6,836 in 2023. The average trip to work in Monticello is 26 minutes.
| Monticello | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 17% | 9.7% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 26 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 6.7% | 7.1% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $80,000 | $91,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The typical Monticello home is worth about $334,000, up 1.1% in a year, close to the Minnesota typical home. 65% of Monticello households own their home.
| Monticello | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 65% | 75% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,405 a month | $1,192 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
None within 15 miles of Monticello; the nearest are
About 6 of every 100 Monticello residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Minnesota.
2 places in Monticello on the National Register of Historic Places.
City in Minnesota, United States
Monticello ( MON-tiss-EL-oh) is a city next to the Mississippi River in Wright County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 14,455 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
4 towns share a border with Monticello.
| Town | MN rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monticello | #63 | A | B− | — | A | B+ |
| Monticello Township | #52 | A | B | — | A | B+ |
| Becker · Becker Township | #39 | A | B+ | A− | A− | A− |
| Big Lake Township | #106 | A− | C+ | — | A | A− |
Monticello, Monticello Township and Big Lake Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Becker Township and Becker are one community, graded once. Compare Monticello with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
By most measures, yes. Monticello grades A overall, better than 92% of U.S. towns and #63 of 271 in Minnesota. It grades B+ for health and A for schools.
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−.
Monticello was platted in 1854 and has 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places. 2 notable people were born here, including Joel Przybilla and Lois Wann.
