Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Overall, New Ulm earns an A: better than 89% of U.S. towns, and 78th of 271 in Minnesota. Its standout strength is schools: its schools outperform 79% of the state's. Walkability is another plus — it is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 86% of U.S. towns. What counts against it is hazard risk: FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 60% of U.S. communities, with cold waves at the top. A typical home there costs about $250K, 3.6 years of the New Ulm area’s $69K median household income. Its National Register listings include New Ulm Post Office and Hermann Monument. 56% of working residents work locally here, where Minnesota’s towns sit at 9.7% and U.S. towns at 8%. The town’s trail density is 1.4 miles per square mile, above both the Minnesota town median (0.5) and the median of U.S. towns (0.4).
Figures: schools, state test and graduation results · FEMA National Risk Index · home values, Zillow · incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24 · National Register of Historic Places · Census LEHD, 2023 · OpenStreetMap.
Where New Ulm beats most towns.
Its 22 National Register listings are more than in 97% of Minnesota towns with a listing.
Census counts: 635 in 1860, 14,120 in 2020. The archive holds 10 old photos and papers going back to 1870 and 2 maps from 1964 on.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Minnesota), ordered by how far New Ulm is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in New Ulm, 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 New Ulm.
New Ulm pairs an A overall with homes cheaper than the Minnesota norm and pairs an A− for schools with modest home prices, but it has seen reported crime rise by about half.
Flandrau State Park, at 514 acres with 7.8 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve. 15 miles of trail wind through 22 parks and preserves.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Flandrau State Park | 7.8 mi | 514 |
| 2. Nehls Park & Disc Golf Course | 0.5 mi | 12 |
| 3. Riverside Park | 0.3 mi | 13 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
That grade comes with a B for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $251K.
Two of its 18 schools are shown below, with the reason for each. Its public schools are run by the New Ulm Public School District. The largest public high school is New Ulm High School, with 687 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades 1–4 | Grades 1–4 | 643 | C+ |
| New Ulm High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 687 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MN on state tests and graduation
Reported crimes rose from 75 to 117 over the last three FBI years, a rise beyond ordinary year-to-year swings. Violent crime is rare: 4 reported in 2025, 0.3 per 1,000 residents.
The violent crime rate in New Ulm is 0.3 per 1,000 residents. The level of property crime here is 8.1 per 1,000 residents.
| New Ulm | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.3 per 1,000 residents | 1.1 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 8.1 per 1,000 residents | 8.7 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
New Ulm grades A overall with a typical home of about $251K, below the Minnesota typical value; only 39 of the 123 Minnesota towns graded A− or better can say that. Home values rose 31% in five years, to about $251K, against 14% across Minnesota.
A home in New Ulm typically sold within 27 days of listing. Home values are up 6.1% over the year to September 2026. For New Ulm, the rent at the middle of the market is $962 a month.
| New Ulm | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $962 a month | $1,199 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 75% | 75% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Against the 9,815 U.S. towns with household incomes like New Ulm’s, it is healthier than 88%, so its B+ isn’t only a matter of income. Within Minnesota it is less healthy than 65% of the 271 graded towns: Minnesota sets a high bar.
Among adults in New Ulm, 29% feel lonely and 76% had a checkup this year. 27% of New Ulm adults sleep under 7 hours.
| New Ulm | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 30% | 36% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 30% | 33% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 76% | 75% | 79% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 12% | 14% |
| What stands out | New Ulm | MN |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 6.7% | 5.4% |
| More adults with heart disease | 7.1% | 5.9% |
| More adults who have had a stroke | 3.6% | 3.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The New Ulm 2 Se weather station records that the frost-free season runs about 161 days: shorter than most of the country, but longer than 86% of Minnesota places with climate records.
Summer afternoons peak near 83° in July, and January nights bottom out around 6°; snowfall runs to about 38 inches a winter. New Ulm brings cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The average commute for its 5,665 working residents takes 12.1 minutes, against 22.7 across Minnesota.
Among 273 Minnesota towns, just 4 have a lower average trip to work than New Ulm. In New Ulm, 5.6% of workers work from home. The top destinations are Sleepy Eye (3%), Home Township (2%) and Hutchinson (2%). Its typical household income is $64,000.
| New Ulm | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 56% | 9.7% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 12 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 5.6% | 14% | 11% |
| Median household income | $64,000 | $91,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Since 1993, 12 flood insurance claims have been paid out in New Ulm. FEMA puts 48% of the town’s expected hazard losses down to cold waves, and 33% to inland flooding. Federal aid has come to New Ulm households in 7 declared disasters; the latest was in 2024.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
1 within 15 miles of the center of New Ulm
About 8 of every 100 New Ulm residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Minnesota.
10.8% of the town is conserved land, across 22 parks and preserves.
22 places in New Ulm on the National Register of Historic Places.
22 notable people were born in New Ulm.
City in Minnesota, United States
New Ulm ( NEW ULM) is a city and the county seat of Brown County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 14,120 at the 2020 census. New Ulm is on the triangle of land formed by the confluence of the Minnesota River and the Cottonwood River. New Ulm is home to the Hermann Heights Monument, Flandrau State Park, the historic August Schell Brewing Company, and the Minnesota Music Hall of Fame. The city is known for its German heritage and its historical sites and landmarks dating to the US-Dakota War of 1862. New Ulm is the episcopal see of the Diocese of New Ulm and home to the Handmaids of the Heart of Jesus. The Dakota called New Ulm the "Village on the Cottonwood" or Wachupata.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
4 towns share a border with New Ulm.
| Town | MN rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Ulm | #78 | A | B | A− | A− | B+ |
| Milford Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Courtland Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Cottonwood Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Lafayette Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Milford Township, Courtland Township, Cottonwood Township and Lafayette Township aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare New Ulm with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
By most measures, yes. New Ulm grades A overall, better than 89% of U.S. towns and #78 of 271 in Minnesota. It grades B+ for health, A− 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.
22 notable people were born here, including Tippi Hedren and Wanda Gág.
