Bird's eye view of Northfield, Rice County, Minnesota 1869, 1869
Northfield Township’s story
171 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1868.
- 1855Northfield Township is settled
Northfield TownshipMN
Population
892
2025 Census estimate · +3.2% since 2020
Median home value
$461K
Census ACS
Household income
$104K
median
Median age
48.1
years
Jobs based here
260
A commuter town
Is Northfield Township a good place to live?
26% of residents are 65 or older in Northfield Township, against 18% in Minnesota’s towns and 18% across U.S. towns. Northfield Township has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What makes Northfield Township stand out
Where Northfield Township beats most towns.
Small town
892 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
NorthfieldBridgewater TownshipDennisonWheeling TownshipWaterford TownshipWarsaw TownshipSciota TownshipNorthfield Township
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Northfield Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Northfield Township, and how to reach them.
PowerXcel Energy17.1¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterNorthfield water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet8 providers99% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Northfield Township’s trash rules yet
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 hereRice County ElectionsRice County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP codes55057, 55053, 5501855057 62% · 55053 30% · 55018 8%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 Northfield Township.
Work & commute
Northfield Township has 0.5 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
Most working residents leave Northfield Township for work: only 2% work in town. Since 2013, Northfield Township has added 118 jobs, to 260 in 2023. 3.8% of Northfield Township residents live below the poverty line, below both Minnesota’s towns (7%) and U.S. towns (9.6%).
2%work in town
| Northfield Township | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 1.6% | 9.8% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 3.8% | 7% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $104,000 | $90,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 26 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Northfield Township2%
Northfield26%
Faribault7%
Burnsville4%
Lakeville4%
21 mi
median commute distance
260
jobs based in Northfield Township
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Who lives here
Fewer young adults than Minnesota overall
Adults 18 to 34 are 12% of residents (22% statewide); people 65 and older are 26% of residents (17% statewide). Northfield Township’s median age is 48.1 years. Northfield Township has grown 3.2% since 2020, to 892 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate.
48.1median age · MN 38.8
| Northfield Township | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 48.1 years | 39.9 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 34% | 33% | 29% |
Northfield TownshipMinnesotaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
19%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma3%
High school36%
Some college17%
Associate’s9%
Bachelor’s25%
Graduate9%
Women and men · all residents
49% women, 51% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±3.1 points. Across Minnesota, 49.9% of residents are women.
| Northfield Township | MN | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 11.3% | 12.1% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 14.5% | 10.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 4.9% | 8.8% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 7.1% | 13% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 8.3% | 13.5% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 14.7% | 11.6% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 13.3% | 12.9% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 19.3% | 10.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 6.5% | 7% | 7% |
| No diploma | 2.7% | 6.1% | 10.4% |
| High school | 36.3% | 23.3% | 26% |
| Some college | 17.3% | 19.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 9.4% | 11.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 25.1% | 25.6% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 9.3% | 13.8% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 900, single groups can be off by several points
Climate
Northfield Township has snowy winters and pleasant summers
Northfield Township has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. The July high in Northfield Township is 82°F.
43″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter10–26°
Spring35–55°
Summer59–80°
Fall38–57°
Oct 5
typical first frost
May 5
typical last frost
+1.1°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Northfield Township is
Northfield Township beats the Minnesota average on 10 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 0. 11% of adults report frequent physical distress in Northfield Township.
| Northfield Township | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 12% | 14% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 30% | 36% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 14% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 16% | 19% |
32 measures vs. Minnesota
10 better22 too close to call0 worse
| What stands out | Northfield Township | MN |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 4.4% | 5.7% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 7.3% | 9.3% |
Northfield Hospital
5.8 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazards
Moderate risk in Northfield Township, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 59% of U.S. communities.
59risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesStrong wind
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Outdoors
Northfield Township has set aside 0.4% of its land for conservation
1.1 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve.
0.4%conserved
0.4%
conserved · 94 of 24,585 acres
1.1 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Prairie Creek Wildlife Management Area: Koester Prairie | — | 283 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Northfield Township
17pages on Northfield Township
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
2 within 15 miles of the center of Northfield Township
Carleton CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Northfield4.2 mi$68,892 tuitionSt Olaf CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Northfield5.2 mi$59,760 tuition
About 3 of every 100 Northfield Township residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Minnesota.
A commuter town
98% of working residents leave Northfield Township for work
Where Northfield Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
260jobs based in Northfield Township
2%of working residents work in town
21 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Northfield Township
City in Minnesota, United States
Northfield is a city in Rice County, Minnesota, United States. A small portion lies in the adjacent Dakota County. The population was 20,790 at the 2020 census. Northfield is 40 mi (64 km) south of the downtowns of Minneapolis and St. Paul and is an exurb of the Minneapolis–St. Paul metropolitan area. It is home to two private liberal arts colleges, Carleton College and St. Olaf College.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1855
- Area
- 8.6 sq mi
- Elevation
- 912 ft
- ZIP code
- 55057
- Area code
- 507
Questions about Northfield Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Northfield Township, MN a good place to live?
Northfield Township has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.