Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
The town was settled in 1997 and has 3,777 residents today.
Norwood Young America’s strongest subject is schools (A−): its public schools beat four fifths of Minnesota towns on state tests and graduation. With an A− overall, Norwood Young America sits 120th of 271 in Minnesota. Nationally, it does better than 80% of U.S. towns. Add health to its strengths: CDC estimates put its residents' health ahead of 73% of the country. Homes run about $349K for a typical one, 3.5 times the Minneapolis metro’s $100K median household income. This Minnesota town has 3 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Norwood Methodist Episcopal Church and Winter Saloon. Its typical journey to work is 32 minutes, against 23 minutes in Minnesota’s towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns. The town’s January low is 6°F, where Minnesota’s towns sit at 6°F and U.S. towns at 22°F.
Figures: schools, state test and graduation results · health, CDC PLACES · home values, Zillow · incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24 · National Register of Historic Places · NOAA normals, 1991–2020.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Minnesota), ordered by how far Norwood Young America is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Where Norwood Young America beats most towns.
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Central Elementary | PK–5 | 413 |
| St. John S Lutheran School | PK–8 | 92 |
| Central Middle | 6–8 | 216 |
Census counts: 3,108 in 2000, 3,863 in 2020. The archive holds 13 old photos and papers going back to 1890 and 2 maps from 1957 on.
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
3 places in Norwood Young America on the National Register of Historic Places.
Where Norwood Young America’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Ordered by what stands out in Norwood Young America.
Norwood Young America is healthier than towns with similar incomes and has cooler summers than most of the country, though not than most of Minnesota; it also has commutes longer than most of Minnesota.
The largest public high school is Central Senior High, with 337 students. Two of the 4 schools are below, and why each made the list. Its public schools are run by the Central Public School District.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 413 | A− |
| Central Senior HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 337 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MN on state tests and graduation
The average commute for its 1,960 working residents takes 31.9 minutes, against 22.7 across Minnesota.
Just a tenth of Norwood Young America’s working residents have a job in town. For Norwood Young America, the middle household income is $71,000. The top destinations are Waconia (9%), Chaska (9%) and Chanhassen (6%). Employers in Norwood Young America added 75 jobs between 2013 and 2023, to 862.
| Norwood Young America | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 32 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 11% | 7% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $71,000 | $91,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Against the 10,623 U.S. towns with household incomes like Norwood Young America’s, it is healthier than 89%, so that grade isn’t only a matter of income. Within Minnesota it is less healthy than 53% of the 271 graded towns: Minnesota sets a high bar.
Among adults in Norwood Young America, 19% binge drink and 30% have high blood pressure. The town tracks Minnesota closely on all 32 CDC measures. The share of adults in Norwood Young America who sleep under 7 hours: 28%.
| Norwood Young America | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 30% | 36% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 18% | 16% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 31% | 35% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 30% | 33% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Of the losses FEMA expects in Norwood Young America, 40% come from inland flooding and 19% from tornadoes. Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in nearly three quarters of U.S. communities. One flood insurance claim has been paid in the town since 2014.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
July afternoons average 82.1°: cooler than most of the country, but hotter than 77% of Minnesota places with climate records; January nights average 5.6°.
About 52 inches of snow falls in a winter. Norwood Young America’s peak summer temperature is 82°F.
| Norwood Young America | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 6°F | 6°F | 22°F |
| July high | 82°F | 82°F | 85°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Trails total 0.4 miles in 5 parks and preserves. The trail density for Norwood Young America comes to 0.2 miles per square mile.
| Norwood Young America | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.2 miles per square mile | 0.5 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 4.8% | 4.6% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. NYA Sports Complex | — | 12 |
| 2. Friendship Park | — | 11 |
| 3. NYA Legion Park | 0.1 mi | 4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Over the 12 months to September 2026, the typical home gained 2.3% in value. The midpoint rent in Norwood Young America is $1,073 a month.
| Norwood Young America | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,073 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
Who provides power, water and the rest in Norwood Young America, 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.
1 within 15 miles of the center of Norwood Young America
About 3 of every 100 Norwood Young America residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Minnesota.
City in Minnesota, United States
Norwood Young America is a city in Carver County, Minnesota, United States, located about 40 miles west of Minneapolis. The city was formed in 1997 from the merging of two formerly independent cities, Norwood and Young America, which had been founded in the 19th century. The population was 3,863 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
By most measures, yes. Norwood Young America grades A− overall, better than 80% of U.S. towns and #120 of 271 in Minnesota. It grades B+ for health 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.
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