Onamia’s trail network density is 2.3 miles per square mile, above both Minnesota’s towns (0.5) and U.S. towns (0.4). Onamia has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.

What makes Onamia stand out

Where Onamia beats most towns.

Jobs vs. working residents

Jobs here773

Residents who work328

Work

2.4 jobs for every working resident

A regional job hub: more jobs per worker than 96% of U.S. towns

Census LEHD 2023.

Small town

839 people, and everyone knows the way

In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.

Nearby towns

Bradbury Township · 4 mi Onamia Township · 4 mi South Harbor Township · 5 mi Wahkon · 8 mi Kathio Township · 8 mi Lewis Township · 8 mi

South Harbor TownshipOnamia TownshipBradbury TownshipOnamia

OnamiaCloister, 1922

Onamia’s story

125 years in pictures

The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1922.

1901Onamia is settled

Explore the history →

Getting set up

Moving to Onamia: who provides what

Who provides power, water and the rest in Onamia, and how to reach them.

The full setup list →

PowerMille Lacs Energy Cooperative17.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA

WaterOnamia water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA

Internet4 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC

Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Onamia’s trash rules yet

SchoolsOnamia Public School DistrictWhich school depends on your addressNCES

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.gov

Who runs elections hereMille Lacs County CourthouseMille Lacs County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2023

ZIP code5635956359 100%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 Onamia.

Work & commute

A larger share of residents live below the poverty line in Onamia than in most of Minnesota or the rest of the country

No town among the 274 in Minnesota we compare has a lower income of the median household than Onamia. Jobs in Onamia grew by 92 from 2013 to 2023, reaching 773. Only just over a tenth of working residents stay in Onamia for work; the rest commute out. In Onamia, the typical journey to work is 22 minutes.

12%work in town

	Onamia	Minnesota towns	U.S. towns
Below the poverty line	26%	7%	9.6%
Median household income	$33,000	$90,000	$80,000
Average trip to work	22 minutes	23 minutes	25 minutes
Work from home	11%	14%	11%

Where working residents work

In Onamia12%

Kathio Township25%

Onamia Township4%

Brainerd3%

Baxter2%

22 mi

median commute distance

773

jobs based in Onamia

A job hub

jobs vs. working residents

Full pageOnamia’s work & commute pageOpen the page

The jobs here773 jobs based here · A job hub Where people work12% work in Onamia Commute times22 minutes · The average commute How far they goHalf commute less than 22 miles

Census LEHD 2023 · ACS

Schools

The schools Onamia’s kids attend

One of its 2 schools is below, with the reason it’s listed. The Onamia Public School District runs its public schools. The 2 public schools in Onamia teach 64 students between them.

School	Level	Students	Letter
Onamia AcademyLargest public high schoolGrades 4–12	Grades 4–12	36	D⁻

Full pageOnamia’s schools pageOpen the page

The districtsONAMIA PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT Vs. the neighbors3 bordering towns Every school2 schools · Onamia Academy Questions“Are Onamia’s schools good?”

NCES · EDFacts

Climate

Onamia: four seasons and pleasant summers

Onamia’s midsummer high is 80°F, below both the Minnesota town median (82°F) and the median of U.S. towns (85°F).

32″snow a winter

Typical low → high °F

Winter5–24°

Spring30–53°

Summer55–78°

Fall35–54°

Oct 1

typical first frost

May 8

typical last frost

+1.9°

vs. the 20th-century average

Full pageOnamia’s climate pageOpen the page

A year of weatherJuly highs 80°, January lows 2°Rain & snow32″ of snow a winter · 30 inches of rain and snow a year Heating & coolingMostly a heating bill Then and now+1.9° vs. the 20th century · Warmer than the 20th-century average

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020

Housing

A smaller share of households in Onamia are owner-occupiers than in the typical Minnesota or U.S. town

Only 6 of the 257 Minnesota towns we compare have a lower going rate for rent than Onamia. Homes in the town are typically worth about $295,000, up 2.2% in a year, 15% below the Minnesota typical home.

$295KZillow home value

	Onamia	Minnesota towns	U.S. towns
Households that own their home	51%	75%	73%
Median rent	$656 a month	$1,196 a month	$1,185 a month

Typical home value

Onamia$295K

Minnesota$349K

+2.2%

value change, 1 year

homes sold in May

Full pageOnamia’s housing & cost-of-living pageOpen the page

Prices over the yearsUp 2.2% in a year Years of income to buyA typical home costs 9.0 years of income Rents$656 a month · Median rent Vs. the neighbors3 bordering towns

Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center

Safety

Crime reported in Onamia

27 crimes were reported in Onamia in 2024: 15 property and 12 violent. In a town this small, a few incidents move the numbers a lot, so rates aren't shown.

Onamia is small, so we show counts rather than rates.

violent crimes reported in 2024

property crimes reported in 2024

Full pageOnamia’s safety reportOpen the page

Violent crime by type12 violent crimes · Reported in 2024 Crime over the yearsReported crime since 2023 Vs. the neighbors3 bordering towns Questions“Is Onamia, MN safe?”

FBI crime data, 2024 · crimes reported to police

Health

How healthy Onamia is

Of the 272 Minnesota towns we compare, none has a higher share of adults who get no exercise outside work than Onamia. The town does better than the Minnesota average on 3 of 32 CDC measures and worse on 19. For adults in the town, the share who binge drink is 13%.

	Onamia	Minnesota towns	U.S. towns
Diabetes (CDC PLACES)	18%	10%	12%
Get no exercise (CDC PLACES)	37%	23%	25%
High blood pressure (CDC PLACES)	47%	31%	35%
Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES)	17%	12%	14%

32 measures vs. Minnesota

3 better10 too close to call19 worse

What stands out	Onamia	MN
Fewer binge drinkers	13%	17.8%
More adults treating high blood pressure	84.1%	76.1%
More older adults who have lost all their teeth	19.3%	8.9%

Mille Lacs Health System

0.3 mi away · emergency room

2 of 3

care shortages: dental, mental health

Full pageOnamia’s health reportOpen the page

Everyday habitsMore adults who get no exercise Hospitals & doctors nearby0.3 miles to an ER · Mille Lacs Health System How adults are doingMore adults in fair or poor health Every CDC estimateBetter than MN on 3 of 32

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA

Outdoors

Onamia has set aside 6.7% of its land for conservation

Parks and preserves in Onamia: one, of 4 acres.

6.7%conserved

6.7%

conserved · 42 of 621 acres

2.3 mi

of trails · 2.3 per sq mi

Biggest places to walk	Trails	Acres
1. Onamia City Park	—	4

Full pageOnamia’s outdoors pageOpen the page

Trail map2.3 miles of trail, mapped Pick a walk4 acres · Onamia City Park Conserved land6.7% conserved · 42 acres protected Questions“Where can I hike in Onamia?”

Natural hazards

The biggest natural risk in Onamia is inland flooding, at a moderate overall level

Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 52% of U.S. communities. FEMA puts 72% of Onamia’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 13% to cold waves.

48risk score of 100

FEMA risk score

Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes

Full pageOnamia’s hazards pageOpen the page

What it facesModerate risk Flood claims0 paid flood claims · No paid flood claims on record Past disasters8 disaster declarations · Declared for the county Get ready0.4 events a year, on average · Ready for inland flooding

FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA

Nearby attractions

Mille Lacs Lake and 4 more within 40 miles

Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Onamia. Close and well known come first.

All 9 attractions →

12 mi LakeMille Lacs Lake 26 mi Theme parkPaul Bunyan Land

9 mi MuseumMille Lacs Indian Museum

20 mi AttractionKenney Lake Overlook 33 mi GardenNorthland Arboretum

Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons

Photo credits

Mille Lacs Lake: Dougtone, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Mille Lacs Indian Museum: McGhiever, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Kenney Lake Overlook: McGhiever, CC BY-SA 3.0

After high school

Colleges nearby

None within 15 miles of Onamia; the nearest are

Central Lakes College-BrainerdCommunity college · Public · Brainerd32.5 mi$6,249 in-state tuition Saint Cloud State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Saint Cloud42.7 mi$10,245 in-state tuition

About 2 of every 100 Onamia residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Minnesota.

Prices by family income, graduation and earnings →

A job hub

Every workday, about 735 people come to Onamia for work

Where Onamia’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.

773jobs based in Onamia

12%of working residents work in town

22 mimedian commute distance

Census LEHD 2023

About Onamia

City in Minnesota, United States

Official town website ↗

Onamia ( oh-NAYM-ee-ə) is a city in Mille Lacs County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 784 as of the 2020 census, down from 878 in 2010. U.S. Highway 169 and Minnesota State Highway 27 are the main routes in the community.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

Area: 1.0 sq mi
Elevation: 1,263 ft
ZIP code: 56359
Area code: 320

Questions about Onamia

Short answers, built from the data on this page.

Is Onamia, MN a good place to live?

Onamia has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.

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