Ottertail, 2007
Ottertail’s story
132 years in pictures
Census counts: 176 in 1910, a low of 164 in 1960, 629 in 2020. The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 2005 and 2 maps from 1912 on.
- 1894Ottertail is settled
OttertailMN
A town of 734, settled in 1894.
2 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Own work · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
734
2025 Census estimate · +15.2% since 2020
Typical home
$367K
+4.9% in a year
Household income
$81K
median
Median age
55.8
years
Jobs based here
582
A job hub
Is Ottertail a good place to live?
32% of residents are 65 or older in Ottertail, above both Minnesota’s towns (18%) and U.S. towns (18%). Among 274 Minnesota towns, just 2 have a higher median age than Ottertail. Ottertail has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What makes Ottertail stand out
Where Ottertail beats most towns.
Small town
734 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Otter Tail TownshipLeaf Lake TownshipOttertail
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Ottertail: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Ottertail, and how to reach them.
PowerOtter Tail Power11.3¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterOttertail water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet3 providers97% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Ottertail’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 hereOtter Tail County Government Services CenterOtter Tail County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP code5657156571 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 Ottertail.
Work & commute
Ottertail has 2.2 jobs for every working resident, and 561 people commute in
Most working residents leave Ottertail for work: only 8% work in town. Ottertail’s average trip to work is 29 minutes, above both the Minnesota town median (23 minutes) and the median of U.S. towns (25 minutes). Since 2013, Ottertail has added 216 jobs, to 582 in 2023.
8%work in town
| Ottertail | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 29 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 8.6% | 7% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Ottertail8%
Perham17%
Fergus Falls11%
Wadena10%
New York Mills8%
19 mi
median commute distance
582
jobs based in Ottertail
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Who lives here
Older than Minnesota overall
17% of Ottertail residents are under 18. Ottertail has grown 15% since 2020, to 734 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 31% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 39% across Minnesota.
55.8median age · MN 38.8
| Ottertail | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 17% | 23% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 31% | 33% | 29% |
OttertailMinnesotaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
22%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma6%
High school25%
Some college25%
Associate’s13%
Bachelor’s20%
Graduate12%
Women and men · all residents
47% women, 53% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±4.5 points. Across Minnesota, 49.9% of residents are women.
| Ottertail | MN | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 7.8% | 12.1% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 9.2% | 10.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 3.7% | 8.8% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 4.7% | 13% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 8% | 13.5% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 14.1% | 11.6% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 20.6% | 12.9% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 22% | 10.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 10% | 7% | 7% |
| No diploma | 5.7% | 6.1% | 10.4% |
| High school | 24.9% | 23.3% | 26% |
| Some college | 25.2% | 19.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 12.9% | 11.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 19.8% | 25.6% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 11.6% | 13.8% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 700, single groups can be off by several points
Climate
Snowy winters and pleasant summers in Ottertail
Ottertail has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. The July high in Ottertail is 80°F.
46″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter3–22°
Spring31–52°
Summer56–78°
Fall34–54°
Oct 5
typical first frost
May 5
typical last frost
+1.5°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Ottertail is
Ottertail beats the Minnesota average on 9 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 4. 13% of adults report frequent mental distress in Ottertail.
| Ottertail | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 16% | 17% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 30% | 33% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 30% | 36% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 8.2% | 11% | 14% |
32 measures vs. Minnesota
9 better19 too close to call4 worse
| What stands out | Ottertail | MN |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 6.6% | 9.3% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 8.2% | 11.4% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 11.8% | 8.5% |
Perham Health
11.1 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Housing
Ottertail’s typical home value is about $367K
The typical Ottertail home is worth about $367,000, up 4.9% in a year, 5% above the Minnesota typical home.
$367KZillow home value
| Ottertail | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 90% | 75% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,150 a month | $1,196 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Ottertail$367K
Minnesota$349K
+4.9%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Natural hazards
Inland flooding leads a moderate hazard risk in Ottertail
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 53% of U.S. communities. Since 2001, 2 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Ottertail.
47risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes
2
paid flood claims since 2001
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Ottertail
16pages on Ottertail
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Ottertail; the nearest are
Minnesota State Community and Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · Fergus Falls26.9 mi$5,908 in-state tuitionUniversity of Minnesota-MorrisUniversity or college · Public · Morris60.3 mi$14,526 in-state tuition
About 2 of every 100 Ottertail residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Minnesota.
A job hub
Every workday, about 561 people come to Ottertail for work
Where Ottertail’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
582jobs based in Ottertail
8%of working residents work in town
19 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Ottertail
City in Minnesota, United States
Ottertail is a city in Otter Tail County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 629 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 5.1 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,352 ft
- ZIP code
- 56571
- Area code
- 218
Questions about Ottertail
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Ottertail, MN a good place to live?
Ottertail has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.