Bird's eye view of Owatonna, Steele County, Minnesota 1870, 1870
Owatonna Township’s story
Owatonna Township in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1870.
Explore the history →
Owatonna TownshipMN
A town of 601.
5 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Bmzuckerman · CC BY 4.0
Population
601
2025 Census estimate · −2.4% since 2020
Median home value
$352K
Census ACS
Household income
$130K
median
Median age
35.9
years
Jobs based here
427
A job hub
Is Owatonna Township a good place to live?
Owatonna Township’s median household income is $130,000, above both the Minnesota town median ($90,000) and the median of U.S. towns ($80,000). The biggest park or preserve is Somerset Wildlife Management Area, at 447 acres. Owatonna Township has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
601 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
OwatonnaSomerset TownshipHavana TownshipMeriden TownshipClinton Falls TownshipOwatonna Township
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Owatonna Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Owatonna Township, and how to reach them.
PowerSteele-Waseca Cooperative Electric16.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterOwatonna water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet10 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Owatonna 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 hereSteele County AuditorSteele County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP code5506055060 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 Owatonna Township.
Work & commute
More than half of Owatonna Township’s working residents commute to Owatonna
Most working residents leave Owatonna Township for work: only 2% work in town. Owatonna Township’s average trip to work is 20 minutes, below both Minnesota’s towns (23 minutes) and U.S. towns (25 minutes). Jobs based in Owatonna Township grew to 427 in 2023, 101 more than in 2013.
2%work in town
| Owatonna Township | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 20 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 1.9% | 9.8% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 5.1% | 7% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Owatonna Township2%
Owatonna54%
Faribault6%
Rochester4%
Northfield3%
5 mi
median commute distance
427
jobs based in Owatonna Township
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Snowy winters and pleasant summers in Owatonna Township
Owatonna Township has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. The July high in Owatonna Township is 81°F.
44″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter10–26°
Spring34–54°
Summer59–79°
Fall37–57°
Oct 6
typical first frost
May 5
typical last frost
+1.1°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazards
Owatonna Township faces a high natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 66% of U.S. communities. Since 1979, 7 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Owatonna Township.
66risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesCold waves
7
paid flood claims since 1979
3
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Health
How healthy Owatonna Township is
Owatonna Township beats the Minnesota average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 74% of Owatonna Township adults had a checkup this year.
| Owatonna Township | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 74% | 75% | 79% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 30% | 36% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 35% | 35% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 16% | 17% |
32 measures vs. Minnesota
0 better31 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Owatonna Township | MN |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 12.4% | 8.9% |
Owatonna Hospital
0.4 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Outdoors
Conserved land covers 2.7% of Owatonna Township
3.5 miles of trail in 3 parks and preserves. Owatonna Township’s trail density is 0.2 miles per square mile.
2.7%conserved
| Owatonna Township | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.2 miles per square mile | 0.5 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 2.7% | 4.7% | 4.3% |
2.7%
conserved · 395 of 14,778 acres
3.5 mi
of trails · 0.2 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Somerset Wildlife Management Area | 0.3 mi | 447 |
| 2. Kaplans Woods Regional Park | — | 5 |
| 3. MN Pheasants, Inc. | — | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Owatonna Township
17pages on Owatonna Township
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Owatonna Township; the nearest are
St Olaf CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Northfield28.1 mi$59,760 tuitionRiverland Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Austin28.4 mi$6,298 in-state tuitionUniversity of Minnesota-RochesterUniversity or college · Public · Rochester37.5 mi$15,016 in-state tuition
About 2 of every 100 Owatonna Township residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Minnesota.
A job hub
Every workday, about 422 people come to Owatonna Township for work
Where Owatonna Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
427jobs based in Owatonna Township
2%of working residents work in town
5 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Owatonna Township
City in Minnesota, United States
Owatonna () is a city in and the county seat of Steele County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 26,420 at the 2020 census. Owatonna is home to the Steele County Fairgrounds, which hosts the Steele County Free Fair in August. Interstate 35 and U.S. Highways 14 and 218 are three of the main routes in the city.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 15 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,152 ft
- ZIP code
- 55060
- Area code
- 507
Questions about Owatonna Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Owatonna Township, MN a good place to live?
Owatonna Township has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.