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Minnesota›Sherburne County

Palmer TownshipMN

A town of 2,633.

Is Palmer Township a good place to live?

0% of its land is conserved. Overall it grades B−, 222nd of 271 graded towns in Minnesota. The median household earns $121K. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 84% of U.S. towns. Among 273 Minnesota towns, just 8 have a higher share of households owning their home than Palmer Township. Palmer Township's schools rank behind 69% of the state's.

A commuter town

98% of working residents leave Palmer Township for work

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

24% → St. Cloud St. Cloud 24% 5% → Becker Becker 5% 5% → Minneapolis Minneapolis 5% 3% → Sartell Sartell 3% 3% → Monticello Monticello 3% 3% → Waite Park Waite Park 3% Palmer Township · 2% stay
188jobs based in Palmer Township
2%of working residents work in town
16 mimedian commute distance

Census LEHD 2023

How Palmer Township grades

Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Minnesota), ordered by how far Palmer Township is from typical.

How grading works
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.

How TownRatings grades towns →

Getting set up

Moving to Palmer Township: who provides what

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

The full setup list →
PowerConnexus Energy14.1¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
Internet5 providers90% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Palmer Township’s trash rules yet
SchoolsSt. Cloud Public School DistrictBecker Public School District2 districts serve Palmer Township; which school depends on your address and gradeNCES
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 hereSherburne County AuditorSherburne County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Aug 2015
ZIP codes55319, 5630455319 83% · 56304 16%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 Palmer Township.

Palmer Township sends most of its workers to St. Cloud and beyond and is healthy by national standards but behind most towns in Minnesota.

Work & commuteJobs & income grade A

Most working residents commute out of Palmer Township

Palmer Township has 188 jobs for its 1,360 working residents: even if every job went to a resident, most would still commute out. The average commute takes 33.3 minutes, against 22.7 across Minnesota.

Most working residents leave Palmer Township for work: only 2% work in town. Palmer Township’s average trip to work is 33 minutes, where Minnesota’s towns sit at 23 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. 2.1% of Palmer Township residents live below the poverty line.

2%work in town
Palmer TownshipMinnesota townsU.S. towns
Average trip to work33 minutes23 minutes25 minutes
Median household income$121,000$90,000$80,000
Below the poverty line2.1%7.1%9.6%
Working residents who work in town1.7%9.9%8%

Where working residents work

In Palmer Township2%
St. Cloud24%
Becker5%
Minneapolis5%
Sartell3%
16 mi
median commute distance
188
jobs based in Palmer Township
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 16% of U.S. towns

Census LEHD 2023 · ACS

Who lives here

Fewer young adults than Minnesota overall

In the comparison, Palmer Township comes against 39.9 years in Minnesota’s towns and 40.5 years across U.S. towns. Adults 18 to 34 are 12% of residents (22% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 46% of residents (38% statewide). Palmer Township has grown 4.4% since 2020, to 2,633 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate.

46.1median age · MN 38.8
Palmer TownshipMinnesota townsU.S. towns
Median age46.1 years39.9 years40.5 years
Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+37%33%29%
Under 1824%23%22%
Palmer TownshipMinnesotaUnited States

Ages · share of residents

Education · adults 25 and older

No diploma4%
High school25%
Some college24%
Associate’s11%
Bachelor’s25%
Graduate12%

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.

Ages and education in Palmer Township
Palmer TownshipMNU.S.
Under 1016.1%12.1%11.6%
10 to 177.5%10.7%10.3%
18 to 244.6%8.8%9.1%
25 to 347.7%13%13.7%
35 to 4412.9%13.5%13.2%
45 to 5413.6%11.6%12.2%
55 to 6419.1%12.9%12.7%
65 to 7410.2%10.2%10.2%
75 and older8.1%7%7%
No diploma4.1%6.1%10.4%
High school24.7%23.3%26%
Some college23.5%19.5%19.1%
Associate’s11.1%11.8%8.8%
Bachelor’s25%25.6%21.6%
Graduate11.5%13.8%14.1%

Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 2,600, single groups can be off by several points

Climate

In Palmer Township, expect snowy winters and pleasant summers

Palmer Township has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. The July high in Palmer Township is 81°F.

48″snow a winter

Typical low → high °F

Winter7–25°
Spring33–54°
Summer58–79°
Fall37–56°
Sep 30
typical first frost
May 7
typical last frost
+1.7°
vs. the 20th-century average

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020

HealthB

Palmer Township is healthier than 57% of U.S. towns

Within Minnesota it is less healthy than 76% of the 271 graded towns: Minnesota sets a high bar. Against the 5,661 U.S. towns with household incomes like Palmer Township’s, it is less healthy than 81%: its national edge comes with its incomes.

Palmer Township beats the Minnesota average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 6. 20% of adults binge drink in Palmer Township. Among 271 Minnesota towns, just 7 have a higher share of adults who have obesity than Palmer Township.

57%healthier than U.S. townsBHealth Grade
Palmer TownshipMinnesota townsU.S. towns
Binge drink (CDC PLACES)20%18%16%
Obesity (CDC PLACES)41%35%35%
Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES)29%30%36%
Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES)74%75%79%
32 measures vs. Minnesota
0 better26 too close to call6 worse
What stands outPalmer TownshipMN
More older adults who have lost all their teeth12.4%8.9%
More adults with obesity40.6%33.5%
More adults facing a utility shut-off6.9%5.7%
Centracare - St. Cloud Hospital
11.4 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
24th
percentile among MN towns

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

Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B−

Inland flooding leads a moderate hazard risk in Palmer Township

Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 54% of U.S. communities. Since 2022, 5 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Palmer Township.

46risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
46Moderate riskLowerHigher
Inland floodingTornadoesStrong wind
5
paid flood claims since 2022

FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Palmer Township

16pages on Palmer Township
After high school

Colleges nearby

3 within 15 miles of the center of Palmer Township

About Palmer Township

Township in Minnesota, United States

Palmer Township is a township in Sherburne County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 2,414 at the 2000 census.

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

Area
37 sq mi
Elevation
1,007 ft

Palmer Township’s neighbors

4 towns share a border with Palmer Township.

Explore the map →
How the neighbors grade
TownMN rankOverallCostSafetySchoolsHealth
Palmer Township#222B−B—CB
St. George Township——C−—A−B
Santiago Township——B—B+B+
Haven Township——B−—C−C
Becker Township——————

St. George Township, Santiago Township and Haven Township have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Palmer Township, St. George Township, Santiago Township and Haven Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Becker Township isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Palmer Township with a neighbor →

Questions about Palmer Township

Short answers, built from the data on this page.

Is Palmer Township, MN a good place to live?

Palmer Township grades B− overall, better than 49% of U.S. towns and #222 of 271 in Minnesota. It grades B for health and C for schools. Walkability is its weak spot, with a C−.

Is Palmer Township, MN expensive?

Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.