2013-0408-PaynesvilleCH, 2013
Paynesville Township’s story
169 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2005.
- 1857Paynesville Township is settled
Paynesville TownshipMN
5 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Bobak Ha'Eri · CC BY 3.0
Population
1,494
2025 Census estimate · +5.1% since 2020
Median home value
$367K
Census ACS
Household income
$104K
median
Median age
51.6
years
Jobs based here
362
A commuter town
Is Paynesville Township a good place to live?
The best of Paynesville Township’s subject grades is an A− for walkability; the weakest is a C for hazard risk. Paynesville Township’s midpoint age is 51.6 years, above both Minnesota’s towns (39.9 years) and U.S. towns (40.5 years). The biggest park or preserve is Spirit Prairie Wildlife Management Area, at 170 acres. Paynesville Township has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Paynesville Township stand out
Where Paynesville Township beats most towns.
WalkabilityA−
More walkable than 79% of U.S. towns
8.8% of workers walk, bike or ride transit
EPA National Walkability Index; Census ACS.
32 measures vs. Minnesota
3 better24 too close to call5 worse
| Widest gap | Paynesville Township | MN |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults without reliable transportation | 6.1% | 7.1% |
HealthB+
Trails MN on 5 of 32 CDC measures, beats it on 3
Less healthyHealthier
CDC PLACES 2025 estimates.
0historic places
History
Settled in 1857
A long history
A history going back 169 years.
Small town
1,494 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Eden Lake TownshipUnion Grove TownshipRoseville TownshipZion TownshipMunson TownshipPaynesville Township
How Paynesville Township grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Minnesota), ordered by how far Paynesville Township is from typical.
WalkabilityEPA walkability 7.1 of 20; 1.2% of households have no carA−Open →HealthCentracare - Paynesville Hospital 1.5 miles awayB+Open →Jobs & incomeBased on what households earn, poverty and workB+Open →Hazard riskInland flooding tops the listCOpen →Cost of livingTypical home $367K, 4.8 years of the St. Cloud metro’s $76K median household incomeBOpen →SchoolsBehind 56% of Minnesota districts on tests and graduationC+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors1 mile of trail; 3% conserved landC+Open →HistoryLess recorded history than most townsCOpen →Civic life5.7 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsC+Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Paynesville Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Paynesville Township, and how to reach them.
PowerXcel Energy17.1¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterPaynesville 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 Paynesville 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 hereStearns County Service CenterStearns County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP code5636256362 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 Paynesville Township.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B+
Most of Paynesville Township’s workers commute out: the town has 0.5 jobs for each of them
The top destinations are Paynesville (34%), St. Cloud (8%) and Cold Spring (3%). Most working residents leave Paynesville Township for work: only 6% work in town. Employers in Paynesville Township added 71 jobs between 2013 and 2023, to 362. Also worth knowing: the middle household income for Paynesville Township comes to $104,000.
6%work in town
| Paynesville Township | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $104,000 | $90,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 4.7% | 7% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 26 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 6.1% | 9.8% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Paynesville Township6%
Paynesville34%
St. Cloud8%
Cold Spring3%
Litchfield2%
14 mi
median commute distance
362
jobs based in Paynesville Township
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
A−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 79% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HealthB+
Residents of Paynesville Township are healthier than 73% of U.S. towns
Paynesville Township: one in ten adults worry about having enough food. 29% of adults in Paynesville Township feel lonely; 15% report frequent mental distress.
73%healthier than U.S. townsB+Health Grade
| Paynesville Township | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 30% | 36% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 30% | 33% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 16% | 17% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 77% | 75% | 79% |
32 measures vs. Minnesota
3 better24 too close to call5 worse
| What stands out | Paynesville Township | MN |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults without reliable transportation | 6.1% | 7.1% |
| More adults screened for colon cancer | 73% | 68.7% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.5% | 8.5% |
Centracare - Paynesville Hospital
1.5 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Climate
Paynesville Township has snowy winters and pleasant summers
For Paynesville Township, the typical July afternoon high is 81°F.
50″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter6–24°
Spring33–54°
Summer58–79°
Fall36–56°
Oct 4
typical first frost
May 4
typical last frost
+1.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Who lives here
Fewer adults under 35 in Paynesville Township than across Minnesota
Among residents in Paynesville Township, 22% are 65 or older. The town has grown 5.1% since 2020, to 1,494 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. Just over a third of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 39% across Minnesota.
51.6median age · MN 38.8
| Paynesville Township | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 22% | 18% | 18% |
| Under 18 | 21% | 23% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 34% | 33% | 29% |
Paynesville TownshipMinnesotaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
19%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma4%
High school31%
Some college19%
Associate’s14%
Bachelor’s24%
Graduate10%
Women and men · all residents
44% women, 56% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±9.7 points. Across Minnesota, 49.9% of residents are women. Among residents 18 to 24, 77% are men (MN 51%).
| Paynesville Township | MN | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 11.8% | 12.1% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 9.5% | 10.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 7.3% | 8.8% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 7.3% | 13% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 8.9% | 13.5% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 13.8% | 11.6% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 19.3% | 12.9% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 13.3% | 10.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 8.9% | 7% | 7% |
| No diploma | 3.5% | 6.1% | 10.4% |
| High school | 30.6% | 23.3% | 26% |
| Some college | 18.5% | 19.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 13.7% | 11.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 23.7% | 25.6% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 9.9% | 13.8% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,500, single groups can be off by several points
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C
Paynesville Township faces a high natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
70% of Paynesville Township’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by tornadoes at 10%. FEMA expects more storm and flood damage in the town than in 64% of U.S. communities. Federal disaster aid has reached households in Paynesville Township once, in 2001.
64risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesStrong wind
1
paid flood claims since 2023
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
OutdoorsC+
Protected land: 3.3% of Paynesville Township
Across 5 parks and preserves: 0.8 miles of trail. Parks and preserves in Paynesville Township: 5, covering 372 acres.
3.3%conserved
3.3%
conserved · 702 of 21,337 acres
0.8 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Spirit Prairie Wildlife Management Area | — | 170 |
| 2. Partners Wildlife Management Area | — | 76 |
| 3. Paynesville Sportsmens Club Wildlife Management Area | — | 68 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Paynesville Township
18pages on Paynesville Township
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Paynesville Township; the nearest are
Saint Johns UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Collegeville20.9 mi$55,816 tuitionRidgewater CollegeCommunity college · Public · Willmar24.1 mi$6,121 in-state tuitionSaint Cloud State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Saint Cloud29.3 mi$10,245 in-state tuition
About 5 of every 100 Paynesville Township residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Minnesota.
A commuter town
94% of working residents leave Paynesville Township for work
Where Paynesville Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
362jobs based in Paynesville Township
6%of working residents work in town
14 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Paynesville Township
City in Minnesota, United States
Paynesville is a city in Stearns County, Minnesota, United States, on Lake Koronis, in the central part of the state. The population was 2,388 at the 2020 census. It is part of the St. Cloud Metropolitan Statistical Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1857
- Area
- 2.3 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,171 ft
- ZIP code
- 56362
- Area code
- 320
Questions about Paynesville Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Paynesville Township, MN expensive?
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.