Plato MN 1, 2011
Plato’s story
168 years in pictures
Census counts: 49 in 1880, 329 in 2020. The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 2005 and 2 maps from 1958 on.
- 1858Plato is settled
Photo: Jon Platek · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
321
2025 Census estimate · −2.4% since 2020
Typical home
$365K
+5.6% in a year
Household income
$91K
median
Median age
40.1
years
Jobs based here
264
A job hub
Is Plato a good place to live?
97% of households are owner-occupiers in Plato, against 75% in Minnesota’s towns and 73% across U.S. towns. Plato has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
321 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Plato: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Plato, and how to reach them.
PowerXcel Energy17.1¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterPlato water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpTown’s haulerThe town’s contract hauler picks up at the curb for every homeTown site
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 hereMcLeod CountyMcLeod County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP code5537055370 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 Plato.
Work & commute
Plato has 1.7 jobs for every working resident, and 261 people commute in
1.9% of Plato working residents work locally. Between 2013 and 2023, jobs locally rose by 227, to 264. Its mean commuting time comes in at 29 minutes. For half of commuters, work is under 17 miles away.
2%work in town
| Plato | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 29 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 1.9% | 9.8% | 8% |
| Median household income | $91,000 | $90,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Plato2%
Glencoe20%
Chaska5%
Lester Prairie4%
Winsted4%
17 mi
median commute distance
264
jobs based in Plato
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Plato: snowy winters and pleasant summers
July afternoons reach 82°, January nights drop to 5° and about 50 inches of snow falls in a winter.
50″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter9–26°
Spring35–55°
Summer59–80°
Fall38–57°
Oct 15
typical first frost
Apr 24
typical last frost
+1.3°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazards
Top of a low hazard risk in Plato: inland flooding
On expected storm and flood damage, Plato sits below 63% of U.S. communities. 42% of Plato’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by cold waves at 20%. Households locally have drawn federal disaster aid in 2 declared disasters, most recently in 2024.
37risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Health
A larger share of adults have obesity in Plato than in most of Minnesota or the rest of the country
35% of adults sleep under 7 hours in Plato. In Plato, 19% of adults binge drink, and 74% had a checkup this year.
| Plato | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 43% | 35% | 35% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 18% | 16% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 74% | 75% | 79% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 30% | 33% |
32 measures vs. Minnesota
0 better30 too close to call2 worse
| What stands out | Plato | MN |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with obesity | 42.6% | 33.5% |
| Fewer adults seeing a dentist | 62.2% | 67.5% |
Glencoe Regional Health
5.5 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Housing
Plato’s typical home value is about $365K
In the year to September 2026, typical home values climbed 5.6%.
$365KZillow home value
Typical home value
Plato$365K
Minnesota$349K
+5.6%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in March
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 207 acres
0.0 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Plato City Park | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Plato
17pages on Plato
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Plato; the nearest are
Crown CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Saint Bonifacius16.5 mi$31,410 tuitionNormandale Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Bloomington34.9 mi$6,329 in-state tuitionUniversity of Minnesota-Twin CitiesUniversity or college · Public · Minneapolis41.7 mi$17,214 in-state tuition
About 3 of every 100 Plato residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Minnesota.
A job hub
Every workday, about 261 people come to Plato for work
Where Plato’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
264jobs based in Plato
2%of working residents work in town
17 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Plato
City in Minnesota, United States
Plato is a city in southeastern McLeod County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 329 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.4 sq mi
- Elevation
- 997 ft
- ZIP code
- 55370
Questions about Plato
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Plato, MN a good place to live?
Plato has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.