Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Redwood Falls gives you more for your money than most places: homes are within reach, about $176K for a typical one, or 2.6 years of the county’s $68K median household income. It grades B− overall, ranked 216th of 271 in Minnesota. On the plus side, it has 6 miles of trail. 46% of working residents work locally in Redwood Falls, against 9.7% in Minnesota’s towns and 8% across U.S. towns. Only 54 of Minnesota’s 572 towns score lower on health. Redwood Falls is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 86% of U.S. towns.
Where Redwood Falls beats most towns.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Minnesota), ordered by how far Redwood Falls is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 981 in 1880, 5,102 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1904 and 3 maps from 1952 on.
7 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Redwood Falls, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Redwood Falls.
Redwood Falls is healthier than towns with similar incomes and has homes that are cheap against local pay, but it has poverty well above the Minnesota rate.
Redwood Falls’ trail density is 1.2 miles per square mile. Ramsey Park, at 198 acres with 3.3 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Ramsey Park | 3.3 mi | 198 |
| 2. Memorial Park | — | 15 |
| 3. Klabunde Wildlife Management Area | — | 10 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by the Redwood Area School District. Two of its 6 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Redwood Valley Senior High, with 362 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reede Gray ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–4 | Grades PK–4 | 442 | B |
| Redwood Valley Senior HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 362 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MN on state tests and graduation
At 2.6 years of the county’s $68K median household income, the typical home (about $176K) costs less against local pay than in 94% of Minnesota towns; that ratio is one input to its B+ for cost of living.
The median rent in Redwood Falls is $832 a month. Typical home values rose 4.9% in the year to September 2026.
| Redwood Falls | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $832 a month | $1,199 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 68% | 75% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Redwood Falls has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. Among 274 Minnesota towns, just 2 have a higher July high than Redwood Falls.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The average commute for its 2,354 working residents takes 13.5 minutes, against 22.7 across Minnesota.
17% of residents live below the poverty line in Redwood Falls. The top destinations are Sherman Township (6%), Marshall (4%) and Emmet Township (3%).
| Redwood Falls | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 14 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 17% | 7% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $62,000 | $91,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 63% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Against the 9,342 U.S. towns with household incomes like Redwood Falls’s, it is healthier than 61%, so its C+ isn’t only a matter of income.
Redwood Falls beats the Minnesota average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 16. 28% of Redwood Falls adults sleep under 7 hours.
| Redwood Falls | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 30% | 36% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 14% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 10% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 12% | 14% |
| What stands out | Redwood Falls | MN |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 79.4% | 76.1% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 13.8% | 8.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
None within 15 miles of Redwood Falls; the nearest are
About 3 of every 100 Redwood Falls residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Minnesota.
7 places in Redwood Falls on the National Register of Historic Places.
9 notable people were born in Redwood Falls.
City in Minnesota, United States
Redwood Falls is a city in Redwood County, located along the Redwood River near its confluence with the Minnesota River, in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The population was 5,102 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
4 towns share a border with Redwood Falls.
| Town | MN rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Redwood Falls · Redwood Falls Township | #216 | B− | B+ | B− | B | C+ |
| Paxton Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Delhi Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Beaver Falls Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Paxton Township, Delhi Township and Beaver Falls Township aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Redwood Falls Township and Redwood Falls are one community, graded once. Compare Redwood Falls with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Redwood Falls grades B− overall, better than 50% of U.S. towns and #216 of 271 in Minnesota. It grades C+ for health, B− for safety and B for schools.
Not for the 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+.
9 notable people were born here, including Charles Eastman and Paul Henze.
