Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 2,685, settled in 1895.
Roseau gives you more for your money than most places: a typical home costs about $239K, 3.2 years of the county’s $74K median household income. It grades B overall, 195th among Minnesota's 271 graded towns. The low prices come with trade-offs. FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 82% of U.S. communities, with inland flooding at the top, and the median household income is $60K, and 18% of residents live below the poverty line. On the plus side, 4% of its land is conserved. 52% of working residents work locally in Roseau, where Minnesota’s towns sit at 9.7% and U.S. towns at 8%. Of the 274 Minnesota towns we compare, none has a lower January low than Roseau. Roseau is more walkable than 81% of U.S. towns.
Where Roseau beats most towns.
Where Roseau’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Minnesota), ordered by how far Roseau is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 301 in 1900, 2,744 in 2020. The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 1900 and 3 maps from 1918 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Roseau, 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 Roseau.
Roseau draws workers from Jadis Township and beyond and is healthier than towns with similar incomes, but it carries more natural-hazard risk than most of Minnesota (mostly inland flooding).
4.2 miles of trail in 7 parks and preserves. The trail density in Roseau is 1.6 miles per square mile. The biggest park or preserve is Roseau Community School Playgrounds/Athletic Fields, at 43 acres.
| Roseau | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 1.6 miles per square mile | 0.5 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 4.3% | 4.7% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Roseau City Park | 0.6 mi | 41 |
| 2. River View Park | 0.3 mi | 3 |
| 3. Roseau Community School Playgrounds/Athletic Fields | 0.2 mi | 43 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by the Roseau Public School District. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Roseau Secondary, with 527 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roseau ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 574 | B+ |
| Roseau SecondaryLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 527 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MN on state tests and graduation
2,065 jobs are based in Roseau, 1.8 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in. Jobs based here fell from 3,786 in 2013 to 2,065.
Roseau’s average trip to work is 14 minutes. Since 2013, Roseau has lost 1,721 jobs, to 2,065 in 2023. The top destinations are Warroad (13%), Jadis Township (5%) and Thief River Falls (4%).
| Roseau | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 14 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $60,000 | $91,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 98% of Minnesota towns, with expected losses of about $1,633 per resident a year; that rating is what its D for hazard risk is built on.
Since 1979, 182 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Roseau. Only 6 of the 274 Minnesota towns we compare have a higher FEMA risk score than Roseau.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
62% of households own their home in Roseau. The typical Roseau home is worth about $239,000, up 3.7% in a year, 31% below the Minnesota typical home.
| Roseau | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 62% | 75% | 73% |
| Median rent | $895 a month | $1,199 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
January nights average -5.4°, colder than in 100% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 78.9°.
Roseau has cold winters and pleasant summers.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Against the 8,980 U.S. towns with household incomes like Roseau’s, it is healthier than 88%, so its B isn’t only a matter of income. Within Minnesota it is less healthy than 68% of the 271 graded towns: Minnesota sets a high bar.
Roseau beats the Minnesota average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 6. 31% of Roseau adults sleep under 7 hours.
| Roseau | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 30% | 36% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 18% | 16% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 30% | 33% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 75% | 75% | 79% |
| What stands out | Roseau | MN |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 79.3% | 76.1% |
| More adults with COPD | 7% | 5.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
None within 15 miles of Roseau; the nearest are
About 3 of every 100 Roseau residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Minnesota.
4.3% of the town is conserved land, across 7 parks and preserves.
18 notable people were born in Roseau.
City in Minnesota, United States
Roseau ( roh-ZOH) is a city in and the county seat of Roseau County, Minnesota, United States. Its population was 2,744 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
2 towns share a border with Roseau.
| Town | MN rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roseau | #195 | B | A− | B− | B | B |
| Jadis Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Spruce Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Jadis Township and Spruce Township aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Roseau with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
By most measures, yes. Roseau grades B overall, better than 59% of U.S. towns and #195 of 271 in Minnesota. It grades B for health, B− for safety and B for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a D.
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 A−.
18 notable people were born here, including Garrett Hedlund and Neal Broten.