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Minnesota›Otter Tail County
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Rush Lake TownshipMN

A town of 1,073, settled in 1870.

Population
1,073
2025 Census estimate · +3.4% since 2020
Median home value
$326K
Census ACS
Household income
$75K
median
Median age
59.3
years
Jobs based here
61
A commuter town

Is Rush Lake Township a good place to live?

The best of Rush Lake Township’s subject grades are a B+ for cost of living and a B for schools; the weakest is a C for incomes. 31% of residents are 65 or older in Rush Lake Township, above both Minnesota’s towns (18%) and U.S. towns (18%). No town among the 274 in Minnesota we compare has a higher median age than Rush Lake Township. On the outdoors, just 54 of Minnesota’s 575 towns do worse. The biggest place to walk is Head Lake Wildlife Management Area, 423 acres with 1.4 miles of trail. Rush Lake Township has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.

Small town

1,073 people, and everyone knows the way

In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.

Nearby towns
Richville · 2 miOttertail · 5 miOtter Tail Township · 6 miOtto Township · 6 miPerham Township · 6 miDead Lake Township · 6 mi
Dead Lake TownshipOtter Tail TownshipOtto TownshipPerham TownshipDead Lake TownshipOtter Tail TownshipOtto TownshipPerham TownshipRush Lake Township

How Rush Lake Township grades

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

How grading works

Jobs & income$75K median household incomeCOpen →Cost of livingTypical home $326K, 4.5 years of the Fergus Falls area’s $72K median household incomeB+Open →SchoolsBeat 63% of Minnesota districts on tests and graduationBOpen →HealthPerham Health 6.6 miles awayBOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 3.3 of 20; 0.7% of households have no car; 5.8% of workers walk, bike or ride transitC+Open →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 48% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors2 miles of trails; 2% conserved landDOpen →HistoryC−Open →Civic life4.8 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsC+Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 59.3; 23% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →

How TownRatings grades towns →

Getting set up

Moving to Rush Lake Township: who provides what

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

The full setup list →
PowerLake Region Electric Cooperative13.6¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
Internet4 providers95% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Rush Lake Township’s trash rules yet
SchoolsPerham-Dent Public School DistrictWhich school depends on your addressNCES
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 hereOtter Tail County Government Services CenterOtter Tail County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP codes56571, 56573, 5657656571 50% · 56573 40% · 56576 10%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 Rush Lake Township.

Work & commuteJobs & income grade C

Fewer of Rush Lake Township’s working residents work locally than in the typical Minnesota or U.S. town

0.6% of working residents work locally in Rush Lake Township, below both the Minnesota town median (9.8%) and the median of U.S. towns (8%). Jobs based in Rush Lake Township grew to 61 in 2023, 31 more than in 2013. The average trip to work in Rush Lake Township is 20 minutes.

1%work in town
Rush Lake TownshipMinnesota townsU.S. towns
Working residents who work in town0.6%9.8%8%
Average trip to work20 minutes23 minutes25 minutes
Median household income$75,000$90,000$80,000
Below the poverty line10%7%9.6%

Where working residents work

In Rush Lake Township1%
Perham20%
New York Mills18%
Wadena8%
Detroit Lakes5%
19 mi
median commute distance
61
jobs based in Rush Lake Township
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 41% of U.S. towns
Full pageRush Lake Township’s work & commute pageOpen the page
The jobs here61 jobs based here · A commuter townWhere people work1% work in Rush Lake TownshipCommute times20 minutes · The average commuteHow far they goHalf commute less than 19 miles

Census LEHD 2023 · ACS

Climate

Rush Lake Township has snowy winters and pleasant summers

Rush Lake Township has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. Rush Lake Township’s July high is 80°F.

46″snow a winter

Typical low → high °F

Winter3–22°
Spring31–52°
Summer56–78°
Fall34–54°
Oct 5
typical first frost
May 5
typical last frost
+1.4°
vs. the 20th-century average
Full pageRush Lake Township’s climate pageOpen the page
A year of weatherJuly highs 80°, January lows -1°Rain & snow46″ of snow a winter · 27 inches of rain and snow a yearHeating & coolingMostly a heating billThen and now+1.4° vs. the 20th century · Warmer than the 20th-century average

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020

HealthB

On CDC estimates, Rush Lake Township is healthier than 61% of U.S. towns

Rush Lake Township beats the Minnesota average on 3 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 9. 15% of Rush Lake Township adults report frequent mental distress.

61%healthier than U.S. townsBHealth Grade
Rush Lake TownshipMinnesota townsU.S. towns
Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES)15%16%17%
Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES)30%30%36%
Diabetes (CDC PLACES)12%10%12%
Feel lonely (CDC PLACES)30%30%33%
32 measures vs. Minnesota
3 better20 too close to call9 worse
What stands outRush Lake TownshipMN
More adults screened for colon cancer74.4%68.7%
More adults treating high blood pressure81.4%76.1%
More adults with heart disease8%5.9%
Perham Health
6.6 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
Full pageRush Lake Township’s health reportOpen the page
Everyday habitsMore smokersHospitals & doctors nearby6.6 miles to an ER · Perham HealthHow adults are doingMore adults in frequent physical distressEvery CDC estimateBetter than MN on 3 of 32

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

OutdoorsD

Rush Lake Township has set aside 2.2% of its land for conservation

1.8 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve.

2.2%conserved
Rush Lake TownshipMinnesota townsU.S. towns
Miles of trail per square mile0.1 miles per square mile0.50.4
Conserved land2.2%4.7%4.3%
2.2%
conserved · 479 of 22,060 acres
1.8 mi
of trails · 0.1 per sq mi
Biggest places to walkTrailsAcres
1. Head Lake Wildlife Management Area1.4 mi423
Full pageRush Lake Township’s outdoors pageOpen the page
Trail map1.8 miles of trail, mappedPick a walk1.4 miles of trail · Head Lake Wildlife Management AreaConserved land2.2% conserved · 479 acres protectedQuestions“Where can I hike in Rush Lake Township?”

Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US

Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B−

Moderate risk in Rush Lake Township, with inland flooding at the top

Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 52% of U.S. communities.

48risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
48Moderate riskLowerHigher
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes
2
federal disasters paid out here
Full pageRush Lake Township’s hazards pageOpen the page
What it facesModerate riskFlood claims0 paid flood claims · No paid flood claims on recordPast disasters2 federal disasters · Paid out in Rush Lake TownshipGet ready1.3 events a year, on average · Ready for inland flooding

FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Rush Lake Township

17pages on Rush Lake Township
The big questions
SchoolsBBeat 63% of MN districtsHealthBBetter than MN on 3 of 32 CDC measuresCost of livingB+Work & commuteC$75K median household income · 61 jobs hereNatural hazardsB−FEMA risk higher than 48% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
OutdoorsD2 mi of trails · 2% conserved landPlacesLibraryC+Perham Area Public LibraryColleges
The story
HistoryC−Settled 1870Town Hall & politicsClimate80° summer highs · 46″ of snow
Day to day
NewsWeatherHandbookTown SquareNeighbors
After high school

Colleges nearby

None within 15 miles of Rush Lake Township; the nearest are

Minnesota State Community and Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · Fergus Falls28.1 mi$5,908 in-state tuitionMinnesota State University MoorheadUniversity or college · Public · Moorhead61.1 mi$10,428 in-state tuition

About 1 of every 100 Rush Lake Township residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Minnesota.

Prices by family income, graduation and earnings →

A commuter town

99% of working residents leave Rush Lake Township for work

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

20% → Perham Perham 20% 18% → New York Mills New York Mills 18% 8% → Wadena Wadena 8% 5% → Detroit Lakes Detroit Lakes 5% 3% → Fergus Falls Fergus Falls 3% 3% → Fargo Fargo 3% Rush Lake Township · 1% stay
61jobs based in Rush Lake Township
1%of working residents work in town
19 mimedian commute distance

Census LEHD 2023

About Rush Lake Township

Township in Minnesota, United States

Rush Lake Township is a township in Otter Tail County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 1,035 at the 2020 census. Rush Lake Township was organized in 1871.

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

Area
35 sq mi
Elevation
1,342 ft

Questions about Rush Lake Township

Short answers, built from the data on this page.

Is Rush Lake Township, MN expensive?

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+.