SearlesMN
Settled in 1902, this town now has 201 residents.
Is Searles a good place to live?
Only one of the 274 Minnesota towns we compare has a higher owner-occupancy rate than Searles. Searles has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
201 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Moving to Searles: who provides what
Searles is unincorporated, so Brown County and regional agencies provide most services.
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 Searles.
Fewer of Searles’ residents live below the poverty line than in the typical Minnesota or U.S. town
The top destinations are New Ulm (30%), Springfield (7%) and Sleepy Eye (4%). The typical journey to work for Searles comes to 20 minutes, against 23 minutes in Minnesota’s towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns. For half of commuters, work is under 15 miles away.
| Searles | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 1% | 7% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 20 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The climate in Searles brings four seasons and pleasant summers
The typical July afternoon high for Searles comes to 82°F, close to Minnesota’s towns (82°F) and below U.S. towns (85°F).
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Compared with most of Minnesota and the rest of the country, fewer of Searles’ adults feel lonely
The share of adults in Searles who binge drink: 17%. This Minnesota town beats the Minnesota average on 4 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 8. Two figures for adults in the town: 27% sleep under 7 hours, 37% have high blood pressure.
| Searles | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 30% | 33% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 30% | 36% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 31% | 35% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 16% | 17% |
| What stands out | Searles | MN |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults without reliable transportation | 5.8% | 7.1% |
| More adults screened for colon cancer | 76.1% | 68.7% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 13.1% | 8.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The biggest natural risk in Searles is inland flooding, at a moderate overall level
FEMA puts 37% of Searles’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 31% to cold waves. Storm and flood damage is expected to run lower than in 56% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Everything we know about Searles
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Searles
About 2 of every 100 Searles residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Minnesota.
100% of working residents leave Searles for work
Where Searles’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
About Searles
Unincorporated community in Minnesota, US
Searles is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Brown County, Minnesota, United States. Searles is located on Minnesota State Highway 15, 6 miles (9.7 km) south of New Ulm. Searles has a post office with ZIP code 56084. As of the 2020 census, Searles had a population of 192.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.4 sq mi
- Elevation
- 997 ft
- ZIP code
- 56084
Questions about Searles
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Searles, MN a good place to live?
Searles has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.