Staples City Hall, 2013
Staples Township’s story
Staples Township in pictures
Census counts: 585 in 1890, 2,989 in 2020. The archive holds 8 old photos and papers going back to 1902 and 2 maps from 1966 on.
Explore the history →
Staples TownshipMN
A town of 617.
6 bordering townsMap →
Photo: MayorMetz · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
617
2025 Census estimate · +4% since 2020
Median home value
$192K
Census ACS
Household income
$62K
median
Median age
45.0
years
Jobs based here
24
A commuter town
Is Staples Township a good place to live?
Staples Township’s median rent is $486 a month, below both the Minnesota town median ($1,196 a month) and the median of U.S. towns ($1,185 a month). The biggest place to walk is Staples Wildlife Management Area, 1,418 acres with 2 miles of trail. Staples Township has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
617 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
StaplesVillard TownshipBartlett TownshipMoran TownshipThomastown TownshipGermania TownshipStaples Township
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Staples Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Staples Township, and how to reach them.
PowerTodd-Wadena Electric CoopEIAHIFLD · EIA
WaterStaples water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet7 providers98% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Staples Township’s trash rules yet
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 hereTodd County Historic CourthouseTodd County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Aug 2015
ZIP code5647956479 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 Staples Township.
Natural hazards
Very low risk in Staples Township, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 83% of U.S. communities. Since 2009, 2 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Staples Township.
17risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes
2
paid flood claims since 2009
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commute
With 0.1 jobs for every working resident, most of Staples Township’s workers commute out
Most working residents leave Staples Township for work: only 0% work in town. 16% of Staples Township residents live below the poverty line, against 7% in Minnesota’s towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. The median household income in Staples Township is $62,000.
0%work in town
| Staples Township | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 16% | 7% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $62,000 | $90,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 25 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Staples Township0%
Staples28%
Motley8%
Wadena5%
Baxter5%
17 mi
median commute distance
24
jobs based in Staples Township
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
In Staples Township, expect snowy winters and pleasant summers
Staples Township has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. Staples Township’s July high is 80°F.
51″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter4–22°
Spring31–52°
Summer56–78°
Fall35–54°
Sep 30
typical first frost
May 10
typical last frost
+1.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Staples Township is
Staples Township beats the Minnesota average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 17. 18% of Staples Township adults smoke cigarettes.
| Staples Township | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 14% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 23% | 25% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 35% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 10% | 12% |
32 measures vs. Minnesota
1 better14 too close to call17 worse
| What stands out | Staples Township | MN |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 78.9% | 76.1% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 14.9% | 8.9% |
Lakewood Health System
5.5 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
7.7%conserved
| Staples Township | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 7.7% | 4.7% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.2 miles per square mile | 0.5 | 0.4 |
7.7%
conserved · 1,654 of 21,489 acres
7.6 mi
of trails · 0.2 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Staples Wildlife Management Area | 2 mi | 1,418 |
| 2. Dower Lake Wildlife Management Area | — | 41 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Staples Township
17pages on Staples Township
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Staples Township; the nearest are
Central Lakes College-BrainerdCommunity college · Public · Brainerd30.3 mi$6,249 in-state tuitionSaint Cloud State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Saint Cloud62.3 mi$10,245 in-state tuition
About 2 of every 100 Staples Township residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Minnesota.
A commuter town
100% of working residents leave Staples Township for work
Where Staples Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
24jobs based in Staples Township
0%of working residents work in town
17 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Staples Township
City in Minnesota, United States
Staples is a city in Todd and Wadena counties in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The population was 2,989 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 4.7 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,280 ft
- ZIP code
- 56479
- Area code
- 218
Questions about Staples Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Staples Township, MN a good place to live?
Staples Township has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.