Untitled photo, 1923
Wadena Township’s story
145 years in pictures
Census counts: 307 in 1880, 4,325 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1885 and 2 maps from 1969 on.
- 1881Wadena Township is incorporated
Wadena TownshipMN
A town of 938, incorporated in 1881.
5 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Myotus · CC BY 4.0
Population
938
2025 Census estimate · +4.7% since 2020
Median home value
$180K
Census ACS
Household income
$79K
median
Median age
44.4
years
Jobs based here
117
A commuter town
Is Wadena Township a good place to live?
The biggest park or preserve is Wadena Wildlife Management Area, at 55 acres. Wadena Township has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What makes Wadena Township stand out
Where Wadena Township beats most towns.
Small town
938 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
WadenaLeaf River TownshipAldrich TownshipStowe Prairie TownshipCompton TownshipWadena Township
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Wadena Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Wadena Township, and how to reach them.
PowerTodd-Wadena Electric CoopEIAHIFLD · EIA
WaterWadena water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet7 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Wadena Township’s trash rules yet
SchoolsWadena-Deer Creek School DistrictVerndale Public School District2 districts serve Wadena Township; which school depends on your address and gradeNCES
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 hereWadena County CourthouseWadena County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2023
ZIP codes56482, 5648156482 92% · 56481 8%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 Wadena Township.
Natural hazards
The biggest natural risk in Wadena Township is inland flooding, at a very low overall level
The FEMA risk score for Wadena Township comes to 12 of 100, against 40 of 100 in Minnesota’s towns and 44 of 100 across U.S. towns. 55% of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by cold waves at 14%. Flood insurance has paid out on 2 claims in the town since 2014.
12risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes
2
paid flood claims since 2014
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commute
Compared with most of Minnesota and the rest of the country, fewer of Wadena Township’s working residents work locally
The mean commuting time in Wadena Township is 18 minutes. This Minnesota town had 117 jobs in 2023, up 43 from 2013. The top destinations are Wadena (40%), Staples (6%) and Perham (5%). For half of commuters, work is under 15 miles away.
1%work in town
| Wadena Township | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 18 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 0.9% | 9.8% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 6.2% | 7% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $79,000 | $90,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Wadena Township1%
Wadena40%
Staples6%
Perham5%
New York Mills5%
15 mi
median commute distance
117
jobs based in Wadena Township
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Wadena Township: snowy winters and pleasant summers
The midsummer high for Wadena Township comes to 80°F, below both Minnesota’s towns (82°F) and U.S. towns (85°F).
51″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter4–22°
Spring31–52°
Summer56–77°
Fall35–54°
Sep 30
typical first frost
May 10
typical last frost
+1.6°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Wadena Township is
In Wadena Township, 18% of adults smoke cigarettes. Of 32 CDC measures, Wadena Township beats the Minnesota average on 1 and trails it on 17. Also worth knowing: only 9 of the 272 Minnesota towns we compare have a higher share of adults who report frequent physical distress than Wadena Township.
| Wadena Township | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 23% | 25% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 14% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 12% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 10% | 12% |
32 measures vs. Minnesota
1 better14 too close to call17 worse
| What stands out | Wadena Township | MN |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 79.6% | 76.1% |
| More adults with COPD | 8.4% | 5.4% |
Astera Health
4.4 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Outdoors
Conserved land covers 0.3% of Wadena Township
Trails total 3.8 miles in 1 park or preserve. Among 273 Minnesota towns, just 10 have a lower share of conserved land than Wadena Township. Its density of trails is 0.1 miles per square mile.
0.3%conserved
| Wadena Township | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 0.3% | 4.7% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.5 | 0.4 |
0.3%
conserved · 55 of 19,970 acres
3.8 mi
of trails · 0.1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Wadena Wildlife Management Area | — | 55 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Wadena Township
17pages on Wadena Township
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Wadena Township; the nearest are
Alexandria Technical & Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Alexandria39.2 mi$6,236 in-state tuitionUniversity of Minnesota-MorrisUniversity or college · Public · Morris68.4 mi$14,526 in-state tuition
About 2 of every 100 Wadena Township residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Minnesota.
A commuter town
99% of working residents leave Wadena Township for work
Where Wadena Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
117jobs based in Wadena Township
1%of working residents work in town
15 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Wadena Township
City in Minnesota, United States
Wadena ( wə-DEEN-ə) is a city in Otter Tail and Wadena counties in the state of Minnesota. It is about one hundred sixty miles northwest of the Minneapolis – Saint Paul metro area. The population was 4,325 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Wadena County. Wadena is an agricultural community and serves as a region hub for the Tri county area. Wadena is located at the crossroads of Highway 10 and Highway 71.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 5.4 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,352 ft
- ZIP code
- 56482
- Area code
- 218
Questions about Wadena Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Wadena Township, MN a good place to live?
Wadena Township has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.