District No. 72 School · National Register of Historic Places
Waterford Township’s story
172 years in pictures
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1854Waterford Township is settled
Waterford TownshipMN
Home to 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
4 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Unknown authorUnknown author · Public domain
Population
515
2025 Census estimate · −3.7% since 2020
Median home value
$379K
Census ACS
Household income
$86K
median
Median age
41.4
years
Jobs based here
339
Balanced
Is Waterford Township a good place to live?
12% of the land in Waterford Township is conserved, against 4.7% in Minnesota’s towns and 4.3% across U.S. towns. Its National Register listings include Waterford Bridge. Waterford Township has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What makes Waterford Township stand out
Where Waterford Township beats most towns.
Small town
515 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
NorthfieldGreenvale TownshipNorthfield TownshipSciota TownshipWaterford Township
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Waterford Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Waterford Township, and how to reach them.
PowerDakota Electric Association15.6¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterNorthfield water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet12 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Waterford 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 hereDakota County ElectionsDakota County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Aug 2015
ZIP code5505755057 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 Waterford Township.
Climate
In Waterford Township, expect snowy winters and pleasant summers
Summer afternoons peak near 82° in July, and January nights bottom out around 6°; snowfall runs to about 41 inches a winter.
41″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter10–27°
Spring35–55°
Summer60–80°
Fall38–58°
Oct 10
typical first frost
Apr 27
typical last frost
+1.2°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Who lives here
More middle-aged adults than Minnesota overall
16% of residents are 65 or older in Waterford Township, where Minnesota’s towns sit at 18% and U.S. towns at 18%. Adults 35 to 64 are 46% of residents (38% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 16% of residents (22% statewide). The town is shrinking: down 3.7% since 2020, to 515 residents (2025 estimate). Among adults 25 and older, 31% have a four-year degree or more, against 39% across Minnesota.
41.4median age · MN 38.8
| Waterford Township | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 16% | 18% | 18% |
| Median age | 41.4 years | 39.9 years | 40.5 years |
Waterford TownshipMinnesotaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
20%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma6%
High school31%
Some college18%
Associate’s15%
Bachelor’s22%
Graduate9%
Women and men · all residents
41% women, 59% men
About 142 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±7 points). Across Minnesota, 49.9% of residents are women.
| Waterford Township | MN | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 10.9% | 12.1% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 11.4% | 10.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 7.7% | 8.8% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 8.3% | 13% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 17.7% | 13.5% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 8.1% | 11.6% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 19.9% | 12.9% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 10.9% | 10.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 5.2% | 7% | 7% |
| No diploma | 6.3% | 6.1% | 10.4% |
| High school | 30.5% | 23.3% | 26% |
| Some college | 18.2% | 19.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 14.5% | 11.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 21.8% | 25.6% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 8.7% | 13.8% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 500, single groups can be off by several points
Work & commute
About one in three of Waterford Township’s working residents commute to Northfield
For residents in Waterford Township, the share who live below the poverty line is 11%. Commuting out is the norm here: 2% of working residents work locally. Jobs based here fell to 339 in 2023, 118 fewer than in 2013. The top destinations are Northfield (32%), Lakeville (5%) and Minneapolis (5%).
2%work in town
| Waterford Township | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 2.5% | 9.8% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 11% | 7% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 25 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Waterford Township2%
Northfield32%
Lakeville5%
Minneapolis5%
St. Paul3%
12 mi
median commute distance
339
jobs based in Waterford Township
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Outdoors
In Waterford Township, 11.5% of the land is conserved
8.6 miles of trail. In Waterford Township, the trail network density is 0.6 miles per square mile.
11.5%conserved
11.5%
conserved · 1,077 of 9,365 acres
8.6 mi
of trails · 0.6 per sq mi
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Health
How healthy Waterford Township is
In Waterford Township, 29% of adults sleep under 7 hours. This Minnesota town beats the Minnesota average on 15 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. Among adults here, 9.9% smoke cigarettes and 28% have high blood pressure.
| Waterford Township | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 10% | 12% | 14% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 9.9% | 14% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 31% | 35% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 30% | 36% |
32 measures vs. Minnesota
15 better16 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Waterford Township | MN |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 6.7% | 8.9% |
| Fewer smokers | 9.9% | 13.1% |
| Fewer adults getting cholesterol checked | 83.3% | 85.3% |
Northfield Hospital
4.3 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazards
Moderate risk in Waterford Township, with inland flooding at the top
Storm and flood damage is expected to run lower than in 52% of U.S. communities. 53% of Waterford Township’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by tornadoes at 20%. Federal disaster aid has reached households in Waterford Township after 2 declared disasters, most recently in 2012.
48risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesStrong wind
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Nearby attractions
All 79 attractions →U.S. Bank Stadium and 67 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Waterford Township. Close and well known come first.
Big draw33 mi Stadium & arenaU.S. Bank Stadium
33 mi Stadium & arenaHuntington Bank Stadium
33 mi Stadium & arenaTarget Field
30 mi Stadium & arenaGrand Casino Arena
26 mi Theme parkValleyfair
24 mi Theme parkNickelodeon UniverseSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
U.S. Bank Stadium: Darb02, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Huntington Bank Stadium: Lectrician2, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Target Field: Lectrician2, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Grand Casino Arena: AlexiusHoratius, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Valleyfair: https://www.flickr.com/photos/clumpinglitter/, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Nickelodeon Universe: Tyler Vigen, CC BY 4.0
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Waterford Township
17pages on Waterford Township
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
2 within 15 miles of the center of Waterford Township
Carleton CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Northfield3.8 mi$68,892 tuitionSt Olaf CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Northfield4.6 mi$59,760 tuition
About 6 of every 100 Waterford Township residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Minnesota.
Landmarks
2 places in Waterford Township on the National Register of Historic Places.
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About Waterford Township
Unincorporated community in Minnesota, United States
Waterford is an unincorporated community in Waterford Township, Dakota County, Minnesota, United States.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Elevation
- 932 ft
Questions about Waterford Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Waterford Township, MN a good place to live?
Waterford Township has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real. Home to 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.