WatkinsMN
A town of 1,018, settled in 1887.
Is Watkins a good place to live?
Watkins’ best subject grades are an A+ for cost of living and an A− for schools and walkability; its weakest is a C for incomes. On cost of living, just 19 of Minnesota’s 573 towns do better. Only 1 of Minnesota’s 575 towns score lower on the outdoors. Watkins has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Watkins stand out
Where Watkins beats most towns.
Typical home value
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Watkins Elementary | PK–K | 60 |
1,018 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
How Watkins grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Minnesota), ordered by how far Watkins is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Moving to Watkins: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Watkins, and how to reach them.
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 Watkins.
Public schools in Watkins beat 80% of Minnesota districts
Its public schools are run by the Eden Valley-Watkins School District. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Watkins ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–K | Grades PK–K | 60 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MN on state tests and graduation
Watkins has 0.7 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
Most working residents leave Watkins for work: only 4% work in town. Jobs based in Watkins grew to 355 in 2023, 58 more than in 2013. Watkins’ median household income is $65,000, where Minnesota’s towns sit at $90,000 and U.S. towns at $80,000.
| Watkins | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $65,000 | $90,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 11% | 7% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 4.2% | 9.8% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 26 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
On CDC estimates, Watkins is healthier than 67% of U.S. towns
Watkins beats the Minnesota average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 2. 19% of adults binge drink in Watkins, above both the Minnesota town median (18%) and the median of U.S. towns (16%). 30% of adults sleep under 7 hours in Watkins.
| Watkins | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 18% | 16% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 30% | 36% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 30% | 33% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 75% | 75% | 79% |
| What stands out | Watkins | MN |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with heart disease | 7% | 5.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.9% | 8.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Watkins has snowy winters and pleasant summers
Watkins has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. Watkins’ July high is 81°F.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The typical home in Watkins is valued at about $315K
The typical Watkins home is worth about $315,000, up 5.2% in a year, 10% below the Minnesota typical home. 67% of Watkins households own their home.
Typical home value
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Watkins faces a moderate natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 51% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Everything we know about Watkins
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Watkins; the nearest are
About 3 of every 100 Watkins residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Minnesota.
96% of working residents leave Watkins for work
Where Watkins’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
About Watkins
City in Minnesota, United States
Watkins is a city in Meeker County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 991 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.7 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,158 ft
- ZIP code
- 55389
- Area code
- 320
Questions about Watkins
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Watkins, 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 A+.