Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
The best of Wells’ subject grades are an A for cost of living and safety and an A− for walkability; the weakest is a C for health. On health, just 20 of Minnesota’s 572 towns do worse. Only 45 of Minnesota’s 574 towns score higher on history. Wells has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Wells beats most towns.
Where Wells’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Minnesota), ordered by how far Wells is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 1946.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Wells, 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.
Ordered by what stands out in Wells.
The typical Wells home is worth about $141,000, down 0.7% in a year, 60% below the Minnesota typical home. At $694 a month, Wells’ median rent is below both Minnesota’s towns ($1,196 a month) and U.S. towns ($1,185 a month).
| Wells | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $694 a month | $1,196 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 76% | 75% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its public schools are run by the United South Central Schools. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is United South Central High School, with 343 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| United South Central ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 420 | A− |
| United South Central High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 343 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MN on state tests and graduation
Most working residents leave Wells for work: only 3% work in town. At 18 minutes, Wells’ average trip to work is where Minnesota’s towns sit at 23 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. Wells’ median household income is $60,000.
| Wells | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 18 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $60,000 | $90,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 2.9% | 9.8% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 8.7% | 7% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The property crime rate in Wells is 0.8 per 1,000 residents.
| Wells | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.8 per 1,000 residents | 8.7 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.8 per 1,000 residents | 1.1 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 73% of U.S. communities. One flood insurance claim has been paid in Wells since 2013.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
14% of Wells adults have diabetes. Only 9 of the 272 Minnesota towns we compare have a higher share of adults who have high blood pressure than Wells. 39% of Wells adults have obesity.
| Wells | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 23% | 25% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 10% | 12% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 14% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 12% | 14% |
| What stands out | Wells | MN |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 79.9% | 76.1% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 19.6% | 8.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Wells has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 82°, January nights drop to 6° and about 40 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Half Moon Park | 0.1 mi | 12 |
| 2. Area Veterans Memorial Park | 0.1 mi | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Wells; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 Wells residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Minnesota.
2 places in Wells on the National Register of Historic Places.
6 notable people were born in Wells.
City in Minnesota, United States
Wells is a city in Faribault County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 2,410 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
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.
6 notable people were born here, including Ross Lee Finney and Carl Wood Riddick.
