John Hutchinson House · National Register of Historic Places
Wells Township’s story
Wells Township in pictures
The archive holds 3 maps from 1960 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Explore the history →Wells TownshipMN
A town of 1,585.
5 bordering townsMap →
John Hutchinson House · Photo: McGhiever · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
1,585
2025 Census estimate · +3.6% since 2020
Median home value
$406K
Census ACS
Household income
$88K
median
Median age
49.0
years
Jobs based here
366
A commuter town
Is Wells Township a good place to live?
Wells Township’s best subject grades are a B+ for incomes and history; its weakest is a D for hazard risk. Only 12 of Minnesota’s 575 towns score lower on hazard risk. Wells Township's schools rank behind 77% of the state's. Only 27 of Minnesota’s 572 towns score lower on health. Only 10 of Minnesota’s 572 towns score lower on civic life. John Hutchinson House is on the National Register of Historic Places. Wells Township has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
A commuter town
97% of working residents leave Wells Township for work
Where Wells Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
366jobs based in Wells Township
3%of working residents work in town
17 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Wells Township grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Minnesota), ordered by how far Wells Township is from typical.
Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listDOpen →SchoolsC−Open →Jobs & income$88K median household incomeB+Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 5.1 of 20; 1.8% of households have no car; 2% of workers walk, bike or ride transitCOpen →HealthLess healthy than 67% of U.S. towns; Allina Health Faribault Medical Center 5.4 miles awayCOpen →Cost of livingTypical home $406K, 4.9 years of the Faribault area’s $83K median household incomeBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors0 miles of trails; 2% conserved landDOpen →History1 place on the National RegisterB+Open →Civic life0 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsDOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Wells Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Wells Township, and how to reach them.
PowerSteele-Waseca Cooperative Electric16.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterMillstone Creek Mobile Home ParkNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet9 providers96% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Wells 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 hereRice County ElectionsRice County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP code5502155021 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 Wells Township.
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D
Wells Township stands out in Minnesota and nationally: the FEMA risk score there is higher
Of the losses FEMA expects in Wells Township, 69% come from inland flooding and 12% from tornadoes. Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 84% of U.S. communities.
84risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesStrong wind
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B+
Most of Wells Township’s workers commute out: the town has 0.5 jobs for each of them
Among residents in Wells Township, 6.1% live below the poverty line. Just 3% of the town’s working residents have a job in town. This Minnesota town had 366 jobs in 2023, down 120 from 2013. The top destinations are Faribault (25%), Owatonna (9%) and Northfield (6%).
3%work in town
| Wells Township | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 2.7% | 9.8% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 6.1% | 7% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 25 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Wells Township3%
Faribault25%
Owatonna9%
Northfield6%
Shieldsville Township3%
17 mi
median commute distance
366
jobs based in Wells Township
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C
Walkability grade: more walkable than 31% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Who lives here
Young adults are less common in Wells Township than in Minnesota
A quarter of residents are 65 or older in Wells Township. Adults 18 to 34 are one in ten residents (22% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 47% of residents (38% statewide). Also worth knowing: the age of the median resident for Wells Township comes to 49 years. 1,585 people lived in Wells Township by the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate, 3.6% more than in 2020.
49median age · MN 38.8
| Wells Township | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 49 years | 39.9 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 25% | 18% | 18% |
| Under 18 | 18% | 23% | 22% |
Wells TownshipMinnesotaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
19%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma6%
High school34%
Some college16%
Associate’s11%
Bachelor’s25%
Graduate7%
Women and men · all residents
48% women, 52% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±3.5 points. Across Minnesota, 49.9% of residents are women.
| Wells Township | MN | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 10.9% | 12.1% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 7.1% | 10.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 4.7% | 8.8% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 5.2% | 13% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 15.6% | 13.5% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 12.6% | 11.6% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 19.1% | 12.9% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 16.6% | 10.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 8.2% | 7% | 7% |
| No diploma | 6.4% | 6.1% | 10.4% |
| High school | 34.3% | 23.3% | 26% |
| Some college | 16.3% | 19.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 10.7% | 11.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 25.3% | 25.6% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 6.9% | 13.8% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,600, single groups can be off by several points
HealthC
More of Wells Township’s adults have obesity than in the typical Minnesota or U.S. town
The share of adults in Wells Township who get no exercise outside work: 31%. Wells Township: 36% of adults have high blood pressure, against 31% in Minnesota’s towns and 35% across U.S. towns. Among 272 Minnesota towns, just 10 have a higher share of adults who smoke cigarettes than Wells Township.
33%healthier than U.S. townsCHealth Grade
| Wells Township | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 23% | 25% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 35% | 35% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 14% | 14% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 11% | 14% |
32 measures vs. Minnesota
0 better14 too close to call18 worse
| What stands out | Wells Township | MN |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 14.5% | 8.9% |
| More adults facing food insecurity | 17.7% | 11.4% |
| More uninsured adults | 11.2% | 7.5% |
Allina Health Faribault Medical Center
5.4 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Climate
Wells Township has snowy winters and pleasant summers
Expect July afternoons of 82° and January nights of 6°, with about 43 inches of snow a winter.
43″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter10–26°
Spring35–55°
Summer59–80°
Fall38–57°
Oct 5
typical first frost
May 5
typical last frost
+1.0°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
OutdoorsD
Wells Township has set aside 1.9% of its land for conservation
The biggest park or preserve is Sunktokeca Creek Wildlife Management Area, at 202 acres. Trails run 0.1 miles in 3 parks and preserves.
1.9%conserved
1.9%
conserved · 360 of 18,869 acres
0.1 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Sunktokeca Creek Wildlife Management Area | — | 202 |
| 2. Roberds Public Water Access | — | 4 |
| 3. Velzke County Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Nearby attractions
All 80 attractions →Valleyfair and 16 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Wells Township. Close and well known come first.
33 mi Theme parkValleyfair
36 mi Theme parkNickelodeon Universe
39 mi LandmarkFort Snelling
31 mi Zoo & aquariumMinnesota Zoo
38 mi LandmarkFort Snelling National Cemetery
37 mi Theme parkWater Park of AmericaSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Valleyfair: https://www.flickr.com/photos/clumpinglitter/, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Nickelodeon Universe: Tyler Vigen, CC BY 4.0 · Fort Snelling: en:User:The Statue With The Dictionary, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Minnesota Zoo: Makeenosman, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Fort Snelling National Cemetery: Kozarrj, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Water Park of America: Todd Murray, CC BY-SA 3.0
.jpg){kind=link}
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Wells Township
18pages on Wells 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 Wells Township
St Olaf CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Northfield11.9 mi$59,760 tuitionCarleton CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Northfield12.9 mi$68,892 tuition
About 3 of every 100 Wells Township residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Minnesota.
About Wells Township
Township in Minnesota, United States
Wells Township is a township in Rice County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 1,743 at the 2000 census. Settled in the 1850s, Wells Township was named for James "Bully" Wells, an early settler.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 32 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,017 ft
Wells Township’s neighbors
5 towns share a border with Wells Township.
FaribaultShieldsville TownshipWarsaw TownshipForest TownshipCannon City TownshipWells Township
How the neighbors grade
| Town | MN rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wells Township | — | — | B | — | C− | C |
| Faribault | #268 | C− | B− | C+ | C− | C− |
| Shieldsville Township | — | — | C+ | — | C | B |
| Warsaw Township | — | — | B | — | C− | C+ |
| Forest Township | — | — | C+ | — | B− | B+ |
| Cannon City Township | — | — | C | — | C− | C+ |
Wells Township, Shieldsville Township, Warsaw Township, Forest Township and Cannon City Township have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Wells Township, Shieldsville Township, Warsaw Township, Forest Township and Cannon City Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Wells Township with a neighbor →
Questions about Wells Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Wells Township, MN expensive?
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.