Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 1,330, settled in 1884. A typical home costs 2 years of the county’s $63K median household income.
Wheaton’s best subject grades are an A for cost of living and walkability; its weakest is a D− for incomes. 37% of working residents work locally in Wheaton, where Minnesota’s towns sit at 9.8% and U.S. towns at 8%. Only 7 of Minnesota’s 574 towns score lower on incomes. Wheaton has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Wheaton beats most towns.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Minnesota), ordered by how far Wheaton is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 883 in 1890, a peak of 2,102 in 1960, 1,460 in 2020. The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 2005 and a map from 1985 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Wheaton, 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 Wheaton.
Wheaton’s median rent is $609 a month, below both Minnesota’s towns ($1,196 a month) and U.S. towns ($1,185 a month). Typical home values rose 9.2% in the year to September 2026.
| Wheaton | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $609 a month | $1,196 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 77% | 75% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its public schools are run by the Wheaton Area Public School District. Its two schools are below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pearson ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 177 | A− |
| Wheaton SecondaryLargest public high schoolGrades 6–12 | Grades 6–12 | 175 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MN on state tests and graduation
Wheaton has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 82°, January nights drop to 2° and about 43 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The median household income in Wheaton is $46,000. Since 2013, Wheaton has lost 146 jobs, to 501 in 2023. 15% of residents live below the poverty line in Wheaton.
| Wheaton | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 14 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $46,000 | $90,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 15% | 7% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Wheaton's reported crime rate is below Minnesota's. Wheaton’s violent crime rate is 2.9 per 1,000 residents. Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts.
| Wheaton | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2022) | 2.9 per 1,000 residents | 1.3 | 1.9 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2022) | 10 per 1,000 residents | 13.6 | 14.1 |
FBI crime data, 2022 · crimes reported to police
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 55% of U.S. communities. One flood insurance claim has been paid in Wheaton since 2001.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Wheaton beats the Minnesota average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 12. 38% of Wheaton adults have high blood pressure.
| Wheaton | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 31% | 35% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 23% | 25% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 10% | 12% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 30% | 33% |
| What stands out | Wheaton | MN |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 81% | 76.1% |
| More adults with heart disease | 8.8% | 5.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Falk Park | 0.1 mi | 6 |
| 2. City Park | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Wheaton; the nearest are
About 1 of every 100 Wheaton residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Minnesota.
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.
2 notable people were born here, including Michael Colley and Wayne Olhoft.