Winsted City Hall · National Register of Historic Places
Winsted’s story
168 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2005.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1858Winsted is settled
WinstedMN
Photo: Bobak Ha'Eri · CC BY 3.0
Population
2,209
2025 Census estimate · −1.4% since 2020
Typical home
$285K
+1.7% in a year
Household income
$67K
median
Median age
40.9
years
Jobs based here
1,378
Balanced
Is Winsted a good place to live?
Winsted’s best subject grades are an A− for cost of living and a B+ for civic life. On hazard risk, just 24 of Minnesota’s 575 towns do better. 17% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Winsted, below both Minnesota’s towns (33%) and U.S. towns (29%). Winsted City Hall is on the National Register of Historic Places. Winsted has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Winsted stand out
Where Winsted beats most towns.
Natural hazardsA
Very low risk of storm and flood damage
FEMA National Risk Index.
Typical home value
Winsted$285K
Minnesota$349K
Cost of livingA−
3.6 years of income buys a home
More affordable than 76% of U.S. towns
Zillow Home Value Index; area median household income, Census ACS.
Winsted City HallHistory
Settled in 1858
1 place on the National Register
A history going back 168 years.
How Winsted grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Minnesota), ordered by how far Winsted is from typical.
Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 16% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listAOpen →Cost of livingA−Open →SchoolsB+Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 7.4 of 20; 2% of households have no car; 3.3% of workers walk, bike or ride transitB+Open →Jobs & income$67K median household incomeBOpen →HealthGlencoe Regional Health 13.4 miles awayBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
OutdoorsC+Open →History1 place on the National RegisterBOpen →Civic life6 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsB+Open →
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 Winsted: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Winsted, and how to reach them.
PowerXcel Energy17.1¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterWinsted water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Winsted’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 hereMcLeod CountyMcLeod County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP code5539555395 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 Winsted.
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade A
Inland flooding leads a very low hazard risk in Winsted
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 84% of U.S. communities.
16risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
SchoolsB+
On state tests, Winsted’s schools beat 66% of Minnesota districts
Its public schools are run by the Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted school district. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
66%of MN districts it outscoresB+School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winsted ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–4 | Grades PK–4 | 213 | C+ |
| Holy Trinity School PrivateLargest high schoolGrades PK–12 | Grades PK–12 | 112 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MN on state tests and graduation
Climate
In Winsted, expect snowy winters and pleasant summers
Winsted has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 82°, January nights drop to 5° and about 41 inches of snow falls in a winter.
41″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter9–25°
Spring34–55°
Summer59–80°
Fall38–57°
Oct 8
typical first frost
Apr 28
typical last frost
+1.4°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HousingCost of living grade A−
The typical home in Winsted is valued at about $285K
The typical Winsted home is worth about $285,000, up 1.7% in a year, 18% below the Minnesota typical home. Winsted’s median rent is $834 a month, below both the Minnesota town median ($1,196 a month) and the median of U.S. towns ($1,185 a month).
$285KZillow home value
| Winsted | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $834 a month | $1,196 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 79% | 75% | 73% |
Typical home value
Winsted$285K
Minnesota$349K
+1.7%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B
With 1.2 jobs for every working resident, Winsted draws in 1,246 commuters
Most working residents leave Winsted for work: only 12% work in town. Jobs based in Winsted grew to 1,378 in 2023, 418 more than in 2013. 6.8% of workers work from home in Winsted.
12%work in town
| Winsted | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 6.8% | 14% | 11% |
| Average trip to work | 27 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $67,000 | $90,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 11% | 7% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Winsted12%
Hutchinson8%
Glencoe6%
Eden Prairie4%
Howard Lake4%
17 mi
median commute distance
1,378
jobs based in Winsted
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
B+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 66% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Safety
Crime reported in Winsted
Winsted's reported crime rate is below Minnesota's. Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts. 4 violent crimes were reported in 2024.
| Winsted | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2024) | 7.7 per 1,000 residents | 10.7 | 11.5 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2024) | 1.8 per 1,000 residents | 1.2 | 1.7 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Winsted1.8
Minnesota2.6
U.S.3.6
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Winsted7.7
Minnesota16.3
U.S.17.7
4
violent crimes reported in 2024
17
property crimes reported in 2024
FBI crime data, 2024 · crimes reported to police
HealthB
Winsted is healthier than 56% of U.S. towns
Winsted beats the Minnesota average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 2. 42% of Winsted adults have obesity.
56%healthier than U.S. townsBHealth Grade
| Winsted | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 35% | 35% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 74% | 75% | 79% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 18% | 16% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 14% | 14% |
32 measures vs. Minnesota
0 better30 too close to call2 worse
| What stands out | Winsted | MN |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with obesity | 41.9% | 33.5% |
| More adults with arthritis | 25.7% | 22.3% |
Glencoe Regional Health
13.4 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
OutdoorsC+
Winsted has set aside 0% of its land for conservation
0.3 miles of trail in 6 parks and preserves. The trail density in Winsted is 0.2 miles per square mile.
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 1,208 acres
0.3 mi
of trails · 0.2 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Hainlin Park | — | 6 |
| 2. Westgate Park | — | 5 |
| 3. Barrett Park | — | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Winsted
19pages on Winsted
The big questions
SchoolsB+Beat 66% of MN districts · 3 schoolsSafety1.8 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2024)HealthBBetter than MN on 0 of 32 CDC measuresCost of livingA−$285K typical home · up 1.7% in a yearWork & commuteB$67K median household income · 1,378 jobs hereNatural hazardsAFEMA risk higher than 16% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Winsted; the nearest are
Crown CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Saint Bonifacius15.9 mi$31,410 tuitionHennepin Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · Brooklyn Park33.3 mi$5,940 in-state tuitionUniversity of Minnesota-Twin CitiesUniversity or college · Public · Minneapolis39.8 mi$17,214 in-state tuition
About 5 of every 100 Winsted residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Minnesota.
About Winsted
City in Minnesota, United States
Winsted is a city in McLeod County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 2,240 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.8 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,024 ft
- ZIP code
- 55395
- Area code
- 320
Questions about Winsted
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Winsted, 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−.