The Town FilesCottonwood, Minnesota
Township in Brown County · population 856 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $246,500
- Household income
- $84,219
- Jan low / Jul high
- 4° / 81°
- Snow a year
- 38 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 23
- Median age
- 46.2
Cottonwood is a township of 856 people in Brown County, Minnesota. The median home is worth $246,500, below the typical Minnesota town ($301,800). It ranks more of a college town than 90% of Minnesota towns, better for families than 82% of Minnesota towns, easier by car than 71% of Minnesota towns.
How Cottonwood ranks
Percentile among Minnesota towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Minnesota towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Cottonwood is worth $246,500, below the typical Minnesota town ($301,800). Homes cost about 2.9 times the median household income of $84,219, which is more affordable than 74% of Minnesota towns. 94.6% of households own their home.
| Housing | Cottonwood | Typical Minnesota town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $246,500 | $301,800 |
| Median rent | — | $991 |
| Median household income | $84,219 | $87,375 |
| Home value ÷ income | 2.9× | 3.4× |
| Homeownership | 94.6% | 88.6% |
| Median year built | 1973 | 1979 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.0% | — |
Who lives in Cottonwood
| People | Cottonwood | Typical Minnesota town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 46.2 | 42.7 |
| Age 65 and over | 21.3% | 20.0% |
| Under 18 | 18.4% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 18.6% | 26.2% |
| Below the poverty line | 7.3% | 6.9% |
| Veterans | 6.3% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 0.2% | — |
| Work from home | 12.0% | 11.1% |
| Average commute | 21.0 min | 24.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 92.7% | 90.2% |
Weather in Cottonwood
July highs average 81.4°F and January lows 3.6°F. About 32.8 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 38.3 inches of snow (typical Minnesota town: 47.0 in). Expect about 8 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 166 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
23 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Cottonwood since 1950, compared with 14 for the typical Minnesota town. 4 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F4, struck on March 29, 1998 about 4.6 miles from the town center. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 1 deaths and 16 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on June 16, 2025.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 54 times; the largest was 4.50 inches on March 29, 1998.
Severe weather in Brown County since 1996
Brown County has been included in 20 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, drought, tornado.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| June 28, 2024 | Flood | DR-4797: Severe Storms And Flooding |
| April 7, 2020 | Biological | DR-4531: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3453: Covid-19 |
| June 12, 2019 | Flood | DR-4442: Severe Winter Storm, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding |
| September 5, 2018 | Flood | DR-4390: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding |
Jobs and pay in Brown County
Brown County had 13,221 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $55,442 a year. Unemployment was 2.9% in 2023; in Cottonwood itself the ACS puts it at 3.7%.
Towns near Cottonwood
- New Ulm, MN5.3 mi · 14,120 people · home $204,200
- Courtland, MN5.6 mi · 734 people · home $275,600
- Courtland, MN7.2 mi · 572 people · home $318,000
- Milford, MN8.9 mi · 691 people · home $292,800
- Lafayette, MN9.9 mi · 700 people · home $330,600
- Nicollet, MN12.9 mi · 1,143 people · home $239,700
- Madelia, MN13.1 mi · 2,396 people · home $165,400
- Judson, MN13.8 mi · 534 people · home $264,100
Cottonwood questions
Is Cottonwood, Minnesota a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Cottonwood scores better for retirees than 49% of Minnesota towns and quieter than 67%. 21.3% of residents are 65 or older (median age 46.2).
How much does a house cost in Cottonwood?
The median owner-occupied home in Cottonwood is valued at $246,500 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $84,219, so homes cost about 2.9 times income. Median rent is — a month.
What is the weather like in Cottonwood?
July highs average 81.4°F and January lows 3.6°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 32.8 inches of precipitation a year and 38.3 inches of snow.
Does Cottonwood get tornadoes?
23 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Cottonwood since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F4 on March 29, 1998. The typical Minnesota town has had 14.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)