Church of the Good Shepherd-Episcopal · National Register of Historic Places
Blue Earth’s story
Blue Earth in pictures
4 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Explore the history →Blue EarthMN
A town of 3,165. A typical home worth about $184K.
Population
3,165
−5.3% since 2010
Typical home
$184K
+4% in a year
Household income
$67K
median
Median age
44.1
years
Jobs based here
1,952
Balanced
What makes Blue Earth stand out
The 3 things Blue Earth does most differently from other towns.
$184Ktypical home
Housing
$184K typical home
48% below the MN typical home
Up 4% in a year.
100 U.S. towns● Blue Earth
Health
58% of U.S. towns are healthier
on CDC estimates
Better than MN on 1 measures, worse on 13.
Outdoors
#51 most walkable in MN
0.5 miles of trails across 2 parks and preserves
10.3% of the town is conserved land.
Blue Earth’s report card
Commute2 miHalf of commuters travel lessHousing$184K48% below the MN typical homeHealthC+Healthier than 42% of U.S. townsOutdoors1 miof trails · 10.3% conservedSchoolsC+Beats 42% of MN districtsHazards79/100High risk of storm & flood damageSafetyA−Less crime than 75% of U.S. townsClimate83°/7°Summer high · winter low · 47″ snow
Now in Blue Earth
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Blue Earth is #265 of 272 in MN for “Fastest growing”. Fair?
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The data
Ordered by what stands out in Blue Earth. Another town gets a different order.
Work & commute
About half of working residents work right in Blue Earth
50% of Blue Earth’s working residents work right in town. The top destinations are Fairmont (6%), Mankato (5%) and Blue Earth City (3%). Half commute less than 2 miles.
50%work in town
Where working residents work
In Blue Earth50%
Fairmont6%
Mankato5%
Blue Earth City3%
Winnebago2%
2 mi
median commute distance
1,952
jobs based in Blue Earth
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACSCommute map →
Housing
A typical Blue Earth home is worth about $184K
The typical Blue Earth home is worth about $184,000, up 4% in a year, 48% below the Minnesota typical home.
$184KZillow home value
Typical home value
Blue Earth$184K
Minnesota$351K
+4%
value change, 1 year
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →
Health
Healthier than 42% of U.S. towns
Blue Earth beats the Minnesota average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 13.
C+Health Grade
32 measures vs. Minnesota
1 better18 too close to call13 worse
| What stands out | Blue Earth | MN |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 81% | 76.1% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 13.7% | 8.9% |
United Hospital District
0.5 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: dental, mental health
11th
percentile among MN towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →
Outdoors
10.3% of Blue Earth is conserved land
0.5 miles of trails across 2 parks and preserves.
10.3%conserved
10.3%
conserved · 223 of 2,171 acres
0.5 mi
of trails · 0.1 per sq mi
#58
most conserved land in MN
#51
most walkable in MN
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Steinberg Nature Park | 0.5 mi | 14 |
| 2. Faribault County Fairground | — | 52 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-USParks & trails →
Schools
Blue Earth’s public schools outperform 42% of Minnesota districts
The public schools Blue Earth’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, trail 58% of Minnesota’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the bottom.
C+School Grade
| School | Grades | Students | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Earth Area Elementary | PK–5 | 515 | C |
| Blue Earth Area Middle | 6–7 | 163 | C |
| Blue Earth Area Secondary | 8–12 | 378 | C+ |
| Blue Earth Area Early Childhood Spe | PK | 8 | Not graded |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MN on state tests and graduationAll 4 schools →
Natural hazards
High risk, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 79% of U.S. communities.
79risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesCold waves
3
paid flood claims since 2018
7
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →
Safety
Less crime per resident than 75% of U.S. towns
Blue Earth reports less crime per resident than 75% of the U.S. towns and cities we grade.
A−Safety Grade
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Blue Earth0.6
Minnesota2.3
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Blue Earth3.2
Minnesota14.3
U.S.15.5
75th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
60th
percentile among MN towns
2
violent crimes reported in 2025
10
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeFull safety report →
Climate
Snowy winters, pleasant summers
Blue Earth has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 7°, and about 47 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
47″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter10–27°
Spring35–56°
Summer60–81°
Fall38–59°
Oct 10
typical first frost
Apr 27
typical last frost
+0.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →
Landmarks
4 places in Blue Earth on the National Register of Historic Places.
About Blue Earth
City in Minnesota, United States
Blue Earth is a city in Faribault County, Minnesota, United States, at the confluence of the east and west branches of the Blue Earth River. The population was 3,174 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Faribault County. It is home to a statue of the Jolly Green Giant. Additionally, Interstate 90 is centered on Blue Earth, as the east and west construction teams met here in 1978. As a tribute, there is a golden stripe of concrete on the interstate near Blue Earth. This draws an analogy to the golden spike set in the first transcontinental railroad. Approximately three miles south of Blue Earth is the Blue Earth Municipal Airport.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Population
- 3,174
- Area
- 3.3 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,089 ft
- ZIP code
- 56013
- Area code
- 507
Blue Earth’s neighbors
2 towns share a border with Blue Earth.
Blue Earth CityJo DaviessBlue Earth