Madelia ( mə-DEE-lee-ə) is a city in Watonwan County, Minnesota, United States, along the Watonwan River. The population was 2,396 at the 2020 census.

Official town website ↗

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

Town numbers

ZIP code56062

Area code507

Living in Madelia

Safety in Madelia

A⁻

Safety Grade A-

Madelia reports less crime per resident than 81% of the U.S. towns and cities we grade.

Violent crime per 1,000

Madelia 0

Minnesota 2.3

U.S. 3.3

Property crime per 1,000

Madelia 3.7

Minnesota 14.3

U.S. 15.5

FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeCrime & safety →

Work & commute in Madelia

Full picture →

About one in 3 of Madelia’s working residents works in town. The top destinations are Mankato (11%), St. James (10%) and New Ulm (6%). Half commute less than 16 miles.

Mankato

11%

St. James

10%

New Ulm

North Mankato

32%Work in townlive and work in Madelia 16 miWhere do people commute?the commute map 1,220Jobs based herebalanced

Census LEHD 2023 · ACSWork & commute in Madelia →

Health in Madelia

Health Grade B

Healthier than 64% of U.S. towns on seven CDC estimates.

Compared with Minnesota

2worse than MN

of 32 measures CDC estimates. The other 30 are too close to call.

Conditions all close Habits all close Care 1▼ 6 close Mind all close Everyday needs 1▼ 3 close

BetterToo close to callWorse

What stands out

12.8%More uninsured adultsMN 7.5% · worse 11.5%More adults facing housing insecurityMN 9.3% · worse

Care nearby

Madelia HealthMadelia · 0.5 mi · ER · rural critical access

Open Door Health CenterMankato · 23.7 mi · sliding-scale fees

Primary careShortage · county-wide

DentalShortage · county-wide

Mental healthShortage · county-wide

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CDC's estimate for Madelia · CMS · HRSAHealth in Madelia →

Natural hazards in Madelia

Moderate

Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 57% of U.S. communities.

🌊 Inland flooding🥶 Cold waves🌪️ Tornadoes

8Does Madelia flood?paid flood claims since 2010 4Disasters that paid out herefederal disasters sent FEMA money to Madelia

FEMA National Risk Index December 2025 · OpenFEMANatural hazards in Madelia →

Climate in Madelia

Full climate →

Madelia has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 6°, and about 50 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

27° / 10°Winter

55° / 35°Spring

81° / 60°Summer

58° / 38°Fall

How much snow does Madelia get?About 50 inches a winter.Rain & snow →When is the first frost?Around Oct 7, with the last in spring around Apr 30.Frost dates →Is it warmer than it used to be?+0.8° vs. the 20th century.Then & now →

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Climate in Madelia →

Schools in Madelia

All Madelia schools →

School Grade C

The public schools Madelia’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, trail 69% of Minnesota’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the bottom.

DistrictMADELIA PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICTSchools3

Madelia Elementary BElementary · Grades PK–6 · 352 students St. Marys Catholic Elementary SchoolElementary · Grades PK–6 · 84 students Madelia Secondary CHigh · Grades 7–12 · 294 students

School data from the U.S. Department of Education (NCES, EDFacts). The School Grade is our own summary of state test results and graduation rates, graded within MN. Ratings are from neighbors.