Church of St. Boniface · National Register of Historic Places
Melrose’s story
Melrose in pictures
1 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Explore the history →MelroseMN
A town of 3,671. Healthier than 57% of U.S. towns.
Population
3,671
+0.1% since 2010
Median home value
$207K
Census ACS
Household income
$60K
median
Median age
38.7
years
Jobs based here
1,986
Balanced
What makes Melrose stand out
The 3 things Melrose does most differently from other towns.
100 U.S. towns● Melrose
Health
Healthier than 57%
of U.S. towns on CDC estimates
Better than MN on 0 measures, worse on 10.
B+School Grade
Schools
Better than 66%
of MN districts
School Grade B+.
100 U.S. towns● Melrose
Safety
Safer than 83%
of U.S. towns we grade
Safety Grade A−. FBI data, crimes reported to police.
Melrose’s report card
Now in Melrose
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Residents weigh in
Melrose is #269 of 275 in MN for “Most educated”. Fair?
Your answer becomes a post in Melrose’s Town Square.
Start a conversation
Weather
Forecast →63°
Partly Cloudy
H 66° · L 55°
Local news
All →Upcoming events
Nothing on the calendar.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Melrose. Another town gets a different order.
Health
Healthier than 57% of U.S. towns
Melrose beats the Minnesota average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 10.
BHealth Grade
32 measures vs. Minnesota
0 better22 too close to call10 worse
| What stands out | Melrose | MN |
|---|---|---|
| More uninsured adults | 12.7% | 7.5% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 12.2% | 8.9% |
| More adults facing food insecurity | 14.7% | 11.4% |
Centracare Health System - Sauk Centre
8.2 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
28th
percentile among MN towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →
Housing
Homes in Melrose sell for about $253K
The median sale price was $253,000 in May 2026.
$253Kmedian sale price
2
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →
Schools
Melrose’s public schools outperform 66% of Minnesota districts
The public schools Melrose’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, outperform 66% of Minnesota’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the top.
B+School Grade
| School | Grades | Students | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Melrose Elementary | PK–5 | 512 | B |
| St. Mary Catholic School Private | PK–6 | 173 | |
| Montessori of Melrose Private | PK–K | 39 | |
| Melrose Middle | 6–8 | 296 | B− |
| Melrose Secondary | 9–12 | 505 | B |
| West Central Area Learning Center | 6–12 | 21 | Not graded |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MN on state tests and graduationAll 9 schools →
Work & commute
About one in four working residents works right in Melrose
About one in 4 of Melrose’s working residents works in town. The top destinations are St. Cloud (10%), Sauk Centre (9%) and Albany (4%). Half commute less than 17 miles.
24%work in town
Where working residents work
In Melrose24%
St. Cloud10%
Sauk Centre9%
Albany4%
Willmar2%
17 mi
median commute distance
1,986
jobs based in Melrose
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACSCommute map →
Safety
Less crime per resident than 83% of U.S. towns
Melrose reports less crime per resident than 83% of the U.S. towns and cities we grade.
A−Safety Grade
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Melrose2.5
Minnesota2.3
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Melrose1
Minnesota14.3
U.S.15.5
83rd
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
71st
percentile among MN towns
10
violent crimes reported in 2025
4
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeFull safety report →
Climate
Four seasons, pleasant summers
Melrose has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 2°, and about 39 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
39″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter5–24°
Spring32–53°
Summer57–79°
Fall36–55°
Oct 1
typical first frost
May 4
typical last frost
+1.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →
Natural hazards
Moderate risk, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 53% of U.S. communities.
53risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesCold waves
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →
Outdoors
1.9% of Melrose is conserved land
1.0 miles of trails across 4 parks and preserves.
1.9%conserved
1.9%
conserved · 39 of 2,107 acres
1.0 mi
of trails · 0.3 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Sauk River Park | 0.5 mi | 22 |
| 2. Meadowlark Park | 0.2 mi | 2 |
| 3. Utility Plant Park | 0.1 mi | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-USParks & trails →
About Melrose
City in Minnesota, United States
Melrose is a city in Stearns County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 3,602 at the 2020 census. It is part of the St. Cloud metropolitan area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Population
- 3,602
- Area
- 3.3 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,204 ft
- ZIP code
- 56352
- Area code
- 320
Melrose’s neighbors
2 towns share a border with Melrose.