Sandstone School · National Register of Historic Places
Sandstone’s story
139 years in pictures
5 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1887Sandstone is settled
SandstoneMN
A town of 2,482, settled in 1887. Nearly 31.9% of it is conserved land.
1 bordering townMap →
Photo: McGhiever · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
2,482
−13.6% since 2010
Median home value
$166K
Census ACS
Household income
$52K
median
Median age
39.9
years
Jobs based here
903
Balanced
What makes Sandstone stand out
The 3 things Sandstone does most differently from other towns.
Outdoors
31.9% conserved land
7.1 miles of trails across 4 parks and preserves
31.9% of the town is conserved land.
100 U.S. towns● Sandstone
Health
80% of U.S. towns are healthier
on CDC estimates
Better than MN on 1 measures, worse on 23.
CSchool Grade
Schools
Better than 26%
of MN districts
School Grade C.
A shrinking town
Sandstone has shrunk 13.6% since 2010
2,849 people in 2010; 2,482 today.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 · ACS
Sandstone’s report card
Now in Sandstone
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The data
Ordered by what stands out in Sandstone. Another town gets a different order.
Outdoors
Nearly a third of Sandstone is conserved land
7.1 miles of trails across 4 parks and preserves.
31.9%conserved
31.9%
conserved · 1,100 of 3,447 acres
7.1 mi
of trails · 1.3 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Banning State Park | 4.8 mi | 1,256 |
| 2. Robinson Park | 0.3 mi | 39 |
| 3. Train Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-USParks & trails →
Health
Healthier than 20% of U.S. towns
Sandstone beats the Minnesota average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 23.
C−Health Grade
32 measures vs. Minnesota
1 better8 too close to call23 worse
| What stands out | Sandstone | MN |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 6.3% | 8.5% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 19.2% | 8.9% |
Essentia Health Sandstone
1 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
1st
percentile among MN towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →
Schools
Sandstone’s public schools outperform 26% of Minnesota districts
The public schools Sandstone’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, trail 74% of Minnesota’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the bottom.
CSchool Grade
| School | Grades | Students | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvest Christian School Private | PK–12 | 60 |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MN on state tests and graduationAll 1 schools →
Climate
Snowy winters, pleasant summers
Sandstone has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to 2°, and about 45 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
45″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter5–24°
Spring30–53°
Summer54–78°
Fall35–54°
Sep 29
typical first frost
May 13
typical last frost
+1.9°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →
Natural hazards
Low risk, with cold waves at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 33% of U.S. communities.
33risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Cold wavesInland floodingTornadoes
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →
Work & commute
About one in nine working residents works right in Sandstone
Most working residents leave Sandstone for work: only 11% work in town. The top destinations are Hinckley (18%), Moose Lake (3%) and Duluth (3%). Half commute less than 27 miles.
11%work in town
Where working residents work
In Sandstone11%
Hinckley18%
Moose Lake3%
Duluth3%
Pine City3%
27 mi
median commute distance
903
jobs based in Sandstone
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACSCommute map →
Landmarks
5 places in Sandstone on the National Register of Historic Places.
About Sandstone
City in Minnesota, United States
Sandstone is a city in Pine County, Minnesota, United States, along the Kettle River. The population was 2,462 at the 2020 census. Interstate 35 and Minnesota State Highways 18 and 23 are three of the main routes in the community. Banning State Park is located in Sandstone.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1887
- Population
- 2,462
- Area
- 5.4 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,089 ft
- ZIP code
- 55072
- Area code
- 320
Sandstone’s neighbors
One town shares a border with Sandstone.
SandstoneSandstone