Cottonwood County Courthouse · National Register of Historic Places
Windom’s story
155 years in pictures
1 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1871Windom is settled
WindomMN
A town of 4,799, settled in 1871. Public schools that outperform most of Minnesota.
2 bordering townsMap →
Photo: McGhiever · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
4,799
+3.3% since 2010
Typical home
$181K
+0.3% in a year
Household income
$75K
median
Median age
38.9
years
Jobs based here
2,726
Balanced
What makes Windom stand out
The 3 things Windom does most differently from other towns.
Windom’s report card
SchoolsB+Beats 65% of MN districtsCommute8 miHalf of commuters travel lessHousing$181K49% below the MN typical homeOutdoors4 mi#48 for trails in MNHealthC+Healthier than 42% of U.S. townsHazards68/100High risk of storm & flood damageClimate82°/6°Summer high · winter low · 44″ snowSafetyB−Less crime than 53% of U.S. towns
Now in Windom
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Residents weigh in
Windom is #5 of 238 in MN for “Highest graduation rate”. Fair?
Your answer becomes a post in Windom’s Town Square.
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The data
Ordered by what stands out in Windom. Another town gets a different order.
Schools
Windom’s public schools outperform 65% of Minnesota districts
The public schools Windom’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, outperform 65% of Minnesota’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they sit near the middle.
B+School Grade
| School | Grades | Students | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Windom Area Elementary | PK–4 | 493 | B |
| STARSS Online Academy Elementary | K–5 | — | Not graded |
| Windom Middle | 5–8 | 359 | C+ |
| SWWC ALC Midlevel - Windom | 7–8 | — | Not graded |
| Windom Senior High | 9–12 | 327 | C+ |
| SWWC ALC - Windom | 9–12 | 41 | D |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MN on state tests and graduationAll 11 schools →
Work & commute
About one in three working residents works right in Windom
About one in 3 of Windom’s working residents works in town. The top destinations are Mountain Lake (13%), Great Bend (5%) and Jackson (3%). Half commute less than 8 miles.
33%work in town
Where working residents work
In Windom33%
Mountain Lake13%
Great Bend5%
Jackson3%
Marshall3%
8 mi
median commute distance
2,726
jobs based in Windom
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACSCommute map →
Housing
A typical Windom home is worth about $181K
The typical Windom home is worth about $181,000, about the same as a year ago, 49% below the Minnesota typical home.
$181KZillow home value
Typical home value
Windom$181K
Minnesota$351K
+0.3%
value change, 1 year
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →
Outdoors
5.6% of Windom is conserved land
4.4 miles of trails across 5 parks and preserves.
#48for trails in MN
5.6%
conserved · 155 of 2,744 acres
4.4 mi
of trails · 1 per sq mi
#115
most conserved land in MN
#117
most walkable in MN
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Wolf Lake Wildlife Management Area, Cottonwood County Unit | — | 30 |
| 2. Island Park | — | 26 |
| 3. Tegels Park | 0.1 mi | 11 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-USParks & trails →
Health
Healthier than 42% of U.S. towns
Windom beats the Minnesota average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 17.
C+Health Grade
32 measures vs. Minnesota
0 better15 too close to call17 worse
| What stands out | Windom | MN |
|---|---|---|
| More uninsured adults | 11% | 7.5% |
| More adults with COPD | 7.5% | 5.4% |
| More adults with heart disease | 7.9% | 5.9% |
Windom Area Health
0.8 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
11th
percentile among MN towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →
Natural hazards
High risk, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 68% of U.S. communities.
68risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesHail
29
paid flood claims since 2010
5
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →
Climate
Snowy winters, pleasant summers
Windom has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 6°, and about 44 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
44″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter9–26°
Spring34–55°
Summer59–80°
Fall37–58°
Oct 10
typical first frost
Apr 30
typical last frost
+1.1°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →
Safety
Less crime per resident than 53% of U.S. towns
Windom reports less crime per resident than 53% of the U.S. towns and cities we grade.
B−Safety Grade
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Windom1.9
Minnesota2.3
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Windom7.3
Minnesota14.3
U.S.15.5
53rd
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
37th
percentile among MN towns
9
violent crimes reported in 2025
35
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeFull safety report →
About Windom
City in Minnesota, United States
Windom is a city in and the county seat of Cottonwood County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 4,798 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Cottonwood County and is situated in the Coteau des Prairies. Although a mostly small, rural farming community, Windom is host to several parks including a disc golf course at Mayflower Park. The Des Moines River flows through Windom and serves as a gentle, rapid-free canoeing spot.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1871
- Population
- 4,798
- Area
- 4.3 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,362 ft
- ZIP code
- 56101
- Area code
- 507
Windom’s neighbors
2 towns share a border with Windom.
Great BendLakesideWindom