City profile · Minnesota · Census ACS 2023

Hawley, MN

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Hawley - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

2,086
Residents
$92,017
Median income
$265,500
Median home
$1,112
Median rent (state)

Hawley - the verdict

Measured against every US city with at least 1,000 residents, Hawley lands in the 72nd percentile for household income and the 83rd percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

72nd
percentile, household income
59th
percentile, home value
30th
percentile, median rent
83rd
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this

Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.

Data Snapshot: Hawley, MN

Minnesota's Hawley is a small town, with 2,086 residents per the latest Census Bureau ACS figures. Median household income here is $92,017 per year, above the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 5.4%. Home values in Hawley run a median of $265,500, and the median resident age is 36.7 years. 33.2% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 72.6% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

The Census Building Permit Survey recorded 5 residential units authorized here in 2024 (Construction Slowdown), down 29% from five years earlier. Hawley reports a comparatively low crime rate: the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program logs 565.5 total incidents per 100,000 residents here, below the national average (agency reporting is voluntary, so this measures reporting activity, not a definitive danger score).

Minnesota tracks close to the national cost-of-living baseline: the state registers 98.6 on a 100-equals-national-average index (Near Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $1,112 per month. Monthly utility costs average around $225 across Minnesota, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 73.7 out of 100 (High).

Population

2,086 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Minnesota

Median Household Income

$92,017 /yr

Poverty 5.4%

Cost of Living Index (state)

98.6 (US=100)

Near Average - BEA RPP 2024, Minnesota average

How does Hawley compare to other US cities?

Here's how Hawley stacks up against the full field of US cities (population 1,000+), computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 72% higher than other cities
Home value 59% pricier than other cities
Median rent 30% pricier than other cities
Safety 83% safer than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

A national percentile can hide a lot of local variation: narrowed to Minnesota alone, Hawley ranks #77 of 229 Minnesota cities by lowest crime rate - a different, more locally useful comparison than stacking it against the entire country.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

Each percentile compares Hawley against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Minnesota only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.

Minnesota-relative analysis

Bachelor's Degree or Higher places Hawley toward the top of Minnesota's cities

Among the 784 Minnesota cities PlainCities tracks with reported bachelor's degree or higher data, Hawley ranks #168 - the 78th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Hawley only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.

Median Household Income
#168 of 775
78th percentile in Minnesota
Median Gross Rent
#335 of 785
56th percentile in Minnesota
Median Home Value
#194 of 774
75th percentile in Minnesota
Poverty Rate
#396 of 785
49th percentile in Minnesota
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#168 of 784
78th percentile in Minnesota

Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within Minnesota only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.

72ndIncome percentile
83rdSafety percentile

72nd percentile nationally for median household income · 83rd percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Hawley's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Hawley's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown. 3-axis radar comparing 1 series across Income, Affordability, Safety. IncomeAffordabilitySafety 70 Avg. percentile National median
Hawley's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.

How Hawley's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$265,500 41st percentile more affordable than 41% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Below this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). This entry sits in this band. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Hawley $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Hawley, MN Hawley, MN's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Hawley, MN-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Hawley, MN median $92,017/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Hawley, MN's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Hawley, MN. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 33.2%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 5.4%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 72.6%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
2,086
Median Income
$92,017
Median Home Value
$265,500
Median Age
36.7
Poverty Rate
5.4%
Labor force participation
72.6%
Bachelor's Degree+
33.2%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
565.5
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
87.0
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
478.5
per 100,000 residents

Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.

Schools

Total Schools
6
Public schools in this city

Population Change

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
2,220 residents2,240 residents2,260 residents2,280 residents2,300 residents2,320 residents 202020212022202320242025 2,239 residents 2,285 residents ▲ +2.1%
Hawley's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized

📉 Construction Slowdown
Total Permits (2024)
5
housing units authorized
Single-Family
5
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
2.4
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 7
2020 6
2021 40
2022 2
2023 1
2024 5

Permit volume decreased 29% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
77.7%
Carpool
10.5%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
0.0%
Work from Home
11.7%

Based on 1,064 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for Minnesota - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$95
avg/month
Natural Gas
$85
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$45
avg/month
Total Utilities
$225
estimated/month

Estimates reflect Minnesota state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a Minnesota state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Hawley sits in

Cost of Living Index
98.6
Near Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,112/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
73.7 / 100
High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Minnesota

Slayton
2,089 people
Eyota
2,090 people
Gaylord
2,074 people
Hoyt Lakes
2,074 people
Maple Lake
2,104 people
Warroad
2,067 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Hawley's 2,086 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Nedrow, NY
2,086 people
Trenton, FL
2,085 people
Colquitt, GA
2,085 people
Vevay, IN
2,087 people
Berwick, ME
2,085 people
Scotland Neck, NC
2,087 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Hawley's $92,017 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Unionville, NC
$92,009 median income
Waterloo, IL
$92,005 median income
Carlyss, LA
$92,004 median income
Hemlock, MI
$92,031 median income
Point Lay, AK
$92,000 median income
Palm Valley, TX
$92,000 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Hawley, MN Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Hawley, MN - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 97.2% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 3.0% White 97.2% Black or African American 0.7% Asian 0.4% American Indian 0.0% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 0.4% Two or more races 1.4% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Hawley compares to nearby Minnesota cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Hawley (this city) 2,086 $92,017
Slayton 2,089 $65,724
Eyota 2,090 $83,684
Gaylord 2,074 $60,500
Census ACS 5-year FIPS MN FBI UCR NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Hawley, MN?

What is the population of Hawley, MN? +

Hawley, MN has a population of 2,086 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Hawley, MN? +

The median household income in Hawley is $92,017 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Hawley? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Hawley; the closest available measure is the Minnesota state average, a cost of living index of 98.6 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Near Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within Minnesota vary by metro area.

Is Hawley, MN safe? +

Hawley has a total crime rate of 565.5 per 100,000 residents, which is below the national average. This reflects incidents reported to the FBI UCR program, not a definitive safety score -- agency reporting is voluntary and completeness varies by jurisdiction.

What is the median home value in Hawley, MN? +

Homes in Hawley carry a median value of $265,500, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities

Verify with HUD →

Verify with FBI →

Verify with NOAA →

Verify with U.S. Census Bureau →

Verify with EPA →

Verify with FEMA →

Verify with BEA →

Verify with EIA →

Verify with NCES →

Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.