City profile · Minnesota · Census ACS 2023

Owatonna, MN

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

26,462
Residents
$81,276
Median income
$234,600
Median home
$1,125
Median rent

Data Snapshot: Owatonna, MN

Owatonna is a city in Minnesota with a population of 26,462 residents based on U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Median household income here reaches $81,276 per year, while the poverty rate sits at 4.4%. Typical homes in Owatonna are valued around $234,600, and the median resident age is 40.0 years. About 32.3% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 63.1% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 14 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Construction Slowdown), down 78% from five years earlier. FBI UCR reporting places total crime at 970.9 incidents per 1,000 residents, above the national average, indicating elevated public-safety concerns. NOAA climate normals record an annual average temperature of 44.8°F with 35.5 inches of precipitation per year and 44.2 inches of snowfall.

On a cost-of-living index where 100 equals the national average, Minnesota registers 98.6 (Near Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $1,125 per month. Average monthly utility bills run around $225 based on EIA 2023 residential energy data. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 42.4 out of 100 (Low).

According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2023 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, PlainCities renders standardized city-level demographic, income, education, employment, and housing indicators across more than 19,000 incorporated places nationwide. Population counts and median household income figures are sourced directly from Census Table B01003 and B19013 respectively, with poverty rates from B17001 and cost-of-living adjustments from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) Regional Price Parities (RPP) 2024 release. Every value displayed in this snapshot links back to the official upstream tables and is refreshed on the ACS annual release cadence (typically December of the survey year + 1).

Methodology: city boundaries follow the Census Bureau's place-level geography (incorporated places, census-designated places, and consolidated city-county governments), with FIPS codes ensuring consistent identifiers across decennial and annual surveys. Cost-of-living comparisons use BEA's Regional Price Parities (RPP) indexed to the national average (100), enabling cross-city purchasing-power comparisons. See our methodology page for full source attribution, refresh cadence, and known data quality limitations including margin-of-error disclosure and sample-size thresholds.

Population

26,462 residents

Census ACS 2023 — Minnesota

Median Household Income

$81,276 /yr

Poverty 4.4%

Cost of Living Index

98.6 (US=100)

Near Average — BEA RPP 2024

How does Owatonna compare to other US cities?

Where Owatonna sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure — computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 63% higher than other cities
Home value 52% pricier than other cities
Median rent 36% pricier than other cities
Safety 65% safer than other cities

Percentiles compare Owatonna against every US city with at least 1,000 residents. "Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

Income distribution context

Household income distribution — Owatonna, MN Quintile shares of aggregate household income for Owatonna, MN. The Lorenz curve traces cumulative income share against cumulative population share — perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Owatonna, MN — median $81,276/yr — Census ACS quintile shares 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%
Household income distribution for Owatonna, MN — Census ACS 5-year estimates. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 32.3%

Census ACS S1501 — educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 4.4%

Census ACS S1701 — poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 63.1%

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

Population
26,462
Median Income
$81,276
Median Home Value
$234,600
Median Age
40.0
Poverty Rate
4.4%
Labor force participation
63.1%
Bachelor's Degree+
32.3%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
970.9
per 1,000 residents
Violent Crime
150.5
per 1,000 residents
Property Crime
820.4
per 1,000 residents

Climate

Avg Temperature
44.8°F
Annual Precipitation
35.5"
Annual Snowfall
44.2"

Schools

Total Schools
12
Public schools in this city

Housing Supply

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

📉 Construction Slowdown
Total Permits (2024)
14
housing units authorized
Single-Family
10
detached homes
Multifamily
4
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
0.5
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 63
2020 114
2021 121
2022 172
2023 143
2024 14

Permit volume decreased 78% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work — Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
80.7%
Carpool
5.7%
Public Transit
1.4%
Walk
2.7%
Work from Home
8.4%
Other
1.1%

Based on 12,907 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

Minnesota state-level data from PlainCost, PlainRent, and PlainHazard

Cost of Living Index
98.6
Near Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,125/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
State-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
42.4 / 100
Low
FEMA NRI composite score

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity — Owatonna, 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 Owatonna, MN — Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE — sums to 100% 59.5% 12.1% 6.1% 10.6% 10.3% ETHNICITY — Hispanic or Latino (any race) 18.7% White 59.5% Black or African American 12.1% Asian 6.1% American Indian 1.2% Native Hawaiian 0.2% Some other race 10.6% Two or more races 10.3% 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.

National-average reference values shown when city-level race/ethnicity table is not loaded. Source: Census ACS 5-year, OMB Directive 15 race-and-ethnicity categories.

How Owatonna compares to nearby Minnesota cities

Census ACS 2023 — population and median income benchmarks

Side-by-side population + income comparison anchored on the current city (Owatonna) plus the nearest peer cities in Minnesota, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).
Selected

MN

Owatonna

81.28% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$81,276
Brackets
26
Selected

MN

Rosemount

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$2,650
Brackets
27
Selected

MN

Elk River

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$2,640
Brackets
26
Selected

MN

Shoreview

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$2,670
Brackets
27
Census ACS 5-year FIPS MN FBI UCR NOAA Normals NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Owatonna, MN?

What is the population of Owatonna, MN? +

Owatonna, MN has a population of 26,462 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

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

The median household income in Owatonna is $81,276 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Owatonna? +

Owatonna has a cost of living index of 98.6 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Near Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data.

Is Owatonna, MN safe? +

Owatonna has a total crime rate of 970.9 per 1,000 residents, which is above the national average. Source: FBI UCR data.

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

The median home value in Owatonna is $234,600, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the climate like in Owatonna? +

Owatonna has an average annual temperature of 44.8°F, 35.5 inches of precipitation, and 44.2 inches of snowfall per year. Source: NOAA Climate Normals.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, 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.

Related

Data sourced from official U.S. government datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities Editorial

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