City profile · Minnesota · Census ACS 2023

Wadena, MN

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

4,361
Residents
$45,850
Median income
$158,700
Median home
$1,016
Median rent (state)

Wadena - the verdict

Nationally, Wadena sits in the 14th percentile for household income and the 43rd percentile for safety among US cities with a population of 1,000 or more. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

14th
percentile, household income
30th
percentile, home value
21st
percentile, median rent
43rd
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: Wadena, MN

Minnesota's Wadena is a small town, with 4,361 residents per the latest Census Bureau ACS figures. Wadena households earn a median of $45,850 annually, in the lower quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 14.5%. Home values in Wadena run a median of $158,700, and the median resident age is 36.5 years. 13.0% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 64.1% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

The Census Building Permit Survey recorded 6 residential units authorized here in 2024 (Building Boom), up 200% from five years earlier. Wadena reports a comparatively low crime rate: the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program logs 1594.6 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). NOAA climate normals record an annual average temperature of 40.2°F with 29.3 inches of precipitation per year and 50.8 inches of snowfall.

Minnesota tracks close to the national cost-of-living baseline: on BEA's 100-equals-national-average cost index, Minnesota scores 98.6 (Near Average), per the 2024 Regional Price Parities release. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $1,016 per month. Monthly utility costs average around $225 across Minnesota, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. On FEMA's National Risk Index, this area rates 12.9 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (Very Low).

Population

4,361 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Minnesota

Median Household Income

$45,850 /yr

Poverty 14.5%

Cost of Living Index (state)

98.6 (US=100)

Near Average - BEA RPP 2024, Minnesota average

How does Wadena compare to other US cities?

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

Household income 14% higher than other cities
Home value 30% pricier than other cities
Median rent 21% pricier than other cities
Safety 43% safer than other cities

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

National percentiles can mask local variation. Looking only at Minnesota, Wadena ranks #167 of 229 Minnesota cities by lowest crime rate - a narrower, more locally useful cut than the national comparison above.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

For each metric we count every US city with population 1,000+ and a non-null value, then compute what share of them fall below Wadena's value: round(cities-below ÷ total × 100). Safety is inverted (percentile = share of cities with a higher crime rate) so a higher number always means safer. The in-state rank narrows that same crime-rate comparison to only the cities PlainCities tracks in Minnesota, breaking ties alphabetically. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.

14thIncome percentile
43rdSafety percentile

14th percentile nationally for median household income · 43rd percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Wadena's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Wadena'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 44 Avg. percentile National median
Wadena'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 Wadena's home value compares nationally

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

$158,700 Among the most affordable more affordable than 70% 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%). This entry sits in this band. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Above this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Above this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Above this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $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. Wadena $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 - Wadena, MN Wadena, MN's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Wadena, 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 Wadena, MN median $45,850/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%
Wadena, 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 Wadena, MN. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 13.0%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 14.5%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 64.1%

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

Population
4,361
Median Income
$45,850
Median Home Value
$158,700
Median Age
36.5
Poverty Rate
14.5%
Labor force participation
64.1%
Bachelor's Degree+
13.0%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
1594.6
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
92.4
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
1502.2
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.

Climate

Avg Temperature
40.2°F
Annual Precipitation
29.3"
Annual Snowfall
50.8"

Schools

Total Schools
8
Public schools in this city

Population Change

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

See the fastest-growing cities →
4,330 residents4,340 residents4,350 residents4,360 residents4,370 residents 202020212022202320242025 4,358 residents 4,341 residents ▼ -0.4%
Wadena's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

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

📈 Building Boom
Total Permits (2024)
6
housing units authorized
Single-Family
4
detached homes
Multifamily
2
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
1.4
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 2
2020 9
2021 6
2022 8
2023 3
2024 6

Permit volume increased 200% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
81.5%
Carpool
10.3%
Public Transit
0.3%
Walk
0.8%
Work from Home
2.3%
Other
4.8%

Based on 2,070 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 Wadena sits in

Cost of Living Index
98.6
Near Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,016/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
12.9 / 100
Very Low
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Minnesota

Wayzata
4,363 people
Newport
4,460 people
Park Rapids
4,226 people
Cannon Falls
4,216 people
Columbus
4,211 people
Le Sueur
4,204 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Wadena's 4,361 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Hanamaulu, HI
4,360 people
Pocomoke City, MD
4,360 people
Magnolia, NJ
4,360 people
Tri-City, OR
4,362 people
Waverly, NE
4,363 people
Pocola, OK
4,359 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Wadena's $45,850 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

London, KY
$45,850 median income
Amite City, LA
$45,850 median income
Valdosta, GA
$45,849 median income
Floydada, TX
$45,848 median income
Urbana, IL
$45,854 median income
Syracuse, NY
$45,845 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Wadena, 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 Wadena, MN - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 90.5% 8.6% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 3.9% White 90.5% Black or African American 0.1% Asian 0.0% American Indian 0.6% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 0.2% Two or more races 8.6% 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 Wadena 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
Wadena (this city) 4,361 $45,850
Wayzata 4,363 $125,344
Newport 4,460 $63,365
Park Rapids 4,226 $45,800
Census ACS 5-year FIPS MN FBI UCR NOAA Normals NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Wadena, MN?

What is the population of Wadena, MN? +

Wadena, MN has a population of 4,361 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

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

Median annual household income in Wadena runs $45,850, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Wadena? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Wadena; 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 Wadena, MN safe? +

Wadena has a total crime rate of 1594.6 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 Wadena, MN? +

Homes in Wadena carry a median value of $158,700, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the climate like in Wadena? +

Climate normals put Wadena's yearly average temperature at 40.2°F, 29.3 inches of precipitation, and 50.8 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.

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

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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.