New Ulm, Minnesota
Area Profile
14,056 residents. Public schools, jobs, income, housing cost, climate and natural-hazard risk for New Ulm, in Brown County.
How this area ranks
Data updated · 12 sourcesUnemployment is 4.1% and median household income $64,449, putting employment conditions in the middle range of cities measured. The unemployment rate is published for Brown County, MN, which contains New Ulm, rather than for New Ulm alone.
In the public schools here, 57% of students met the state standard in mathematics, with 14.5 students for every teacher.
Development activity is both elevated and accelerating — 134 housing units permitted over the past twelve months, against 20 the year before.
These sentences are written by fixed rules from the measurements below — a statement appears because a number crossed a stated threshold, and the values behind it are stored with it. No figure anywhere on this site is invented, estimated or inferred to fill a gap. How this works.
At a glance
Jobs & opportunity
Unemployment across Brown County, MN, which contains New Ulm, is 4.1%, lower than in 58% of the 4,226 measured US cities.
Employment across Brown County, MN, which contains New Ulm, fell 1.9% over the past year, to 13,415 employed residents.
| Metric | Value | Compared nationally | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income ±$4,3302024 ACS 5-Year | $64,449 | Bottom 47%of 29,223 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income ±$1,5452024 ACS 5-Year | $35,978 | Top 43%of 31,420 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate ±2%2024 ACS 5-Year | 9.2% | Top 43%of 31,773 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Average commute ±1.0 min2024 ACS 5-Year | 13.5 min | Top 4%of 31,543 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Bachelor's degree or higher ±3%2024 ACS 5-Year | 27.9% | Top 34%of 31,919 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Drove alone to work ±3%2024 ACS 5-Year | 79.6% | 58th percentileof 31,433 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| EmploymentBrown County, MN’s figureJuly 2026 | 13,415 | Bottom 9%of 4,226 | July 2026 |
| Employment change (3 years)Brown County, MN’s figureJuly 2026 | +1.5% | Top 26%of 4,226 | July 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year)Brown County, MN’s figureJuly 2026 | −1.9% | Bottom 22%of 4,226 | July 2026 |
| Labor forceBrown County, MN’s figureJuly 2026 | 13,989 | 9th percentileof 4,226 | July 2026 |
| Labor force participation ±2%2024 ACS 5-Year | 84.6% | Top 25%of 31,513 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public transit to work ±0.5%2024 ACS 5-Year | 0.7% | 81st percentileof 31,433 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment change (year over year)Brown County, MN’s figureJuly 2026 | +0.3% | Bottom 29%of 4,226 | July 2026 |
| Unemployment rateBrown County, MN’s figureJuly 2026 | 4.1% | Top 42%of 4,226 | July 2026 |
| Worked from home ±2%2024 ACS 5-Year | 5.6% | 39th percentileof 31,433 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
Median household income, successive ACS releases
The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes city-level labor data only for places of 25,000 or more. This is the figure for Brown County, MN, which contains this city.
57% of students met the state standard in mathematics and 57% in reading, across the schools here that reported results.
There are 14.5 students for every full-time teacher across 9 public schools, fewer than in most measured places.
| School | District | Students | Per teacher | Math | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Ulm High School | NEW ULM PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT | 687 | 18.6 | 67% | 67% |
| Jefferson Elementary | NEW ULM PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT | 643 | 13.4 | 57% | 49% |
| New Ulm Middle School | NEW ULM PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT | 617 | 15.8 | 50% | 60% |
| Washington Learning Center | NEW ULM PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT | 180 | 12.0 | — | — |
| River Bend Early Childhood Prog. | RIVER BEND EDUCATION DISTRICT | 90 | 22.5 | — | — |
| River Bend Area Learning Center | RIVER BEND EDUCATION DISTRICT | 43 | 6.1 | 10% | 10% |
| Imprints Program | RIVER BEND EDUCATION DISTRICT | 30 | 5.0 | 10% | 10% |
| R.I.S.E. Program | RIVER BEND EDUCATION DISTRICT | 17 | 5.7 | — | — |
| Raptor Program | RIVER BEND EDUCATION DISTRICT | 15 | 3.8 | — | — |
| W.O.R.K. Program | RIVER BEND EDUCATION DISTRICT | 8 | 8.0 | — | — |
| New Ulm CTE Center | NEW ULM PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT | 0 | — | — | — |
| River Bend ALC Credit Recovery Prog | RIVER BEND EDUCATION DISTRICT | 0 | — | — | — |
32.2% of students here are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch. That describes the circumstances families arrive with, not how the schools perform, so it is shown and not scored.
Public schools only, from the NCES Common Core of Data, placed by ZIP code — which schools are in this place, not which one a particular address is zoned for. A dash in a proficiency column is a gap in the federal file, not a bad result. Proficiency is measured against Minnesota’s own standard, so it is ranked within state. How to read school figures.
Housing & affordability
How it’s calculated — housing affordability →The Federal Housing Finance Agency’s house price index for the non-metropolitan parts of Minnesota is up 43% over five years, and up 3.8% over the last year. It follows repeat sales of the same homes, so it measures price change rather than which homes happened to sell.
Homeowners here who pay a tax bill pay a median of $2,333 a year in real estate taxes, about 1.14% of the median home value.
HUD’s Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom, set near the 40th percentile of recent new leases, is $973, close to the $962 tenants already here pay.
At HUD’s Fair Market Rent of $973 a month for a two-bedroom, keeping rent to 30% of income takes a household income of about $38,900 a year, about 60% of the median household income here of $64,449.
The typical renter household here spends 28% of its income on rent, below the 30% threshold at which a household is considered cost-burdened. Median gross rent runs $962 a month.
A median home at $204,200 costs 2.5 times the median income of its owner-occupied households, $80,328, close to the historic benchmark for an affordable market.
The figures above are measured against New Ulm’s median household income of $64,449, which describes the place rather than you. Enter your own and the ratio is recomputed against it. It stays in this browser.
| Metric | Value | Compared nationally | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home price change (1 year)the non-metropolitan parts of Minnesota’s figure2026 Q2 | +3.8% | 63rd percentileof 4,154 | 2026 Q2 |
| Home price change (5 years)the non-metropolitan parts of Minnesota’s figure2026 Q2 | +42.5% | 49th percentileof 4,154 | 2026 Q2 |
| Home price change (10 years)the non-metropolitan parts of Minnesota’s figure2026 Q2 | +88.5% | 44th percentileof 4,154 | 2026 Q2 |
| Home price to income ±0.22024 ACS 5-Year | 2.5 | Bottom 48%of 26,815 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate ±3%2024 ACS 5-Year | 75.1% | 48th percentileof 31,717 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units ±1872024 ACS 5-Year | 6,377 | 91st percentileof 32,177 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Market rent, one bedroomFY2026 | $742 | Top 3%of 4,072 | FY2026 |
| Market rent, three bedroomFY2026 | $1,177 | Top 2%of 4,072 | FY2026 |
| Market rent, two bedroomFY2026 | $973 | Top 5%of 4,072 | FY2026 |
| Median gross rent ±$712024 ACS 5-Year | $962 | Top 49%of 23,120 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value ±$11,2972024 ACS 5-Year | $204,200 | 54th percentileof 29,111 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median property taxes ±$1072024 ACS 5-Year | $2,333 | 62nd percentileof 26,440 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Owner household income ±$6,3232024 ACS 5-Year | $80,328 | Top 48%of 27,548 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Property tax rate ±0.08%2024 ACS 5-Year | 1.14% | 60th percentileof 20,543 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Rent as a share of income ±4%2024 ACS 5-Year | 28.4% | Top 50%of 22,950 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Seasonal and second homes ±512024 ACS 5-Year | 49 | 82nd percentileof 32,330 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Second homes2024 ACS 5-Year | 0.8% | 60th percentileof 31,895 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Vacancy rate2024 ACS 5-Year | 3.9% | 32nd percentileof 31,769 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Vacant housing units ±1182024 ACS 5-Year | 296 | 84th percentileof 32,330 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
These measures come from the same ACS release as the income they are compared with. They compare housing cost with local earnings only: transport, groceries, healthcare, insurance and taxes are not in them. How to read affordability, the two rent figures.
Growth & development
How it’s calculated — growth →Development Momentum
An AreaProfile calculation combining permit volume per resident, its direction over one and three years, population change and employment growth. Permit volume alone is not the measure.
Population has fallen 1% since 2020, to 13,970 in 2024.
87% of the 134 units permitted over the past twelve months are in buildings of five or more homes, so new supply is concentrated in apartments and condominiums rather than detached houses.
At 9.5 permitted units per 1,000 residents, building activity is above the median for measured US cities.
Population, annual estimates
Housing units permitted per year
Weather & climate
5 of the twelve months have a normal average temperature between 55°F and 80°F. July averages a high of 82°F and January a low of 7°F.
Normal annual precipitation is 31.1 inches, including 38.3 inches of snow.
Precipitation
| Metric | Value | Source period |
|---|---|---|
| Annual precipitation1991-2020 Normals | 31.1" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual snowfall1991-2020 Normals | 38.3" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low1991-2020 Normals | 7°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average July high1991-2020 Normals | 82°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Comfortable months1991-2020 Normals | 5 | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Seasonal temperature swing1991-2020 Normals | 57°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
Climate figures are thirty-year normals, not current conditions. How to read climate and air quality.
Physical risk
The hazards accounting for most of this area's expected annual loss are inland flooding, cold wave and tornado, with inland flooding alone responsible for 38% of it. Cold wave is independently rated low or minimal nationally, so this describes how the loss is composed, not how large that hazard is.
Overall hazard risk is lower than 75% of measured US cities.
Low or minimal exposure: cold wave, drought, landslide, ice storm, wildfire, earthquake, hurricane, tsunami, volcanic activity, avalanche, coastal flooding.
Hazard ratings are AreaProfile calculations derived from the FEMA National Risk Index v1.20.0 (December 2025). FEMA publishes at county level. City values are the population-weighted mean of the counties the city overlaps, using AreaProfile place-to-county land-area weights. FEMA does not endorse this presentation. Higher physical resilience means lower exposure.
Below these are deaths rather than offenses, published for the county. The two measure different things and are not comparable with each other.
New Ulm's police department reported 29 violent offenses per 100,000 residents, lower than most places with a department reporting. Property crime runs at 818.
Drug overdose deaths run at about 8.2 per 100,000 residents in Brown County.
Firearm deaths count every intent together, and nationally the majority are suicides rather than homicides, so the firearm figure and the homicide figure above it count some of the same deaths twice over. They overlap and should not be added together.
Offenses are reported to the FBI by New Ulm’s own police department and shown only where it reported every month of the year; a partial year is withheld rather than scaled up. Reported crime is what police recorded, which is not the same as what happened. Death rates are crude rates — deaths divided by population, not adjusted for age — except where a count was too small for the CDC to publish and it modeled the rate, which the card marks. They come from provisional death certificate records, published by the CDC by county and not below it. So they describe the county around New Ulm (Brown County) rather than New Ulm itself. Neither is part of the Area Score. How to read crime rates and death rates.
What this profile does not cover
Each of these is absent for a reason, not by oversight. The Area Score is calculated without them; the weighting is on the methodology page.
- Cost of living
- Price parities are published for metropolitan areas, and this place lies outside one.
- Death-certificate rates
- The CDC publishes these rates by county, and no county figure could be attached to this page.
- Air quality
- The EPA publishes an air-quality index only where a monitor sits. There is none in this county, and a modeled value would be a different kind of number from the measured ones everywhere else on this page.
- Taxes
- Income and sales taxes are not published: no source covers them nationally with a method open enough to check. Property taxes are shown in the housing section but are not part of the score. Cost of living is published where the Bureau of Economic Analysis measures it, though not for this place. Nothing here is individualized tax advice.
- Anything about a specific address
- Every figure describes an area, not a street or a house.
Access
1 major airport lies within 100 miles, the nearest Minneapolis-St Paul Intl/Wold-Chamberlain at 73 miles.
| Metric | Value | Compared nationally | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broadband access ±2%2024 ACS 5-Year | 86.1% | Bottom 35%of 31,588 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Distance to major airportNASR current cycle | 73 mi | Bottom 5%of 4,226 | NASR current cycle |
| Major airports within 100 milesNASR current cycle | 1 | Bottom 1%of 4,226 | NASR current cycle |
| No internet access ±3%2024 ACS 5-Year | 11.1% | Bottom 33%of 31,588 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Airport | Code | Distance | Longest runway |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minneapolis-St Paul Intl/Wold-Chamberlain | MSP | 73 mi | 11,006 ft |
| Rochester Intl | RST | 102 mi | 9,034 ft |
| Joe Foss Fld | FSD | 124 mi | 9,000 ft |
Airport identity, position and runway data come from the FAA. “Major airport” is an AreaProfile classification — a public-use civil airport with a paved runway of at least 8,000 feet — not an FAA hub designation. Distances are straight-line, not driving distance.
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Data & methodology
| Used for | Source | Source period |
|---|---|---|
| Access | Federal Aviation Administration Airports (NASR) — Aeronautical Data Delivery Service | NASR current cycle |
| Safety | Federal Bureau of Investigation, Crime Data Explorer Summarized offense counts by law enforcement agency | 2025 calendar year |
| Physical risk | Federal Emergency Management Agency National Risk Index | National Risk Index December 2025 (v1.20.0) |
| Climate | NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Monthly) | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Jobs | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Local Area Unemployment Statistics | July 2026 |
| Development | U.S. Census Bureau Building Permits Survey | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Access, Demographics, Housing, Income, Jobs | U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (Table-Based Summary File) | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Demographics | U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program | July 1, 2024 estimate |
| Safety | U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics Provisional county-level mortality by intent | March 2025 to February 2026; May 2025 to April 2026 |
| Schools | U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data and EDFacts assessments | 2018-19 school year; 2024-25 school year |
| Housing | U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Policy Development and Research Fair Market Rents | FY2026 |
| Housing | U.S. Federal Housing Finance Agency House Price Index (traditional, all-transactions) | 2026 Q2 |
| Current conditions | NOAA National Weather Service National Weather Service current conditions | Live observation, read when the page opens |
Profile recalculated October 8, 2026. Recalculation is not the same as new source data — each figure above shows the period its source actually covers. Read the full methodology, or every source with how often each updates.
ZIP codes in New Ulm
1 ZIP areaEvery ZIP area in New Ulm with census figures of its own, largest first. The ones linked below diverge enough from the city as a whole to carry a full profile; the rest track New Ulm closely, so their figures are here rather than on a page that would repeat this one. An Area Score is calculated for published profiles only, which is why it is blank on those rows.
| ZIP | Population | Median household income | Median home value | Area Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 56073 | 17,339 | $70,250 | $218,700 | — |