City · Morrison County, Minnesota

Royalton, Minnesota

Royalton is a city in Morrison County, Minnesota, part of the St. Cloud, MN metro area. It has 1,211 residents. Royalton, Minnesota has a quality-of-life score of 65 out of 100 (high), ranking #5,424 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within Minnesota it ranks #326 of 364 cities and towns. It ranks best on social associations (high), mammography screening (high) and restaurants and bars (high). It ranks worst on job growth (low), unemployment rate (high) and access to exercise opportunities (low).

65High

Quality-of-life score: #5,424 of 15,651 cities and towns
Minnesota: #326 of 364 in MN
Population: 1,211 (2020-2024)
Land area: 2 mi²
Density: 603.6 /mi²
FIPS code: 2756176

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 74 of 80 indicators, with the default “Explorer” weights.

Open in the map

Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety66#5,328/15,637
Economy21#12,303/15,631
Housing54#6,901/14,977
Health65#5,394/15,609
Healthcare51#7,619/15,650
Environment82#2,850/15,453
Education42#9,037/15,649
Infrastructure43#8,962/15,650
Community87#2,096/15,651
Leisure & amenities84#2,544/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Royalton, Minnesota ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Morrison County value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

Social associations · high17.8 /10k
96/100Minnesota 12.2 /10kUnited States 9.1 /10k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteMorrison County value
Mammography screening · high57.0%
96/100Minnesota 54.0%United States 46.0%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteMorrison County value
Restaurants and bars · high14.4 /10k
94/100Minnesota 8.6 /10kUnited States 9.0 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsMorrison County value
Voter turnout · high77.8%
93/100Minnesota 77.0%United States 65.2%2024U.S. Election Assistance CommissionMorrison County value
Loneliness · low30.3%
92/100Minnesota 32.1%United States 33.2%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionModel-based estimate
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) · low5.9 µg/m³
91/100Minnesota 6.3 µg/m³United States 8.0 µg/m³2022Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyMorrison County value

Weaknesses

Job growth · low-4.2%
3/100Minnesota -0.3%United States 0.1%2026 Q1U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsProvisional dataMorrison County value
Unemployment rate · high11.1%
7/100Minnesota 3.9%United States 4.3%2020-2024U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Census table B23025High uncertainty
Access to exercise opportunities · low46.2%
8/100Minnesota 86.4%United States 84.5%2022 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteMorrison County value
Pharmacies · low0.9 /10k
10/100Minnesota 1.7 /10kUnited States 1.8 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsMorrison County value
Average weekly wage · low$948
10/100Minnesota $1,480United States $1,5142025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsMorrison County value
New business applications · low8.6 /1k
11/100Minnesota 12.7 /1kUnited States 16.6 /1k2025U.S. Census BureauMorrison County value

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

New homes permittedWorsening
0.8 /1k (2021) → 0.0 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
−100%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k
Child poverty rateWorsening
23.3% (2015-2019) → 38.2% (2020-2024)
+15 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
Home price to income ratioWorsening
2.5× (2015-2019) → 3.9× (2020-2024)
+54%5 yearsCensus table B25077US 3.5× → 4.1×
Poverty rateWorsening
16.6% (2015-2019) → 26.7% (2020-2024)
+10 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 12.3% → 12.1%
Unemployment rateWorsening
4.1% (2015-2019) → 11.1% (2020-2024)
+7 pts5 yearsCensus table B23025US 3.7% → 4.0%
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
84.4% (2015-2019) → 89.5% (2020-2024)
+5.1 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Royalton, Minnesota improved on 0 of 13 measures with a comparison and declined on 2. 11 moved within the margin of error and 0 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved0

No measure improved by more than its margin of error.

Declined2

High school+−4.5 points91.7% → 87.2%
Price / income+1.4×2.5× → 3.9×

All 13 measures

Change of every measure of Royalton, Minnesota between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	24.5 min2015-2019	29.9 min2020-2024	+5.4 min	Within the margin of error	9%
Bachelor's degree or higher	21.0%2015-2019	16.3%2020-2024	−4.7 points	Within the margin of error	8%
Broadband subscriptions	84.4%2015-2019	89.5%2020-2024	+5.1 points	Within the margin of error	32%
Child poverty rate	23.3%2015-2019	38.2%2020-2024	+15 points	Within the margin of error	7%
Effective property tax rate	1.05%2015-2019	1.03%2020-2024	−0 points	Within the margin of error	19%
High school diploma or higher	91.7%2015-2019	87.2%2020-2024	−4.5 points	Declined	7%
Home price to income ratio	2.5×2015-2019	3.9×2020-2024	+1.4×	Declined	12%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.3992015-2019	0.3992020-2024	+0.000	Within the margin of error	50%
Median household income	$55,6252015-2019	$55,1562020-2024	−0.8%	Within the margin of error	7%
Poverty rate	16.6%2015-2019	26.7%2020-2024	+10 points	Within the margin of error	4%
Public transit commuters	0.0%2015-2019	0.0%2020-2024	0 points	Within the margin of error	60%
Rent as share of income	19.9%2015-2019	21.0%2020-2024	+1.1 points	Within the margin of error	46%
Rent-burdened households	32.1%2015-2019	35.4%2020-2024	+3.3 points	Within the margin of error	44%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 14640 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like Royalton, Minnesota five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Royalton, Minnesota in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Royalton, Minnesota itself moved −16.8 points in standing on average over the same 10 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

1,211 residents (±236)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79†
60–69†
50–59†
40–49†
30–39†
20–29†
10–19†
Under 10†

Share of all residents, each sex

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: 50–59 men (−3.5 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

1,211 residents (±236)

Royalton, Minnesota
Minnesota share

White88%1,065
Black2.8%†34
Hispanic or Latino4.7%†57

Education

716 residents (±102)

Royalton, Minnesota
Minnesota share

No high school diploma13%†92
High school or GED34%242
Some college19%133

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

503 households (±83)

Royalton, Minnesota
Minnesota share

Under $25k18%†92
$25k–50k29%†148
$50k–75k13%†63
$75k–100k6.8%†34
$100k–150k24%†120
$150k–200k8.7%†44
$200k or more0.4%†2

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: $50k–75k (−12.4 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B19001View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

503 households (±83)

Royalton, Minnesota
Minnesota share

Own67%335
Rent33%†168

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B25003View table on data.census.gov

Rent paid

164 households (±60)

Royalton, Minnesota
Minnesota share

Under $75079%†130
$750–1,0007.9%†13
$1,000–1,50013%†21

Home values

335 homes (±56)

Royalton, Minnesota
Minnesota share

Under $150k25%†85
$150k–250k41%138
$250k–400k27%†92

Age of homes

534 homes (±89)

Royalton, Minnesota
Minnesota share

2010 or later7.7%†41
2000–200928%†152
1980–199927%†142

Size of homes

534 homes (±89)

Royalton, Minnesota
Minnesota share

Studio0.0%0
1 bedroom19%†102
2 bedrooms22%†118

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

509 workers (±79)

Royalton, Minnesota
Minnesota share

Drive alone82%418
Carpool6.5%†33
Public transit0.0%0
Walk0.0%0
Bike0.0%0
Work from home11%†54
Other0.8%†4

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Work from home (+7.9 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

455 workers (±78)

Royalton, Minnesota
Minnesota share

Under 15 min18%†80
15–29 min42%192
30–44 min25%†114

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes pay by metro area, not by county or city. The metro area page lists its largest occupations and lets you look up any job.

Pay in the St. Cloud, MN

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Morrison County, the county holding most of Royalton's residents.

Morrison County has 933 employer establishments, 272 for every 10,000 residents (1.09× the US rate of 248; 1.01× Minnesota's), with 8,532 paid employees at an average annual pay of $48,841. The Census Bureau also counts 2,469 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 933; 2,469 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 272; US 248 · Minnesota 268
Paid employees: 8,532
Average annual pay: $48,841; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Morrison County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Specialty trade contractors	78	22.7	1.47×More than typical	239	$83,946	245
Services to buildings and dwellings	56	16.3	2.42×More than typical	157	$64,427	164
Restaurants and other eating places	48	14	0.76×Fewer than typical	695	$18,816	4
Landscaping services	46	13.4	3.83×More than typical	120	$76,442	90
Religious organizations	40	11.7	2.10×More than typical	255	$22,008	—
Ambulatory health care services	39	11.4	0.55×Fewer than typical	468	$80,821	52
Construction of buildings	38	11.1	1.46×More than typical	136	$67,860	104
Truck transportation	37	10.8	2.13×More than typical	141	$49,879	110
Automotive repair and maintenance	31	9	1.79×More than typical	110	$46,664	54
Drinking places (alcoholic beverages)	26	7.6	6.25×More than typical	127	$17,898	—
Other specialty trade contractors	25	7.3	2.90×More than typical	30	$154,800	106
Gasoline stations	24	7	2.16×More than typical	257	$25,506	—

Rank places for an industry Open Morrison County

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 34,328 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

No federal contract obligations recorded here in FY2026.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Royalton is mostly in Morrison County.

See federal money in Morrison County

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Royalton, Minnesota is split between congressional districts: each representative is shown with the share of its residents in their district (current boundaries).