Scores by category

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

Safety66#5,254/15,637
Economy61#6,142/15,631
Housing71#4,407/14,977
Health76#3,765/15,609
Healthcare72#4,427/15,650
Environment96#569/15,453
Education62#5,871/15,649
Infrastructure81#2,986/15,650
Community84#2,428/15,651
Leisure & amenities41#9,189/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Spicer, Minnesota ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Kandiyohi 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

Mammography screening · high60.0%
98/100Minnesota 54.0%United States 46.0%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteKandiyohi County value
Social associations · high19.2 /10k
97/100Minnesota 12.2 /10kUnited States 9.1 /10k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteKandiyohi County value
Drought exposure · low0%
96/100Minnesota 36%United States 43%Oct 2025–Sep 2026National Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAAKandiyohi County value
Preventable hospital stays · low1,659 /100k
94/100Minnesota 2,419 /100kUnited States 2,769 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteKandiyohi County value
High school diploma or higher · high98.1%
94/100Minnesota 93.9%United States 89.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B15003
Flu vaccinations · high55.0%
93/100Minnesota 50.0%United States 44.0%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteKandiyohi County value

Weaknesses

Mental health care shortage · high19.0
4/100Minnesota 8.0United States 9.9Oct 2026Health Resources and Services AdministrationKandiyohi County value
Distance to an airport · high90 mi
13/100Minnesota 43 miUnited States 33 mi2025Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauKandiyohi County value
Restaurants and bars · low5.6 /10k
15/100Minnesota 8.6 /10kUnited States 9.0 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsKandiyohi County value
Access to exercise opportunities · low59.5%
19/100Minnesota 86.4%United States 84.5%2022 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteKandiyohi County value
Comfortable days · low23.8%
20/100Minnesota 23.6%United States 26.8%2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationKandiyohi County value
New business applications · low9.6 /1k
21/100Minnesota 12.7 /1kUnited States 16.6 /1k2025U.S. Census BureauKandiyohi County value

Trends

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

Median household incomeImproving
$57,143 (2015-2019) → $77,969 (2020-2024)
+36%5 yearsCensus table B19013US $65,712 → $81,604
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
86.8% (2015-2019) → 93.1% (2020-2024)
+6.3 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Child poverty rateImproving
5.7% (2015-2019) → 0.0% (2020-2024)
−5.7 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
High school diploma or higherImproving
92.9% (2015-2019) → 98.1% (2020-2024)
+5.2 pts5 yearsCensus table B15003US 88.0% → 89.6%
Average commute timeImproving
20.7 min (2015-2019) → 15.9 min (2020-2024)
−23%5 yearsCensus table B08013US 26.9 min → 26.4 min
Home price to income ratioWorsening
3.1× (2015-2019) → 3.8× (2020-2024)
+21%5 yearsCensus table B25077US 3.5× → 4.1×

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, Spicer, Minnesota improved on 1 of 12 measures with a comparison and declined on 0. 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.

Improved1

Household income+36%$57,143 → $77,969

Declined0

No measure declined by more than its margin of error.

All 12 measures

Change of every measure of Spicer, Minnesota between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	20.7 min2015-2019	15.9 min2020-2024	−4.8 min	Within the margin of error	89%
Bachelor's degree or higher	29.9%2015-2019	29.9%2020-2024	+0.1 points	Within the margin of error	28%
Broadband subscriptions	86.8%2015-2019	93.1%2020-2024	+6.3 points	Within the margin of error	40%
Effective property tax rate	1.49%2015-2019	1.31%2020-2024	−0.2 points	Within the margin of error	53%
High school diploma or higher	92.9%2015-2019	98.1%2020-2024	+5.2 points	Within the margin of error	82%
Home price to income ratio	3.1×2015-2019	3.8×2020-2024	+0.7×	Within the margin of error	39%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4422015-2019	0.4712020-2024	+0.029	Within the margin of error	27%
Median household income	$57,1432015-2019	$77,9692020-2024	+36%	Improved	68%
Poverty rate	9.7%2015-2019	7.7%2020-2024	−2 points	Within the margin of error	62%
Rent as share of income	26.2%2015-2019	25.4%2020-2024	−0.8 points	Within the margin of error	61%
Rent-burdened households	37.0%2015-2019	39.6%2020-2024	+2.6 points	Within the margin of error	46%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	6.8%2015-2019	7.8%2020-2024	+1 points	Within the margin of error	34%

“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 Spicer, Minnesota five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Spicer, 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, Spicer, Minnesota itself moved +2 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

1,222 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 women (−5.3 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

1,222 residents (±236)

Spicer, Minnesota
Minnesota share

White81%986
Black1.1%†14
Hispanic or Latino10.0%†122
Asian0.1%†1
American Indian and Alaska Native0.0%0
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander0.0%0
Other or two or more races8.1%†99

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 B03002View table on data.census.gov

Education

875 residents (±131)

Spicer, Minnesota
Minnesota share

No high school diploma1.9%†17
High school or GED24%214
Some college29%†250
Associate degree15%†132
Bachelor's degree18%154
Graduate degree12%†108

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 B15003View 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.

Income

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

Household income

551 households (±73)

Spicer, Minnesota
Minnesota share

Under $25k20%†110
$25k–50k13%†70
$50k–75k11%†63
$75k–100k19%†105
$100k–150k18%†97
$150k–200k11%†63
$200k or more7.8%†43

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: $25k–50k (−8.6 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

551 households (±73)

Spicer, Minnesota
Minnesota share

Own68%372
Rent32%179

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

Table view

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

Rent paid

172 households (±44)

Spicer, Minnesota
Minnesota share

Under $75031%†53
$750–1,00043%†74
$1,000–1,50013%†22

Home values

372 homes (±68)

Spicer, Minnesota
Minnesota share

Under $150k11%†40
$150k–250k23%87
$250k–400k31%†114

Age of homes

686 homes (±105)

Spicer, Minnesota
Minnesota share

2010 or later5.2%†36
2000–200916%†112
1980–199936%246

Size of homes

686 homes (±105)

Spicer, Minnesota
Minnesota share

Studio0.4%†3
1 bedroom13%†89
2 bedrooms26%178

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

680 workers (±147)

Spicer, Minnesota
Minnesota share

Drive alone85%575
Carpool6.0%†41
Public transit1.2%†8
Walk0.9%†6
Bike0.0%0
Work from home3.8%†26
Other3.5%†24

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 B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

654 workers (±145)

Spicer, Minnesota
Minnesota share

Under 15 min49%†319
15–29 min40%†261
30–44 min6.6%†43

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 Willmar, 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 Kandiyohi County, the county holding most of Spicer's residents.

Kandiyohi County has 1,416 employer establishments, 319 for every 10,000 residents (1.28× the US rate of 248; 1.19× Minnesota's), with 18,568 paid employees at an average annual pay of $51,009. The Census Bureau also counts 3,306 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 1,416; 3,306 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 319; US 248 · Minnesota 268
Paid employees: 18,568
Average annual pay: $51,009; US $68,342

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

Specialty trade contractors	134	30.2	1.95×More than typical	612	$63,208	233
Ambulatory health care services	77	17.3	0.83×About typical	1,479	$75,318	89
Restaurants and other eating places	66	14.9	0.81×About typical	1,172	$19,675	13
Religious organizations	60	13.5	2.44×More than typical	471	$24,047	—
Building equipment contractors	54	12.2	2.02×More than typical	351	$59,578	35
Construction of buildings	48	10.8	1.43×More than typical	333	$75,153	126
Services to buildings and dwellings	46	10.4	1.54×More than typical	308	$31,841	202
Automotive repair and maintenance	43	9.7	1.92×More than typical	205	$52,332	64
Truck transportation	41	9.2	1.83×More than typical	166	$56,120	284
Lessors of real estate	40	9	0.73×Fewer than typical	83	$42,675	451
Insurance agencies and brokerages	37	8.3	1.90×More than typical	108	$56,611	46
Other specialty trade contractors	30	6.8	2.69×More than typical	91	$59,648	80

Rank places for an industry Open Kandiyohi County

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 44,387 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

In FY2026, an estimated $0 of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Spicer, Minnesota: $0 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $0
Per resident: $0; US $1,994
Sole-source: —; US 30%
Single offer: —; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

22.4FY2017
1.1KFY2022

What was bought

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

How this is estimated

Agencies report each contract action's place of performance as a county and a ZIP code. A ZIP code's money is split among the cities it covers by the share of its land inside each (Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation areas); the part outside city limits stays with the county.

The place of performance is what the contracting agency reports, often the contractor's office rather than where the work happens.
Shares are of land, not of people or businesses: a ZIP code that is mostly rural land but has its offices in town gives the town less than it should.
ZIP codes that are not mapped areas (post office boxes, the unique ZIP codes of large federal sites and companies) stay with their county, unless one city covers nearly all of it.
Counts of actions and awards include those only partly in Spicer, Minnesota, so they do not add up across cities.

Spicer, Minnesota's figures are part of those of Kandiyohi County, MN ($58.6M in FY2026), never added to them: 0.0% of that total.

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

See federal money in Kandiyohi 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.

Spicer, Minnesota is represented in the 119th Congress by these members.

House

Michelle FischbachR-MN-7 · 100% of residentsWith party 99%Missed 0.4%

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

County

A city can lie in several counties. Some indicators are published for counties only: the page marks them.

Kandiyohi County87100% of residents

Metro area

The metro or micro area the city belongs to.

Willmar, MN90

Other cities and towns in Kandiyohi County

Largest first.

Similar cities and towns

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/2761690