City · Brown County, Minnesota

Springfield, Minnesota

Springfield is a city in Brown County, Minnesota, part of the New Ulm, MN metro area. It has 2,125 residents. Springfield, Minnesota has a quality-of-life score of 87 out of 100 (very high), ranking #1,967 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within Minnesota it ranks #147 of 364 cities and towns. It ranks best on mammography screening (high), violent crime rate (low) and hospital quality rating (high). It ranks worst on new business applications (low), mental health care shortage (high) and new homes permitted (low).

87Very high

Quality-of-life score: #1,967 of 15,651 cities and towns
Minnesota: #147 of 364 in MN
Population: 2,125 (2020-2024)
Land area: 2 mi²
Density: 1,131.9 /mi²
FIPS code: 2761816

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.

Safety99#174/15,637
Economy42#9,050/15,631
Housing40#8,960/14,977
Health72#4,400/15,609
Healthcare79#3,263/15,650
Environment96#649/15,453
Education79#3,248/15,649
Infrastructure39#9,582/15,650
Community99#96/15,651
Leisure & amenities89#1,674/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Springfield, Minnesota ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Brown 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 · high62.0%
99/100Minnesota 54.0%United States 46.0%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteBrown County value
Violent crime rate · low38 /100k
99/100Minnesota 224 /100kUnited States 328 /100k2025Federal Bureau of InvestigationBrown County value
Hospital quality rating · high5.0
98/100Minnesota 3.8United States 3.2Jul 2026Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesBrown County value
Social associations · high18.3 /10k
97/100Minnesota 12.2 /10kUnited States 9.1 /10k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteBrown County value
Time spent in the emergency room · low106 min
94/100Minnesota 134 minUnited States 170 minOct 2024–Sep 2025Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesBrown County value
Preventable hospital stays · low1,666 /100k
94/100Minnesota 2,419 /100kUnited States 2,769 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteBrown County value

Weaknesses

New business applications · low7.7 /1k
5/100Minnesota 12.7 /1kUnited States 16.6 /1k2025U.S. Census BureauBrown County value
Mental health care shortage · high18.0
11/100Minnesota 8.0United States 9.9Oct 2026Health Resources and Services AdministrationBrown County value
New homes permitted · low0.0 /1k
13/100Minnesota 3.9 /1kUnited States 4.2 /1kSep 2025–Aug 2026U.S. Census BureauProvisional data
Distance to an Amtrak station · high87 mi
13/100Minnesota 32 miUnited States 43 mi2026Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauBrown County value
Comfortable days · low23.5%
14/100Minnesota 23.6%United States 26.8%2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationBrown County value
Distance to an airport · high79 mi
18/100Minnesota 43 miUnited States 33 mi2025Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauBrown County value

Trends

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

Rent-burdened householdsWorsening
32.5% (2015-2019) → 56.0% (2020-2024)
+24 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
77.8% (2015-2019) → 87.3% (2020-2024)
+9.5 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Bachelor's degree or higherImproving
19.4% (2015-2019) → 26.6% (2020-2024)
+7.2 pts5 yearsCensus table B15003US 32.1% → 35.7%
Rent as share of incomeWorsening
25.0% (2015-2019) → 31.6% (2020-2024)
+6.6 pts5 yearsCensus table B25071US 29.8% → 30.6%
Home price to income ratioWorsening
1.6× (2015-2019) → 2.1× (2020-2024)
+28%5 yearsCensus table B25077US 3.5× → 4.1×
Poverty rateWorsening
6.2% (2015-2019) → 11.8% (2020-2024)
+5.6 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 12.3% → 12.1%

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, Springfield, Minnesota improved on 2 of 12 measures with a comparison and declined on 4. 6 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.

Improved2

Bachelor's++7.2 points19.4% → 26.6%
Broadband+9.5 points77.8% → 87.3%

Declined4

Rent burden+24 points32.5% → 56.0%
Uninsured+5.5 points3.2% → 8.7%
Poverty+5.6 points6.2% → 11.8%
Price / income+0.5×1.6× → 2.1×

All 12 measures

Change of every measure of Springfield, Minnesota between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	16.6 min2015-2019	20.0 min2020-2024	+3.3 min	Within the margin of error	18%
Bachelor's degree or higher	19.4%2015-2019	26.6%2020-2024	+7.2 points	Improved	80%
Broadband subscriptions	77.8%2015-2019	87.3%2020-2024	+9.5 points	Improved	57%
Effective property tax rate	1.18%2015-2019	1.33%2020-2024	+0.1 points	Within the margin of error	4%
High school diploma or higher	92.4%2015-2019	90.9%2020-2024	−1.5 points	Within the margin of error	19%
Home price to income ratio	1.6×2015-2019	2.1×2020-2024	+0.5×	Declined	51%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.3482015-2019	0.3752020-2024	+0.027	Within the margin of error	29%
Median household income	$54,4552015-2019	$59,4342020-2024	+9.1%	Within the margin of error	16%
Poverty rate	6.2%2015-2019	11.8%2020-2024	+5.6 points	Declined	11%
Rent as share of income	25.0%2015-2019	31.6%2020-2024	+6.6 points	Within the margin of error	16%
Rent-burdened households	32.5%2015-2019	56.0%2020-2024	+24 points	Declined	6%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	3.2%2015-2019	8.7%2020-2024	+5.5 points	Declined	9%

“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 Springfield, Minnesota five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Springfield, 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, Springfield, Minnesota itself moved −17.4 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

2,125 residents (±240)

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 (−4.5 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

2,125 residents (±240)

Springfield, Minnesota
Minnesota share

White86%1,834
Black4.7%†99
Hispanic or Latino5.8%†123

Education

1,479 residents (±162)

Springfield, Minnesota
Minnesota share

No high school diploma9.1%†135
High school or GED31%458
Some college22%†332

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

892 households (±99)

Springfield, Minnesota
Minnesota share

Under $25k19%†170
$25k–50k21%†185
$50k–75k26%†230
$75k–100k14%†123
$100k–150k15%†137
$150k–200k4.5%†40
$200k or more0.8%†7

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: $150k–200k (+4.0 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

892 households (±99)

Springfield, Minnesota
Minnesota share

Own73%653
Rent27%†239

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

232 households (±74)

Springfield, Minnesota
Minnesota share

Under $75041%†96
$750–1,00029%†68
$1,000–1,50020%†46

Home values

653 homes (±84)

Springfield, Minnesota
Minnesota share

Under $150k71%461
$150k–250k21%140
$250k–400k5.5%†36

Age of homes

973 homes (±98)

Springfield, Minnesota
Minnesota share

2010 or later1.8%†18
2000–20095.7%†55
1980–199913%†123

Size of homes

973 homes (±98)

Springfield, Minnesota
Minnesota share

Studio1.8%†18
1 bedroom16%†154
2 bedrooms20%198

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

907 workers (±135)

Springfield, Minnesota
Minnesota share

Drive alone69%628
Carpool13%†117
Public transit0.0%0
Walk6.2%†56
Bike0.7%†6
Work from home9.3%†84
Other1.8%†16

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Drive alone (−13.9 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

823 workers (±138)

Springfield, Minnesota
Minnesota share

Under 15 min57%472
15–29 min19%†154
30–44 min13%†103

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 New Ulm, 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 Brown County, the county holding most of Springfield's residents.

Brown County has 786 employer establishments, 307 for every 10,000 residents (1.24× the US rate of 248; 1.14× Minnesota's), with 12,995 paid employees at an average annual pay of $51,048. The Census Bureau also counts 1,805 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 786; 1,805 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 307; US 248 · Minnesota 268
Paid employees: 12,995
Average annual pay: $51,048; US $68,342

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

Specialty trade contractors	69	26.9	1.74×More than typical	320	$114,159	131
Truck transportation	47	18.3	3.63×More than typical	1,134	$61,496	88
Ambulatory health care services	43	16.8	0.81×About typical	497	$73,535	61
Restaurants and other eating places	42	16.4	0.89×About typical	872	$15,617	7
Building equipment contractors	29	11.3	1.88×More than typical	153	$65,333	19
Automotive repair and maintenance	26	10.1	2.01×More than typical	117	$48,795	40
Religious organizations	25	9.8	1.76×More than typical	159	$18,792	—
Insurance agencies and brokerages	24	9.4	2.13×More than typical	68	$52,074	34
Construction of buildings	22	8.6	1.14×About typical	99	$55,202	45
Full-service restaurants	19	7.4	0.97×About typical	422	$14,081	—
Offices of other health practitioners	19	7.4	1.22×About typical	89	$41,438	43
Amusement, gambling and recreation industries	18	7	2.64×More than typical	134	$13,709	12

Rank places for an industry Open Brown County

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 25,628 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: Springfield is mostly in Brown County.

See federal money in Brown 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.

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