Scores by category

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

Safety92#1,186/15,637
Economy22#12,200/15,631
Housing51#7,328/14,977
Health58#6,623/15,609
Healthcare45#8,564/15,650
Environment97#406/15,453
Education46#8,379/15,649
Infrastructure43#8,878/15,650
Community78#3,433/15,651
Leisure & amenities62#5,883/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Staples, Minnesota ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Todd 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 · high18.7 /10k
97/100Minnesota 12.2 /10kUnited States 9.1 /10k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteTodd County value
Mammography screening · high56.0%
94/100Minnesota 54.0%United States 46.0%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteTodd County value
Property crime rate · low373 /100k
94/100Minnesota 1,412 /100kUnited States 1,535 /100k2025Federal Bureau of InvestigationTodd County value
Homicide rate · low0.0 /100k
94/100Minnesota 2.9 /100kUnited States 4.8 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional dataTodd County value
Grocery stores · high2.7 /10k
92/100Minnesota 1.6 /10kUnited States 1.7 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsTodd County value
Public transit commuters · high3.8%
90/100Minnesota 1.8%United States 3.2%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08301High uncertainty

Weaknesses

Flu vaccinations · low20.0%
1/100Minnesota 50.0%United States 44.0%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteTodd County value
Mental health providers · low23 /100k
1/100Minnesota 383 /100kUnited States 348 /100k2025University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteTodd County value
Access to exercise opportunities · low40.3%
6/100Minnesota 86.4%United States 84.5%2022 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteTodd County value
New business applications · low8.0 /1k
7/100Minnesota 12.7 /1kUnited States 16.6 /1k2025U.S. Census BureauTodd County value
Distance to an airport · high105 mi
9/100Minnesota 43 miUnited States 33 mi2025Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauTodd County value
Gyms and fitness centers · low0.4 /10k
12/100Minnesota 1.4 /10kUnited States 1.3 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsTodd County value

Trends

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

PopulationFalling
3,093 (2015-2019) → 2,269 (2020-2024)
−27%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
Rent-burdened householdsWorsening
32.3% (2015-2019) → 53.1% (2020-2024)
+21 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
New homes permittedWorsening
13.4 /1k (2021) → 0.0 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
−100%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k
Child poverty rateImproving
22.7% (2015-2019) → 13.2% (2020-2024)
−9.6 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
Unemployment rateWorsening
0.0% (2015-2019) → 6.6% (2020-2024)
+6.6 pts5 yearsCensus table B23025US 3.7% → 4.0%
High school diploma or higherImproving
85.8% (2015-2019) → 91.5% (2020-2024)
+5.7 pts5 yearsCensus table B15003US 88.0% → 89.6%

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, Staples, Minnesota improved on 0 of 11 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.

Improved0

No measure improved by more than its margin of error.

Declined0

No measure declined by more than its margin of error.

All 11 measures

Change of every measure of Staples, Minnesota between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	18.9 min2015-2019	22.1 min2020-2024	+3.2 min	Within the margin of error	18%
Bachelor's degree or higher	16.8%2015-2019	22.2%2020-2024	+5.4 points	Within the margin of error	70%
Broadband subscriptions	82.4%2015-2019	86.9%2020-2024	+4.5 points	Within the margin of error	29%
Effective property tax rate	1.15%2015-2019	1.10%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Within the margin of error	25%
High school diploma or higher	85.8%2015-2019	91.5%2020-2024	+5.7 points	Within the margin of error	85%
Home price to income ratio	2.0×2015-2019	2.5×2020-2024	+0.5×	Within the margin of error	48%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4192015-2019	0.4292020-2024	+0.010	Within the margin of error	42%
Median household income	$45,1522015-2019	$52,0712020-2024	+15%	Within the margin of error	24%
Poverty rate	17.8%2015-2019	15.9%2020-2024	−2 points	Within the margin of error	62%
Rent as share of income	26.7%2015-2019	31.0%2020-2024	+4.3 points	Within the margin of error	25%
Rent-burdened households	32.3%2015-2019	53.1%2020-2024	+21 points	Within the margin of error	8%

“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 Staples, Minnesota five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Staples, 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, Staples, Minnesota itself moved −12.1 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

2,269 residents (±348)

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: 10–19 women (−5.7 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

2,269 residents (±348)

Staples, Minnesota
Minnesota share

White93%2,099
Black0.0%0
Hispanic or Latino5.4%†123

Education

1,573 residents (±203)

Staples, Minnesota
Minnesota share

No high school diploma8.5%†133
High school or GED40%633
Some college22%340

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

1,002 households (±130)

Staples, Minnesota
Minnesota share

Under $25k30%†301
$25k–50k17%†171
$50k–75k15%†154
$75k–100k21%†212
$100k–150k9.3%†93
$150k–200k3.3%†33
$200k or more3.8%†38

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: $25k–50k (−18.0 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

1,002 households (±130)

Staples, Minnesota
Minnesota share

Own63%630
Rent37%372

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

360 households (±90)

Staples, Minnesota
Minnesota share

Under $75042%†152
$750–1,00025%†91
$1,000–1,50033%†117

Home values

630 homes (±101)

Staples, Minnesota
Minnesota share

Under $150k58%363
$150k–250k28%179
$250k–400k12%†76

Age of homes

1,140 homes (±128)

Staples, Minnesota
Minnesota share

2010 or later9.9%†113
2000–20098.5%†97
1980–199915%†174

Size of homes

1,140 homes (±128)

Staples, Minnesota
Minnesota share

Studio1.9%†22
1 bedroom12%†141
2 bedrooms38%434

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

790 workers (±139)

Staples, Minnesota
Minnesota share

Drive alone69%542
Carpool19%†153
Public transit3.8%†30
Walk2.5%†20
Bike0.0%0
Work from home5.7%†45
Other0.0%0

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Drive alone (−12.0 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 B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

745 workers (±137)

Staples, Minnesota
Minnesota share

Under 15 min53%397
15–29 min17%†125
30–44 min11%†82

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

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 Todd County, the county holding most of Staples's residents.

Todd County has 579 employer establishments, 224 for every 10,000 residents (0.90× the US rate of 248; 0.84× Minnesota's), with 6,073 paid employees at an average annual pay of $49,654. The Census Bureau also counts 1,837 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 579; 1,837 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 224; US 248 · Minnesota 268
Paid employees: 6,073
Average annual pay: $49,654; US $68,342

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

Truck transportation	54	20.9	4.14×More than typical	122	$41,844	130
Specialty trade contractors	46	17.8	1.15×About typical	202	$60,337	146
Religious organizations	32	12.4	2.24×More than typical	144	$19,264	—
Construction of buildings	29	11.2	1.49×More than typical	69	$53,797	102
Restaurants and other eating places	29	11.2	0.61×Fewer than typical	329	$16,328	10
Ambulatory health care services	23	8.9	0.43×Fewer than typical	782	$72,247	41
Automotive repair and maintenance	19	7.4	1.46×More than typical	60	$38,950	60
Other specialty trade contractors	19	7.4	2.93×More than typical	85	$74,306	68
Full-service restaurants	18	7	0.91×About typical	151	$16,212	5
Gasoline stations	17	6.6	2.03×More than typical	178	$21,028	—
Lessors of real estate	16	6.2	0.50×Fewer than typical	32	$19,031	116
Building equipment contractors	14	5.4	0.90×About typical	62	$55,823	18

Rank places for an industry Open Todd County

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 25,794 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 Staples, 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

4FY2019
6.8KFY2022
-4.6KFY2024

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 Staples, Minnesota, so they do not add up across cities.

Staples, Minnesota's figures are part of those of Todd County, MN and Wadena County, MN ($9.6M 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: Staples is mostly in Todd County.

See federal money in Todd 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.

Staples, 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.

Other cities and towns in Todd 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/2762446