Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US metro and micro areas.

Safety85#137/924
Economy73#249/925
Housing49#471/925
Health91#83/925
Healthcare97#29/923
Environment62#351/917
Education91#88/925
Infrastructure83#159/925
Community91#85/925
Leisure & amenities67#302/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Mankato, MN metro area ranks highest and lowest among US metro and micro areas (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

Flu vaccinations · high58.3%
99/100Minnesota 50.0%United States 44.0%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Mammography screening · high62.0%
99/100Minnesota 54.0%United States 46.0%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Drought exposure · low0%
99/100Minnesota 36%United States 43%Oct 2025–Sep 2026National Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAAAggregated from counties
Loneliness · low29.9%
96/100Minnesota 32.1%United States 33.2%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Premature death · low5,617 /100k
96/100Minnesota 6,407 /100kUnited States 8,123 /100k2021-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Traffic deaths · low7.1 /100k
96/100Minnesota 7.7 /100kUnited States 12.3 /100k2020-2024National Highway Traffic Safety AdministrationAggregated from counties

Weaknesses

Days with unhealthy air · high3.9%
7/1002025U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Distance to an emergency room · high12.4 mi
12/100Minnesota 6.2 miUnited States 5.5 miJul 2026Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesAggregated from counties
Grocery stores · low1.0 /10k
17/100Minnesota 1.6 /10kUnited States 1.7 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
New business applications · low9.2 /1k
24/100Minnesota 12.7 /1kUnited States 16.6 /1k2025U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties
Comfortable days · low24.0%
27/100Minnesota 23.6%United States 26.8%2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationAggregated from counties
Distance to an Amtrak station · high71 mi
28/100Minnesota 32 miUnited States 43 mi2026Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties

Trends

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

Drought exposureImproving
45% (2021) → 0% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
−45 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
Child care cost burdenWorsening
20.2% (2020 & 2021) → 31.5% (2023 & 2024)
+11 pts3 yearsUS 24.5% → 27.9%
Cost of buying a home todayWorsening
22.8% (Dec 2021) → 32.8% (Aug 2026)
+10 pts5 yearsUS 26.4% → 34.1%
Access to exercise opportunitiesImproving
73.0% (2010 & 2021) → 82.8% (2022 & 2024)
+9.8 pts3 yearsUS 79.8% → 84.5%
Drug overdose deathsImproving
18.7 /100k (2021) → 9.7 /100k (Mar 2025–Feb 2026)
−48%5 yearsUS 30.8 /100k → 18.4 /100k
New business applicationsImproving
6.3 /1k (2020) → 9.2 /1k (2025)
+45%5 yearsUS 13.1 /1k → 16.6 /1k

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, Mankato, MN metro area improved on 13 of 32 measures with a comparison and declined on 5. 9 moved within the margin of error and 5 barely changed.

Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among metro and micro areas: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts. Periods differ by measure (most compare 2015-2019 with 2020-2024); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved13

Commute−1.4 min18.1 min → 16.7 min
Gyms+32%1.2 /10k → 1.5 /10k
Restaurants+8.9%8.6 /10k → 9.3 /10k
Grocery stores+8.7%1.0 /10k → 1.0 /10k
Poverty−1.9 points15.0% → 13.2%

Declined5

Homicides+66%1.1 /100k → 1.9 /100k
Overdose deaths+41%6.9 /100k → 9.7 /100k
Firearm deaths+14%7.8 /100k → 8.9 /100k
Price / income+0.5×3.1× → 3.5×
Pharmacies−7.3%1.5 /10k → 1.4 /10k

All 32 measures

Change of every measure of Mankato, MN metro area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	5.2 /10k2020	5.2 /10k2025	+0.7%	Little change	30%
Average commute time	18.1 min2015-2019	16.7 min2020-2024	−1.4 min	Improved	92%
Average weekly wage	$9392020	$1,1362025	+21%	Improved	30%
Bachelor's degree or higher	34.4%2015-2019	34.8%2020-2024	+0.4 points	Within the margin of error	11%
Broadband subscriptions	84.8%2015-2019	88.8%2020-2024	+4 points	Improved	4%
Child poverty rate	10.8%2015-2019	9.5%2020-2024	−1.4 points	Within the margin of error	38%
Distance to an airport	63 mi2020	63 mi2025	+0 mi	Little change	14%
Drug overdose deaths	6.9 /100k2020	9.7 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	+41%	Declined	11%
Effective property tax rate	1.03%2015-2019	0.99%2020-2024	−0 points	Within the margin of error	20%
Firearm deaths	7.8 /100k2020	8.9 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+14%	Declined	30%
Grocery stores	1.0 /10k2020	1.0 /10k2025	+8.7%	Improved	75%
Gyms and fitness centers	1.2 /10k2020	1.5 /10k2025	+32%	Improved	81%
High school diploma or higher	94.3%2015-2019	94.7%2020-2024	+0.3 points	Within the margin of error	11%
Home price to income ratio	3.1×2015-2019	3.5×2020-2024	+0.5×	Declined	50%
Homicide rate	1.1 /100k2020	1.9 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+66%	Declined	3%
Income adjusted for local prices	$49,2312019	$64,9742024	+32%	Improved	54%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4312015-2019	0.4452020-2024	+0.014	Within the margin of error	22%
Median household income	$60,8272015-2019	$75,8082020-2024	+25%	Improved	36%
New business applications	6.3 /1k2020	9.2 /1k2025	+45%	Improved	49%
Pharmacies	1.5 /10k2020	1.4 /10k2025	−7.3%	Declined	52%
Poverty rate	15.0%2015-2019	13.2%2020-2024	−1.9 points	Improved	70%
Property crime rate	1,487 /100k2020	1,261 /100k2025	−15%	Improved	17%
Public libraries	0.6 /10k2019	0.6 /10k2024	−2.2%	Little change	45%
Public transit commuters	1.4%2015-2019	1.0%2020-2024	−0.4 points	Within the margin of error	39%
Rent as share of income	29.4%2015-2019	28.4%2020-2024	−1 points	Within the margin of error	76%
Rent-burdened households	48.8%2015-2019	46.1%2020-2024	−2.6 points	Within the margin of error	77%
Restaurants and bars	8.6 /10k2020	9.3 /10k2025	+8.9%	Improved	76%
Suicide rate	13.3 /100k2020	12.6 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−5%	Little change	71%
Traffic deaths	7.3 /100k2015-2019	7.1 /100k2020-2024	−3.3%	Little change	68%
Unemployment rate	5.4%2020	3.3%2025	−2.1 points	Improved	25%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	4.2%2015-2019	4.7%2020-2024	+0.5 points	Within the margin of error	27%
Violent crime rate	199 /100k2020	180 /100k2025	−9.2%	Improved	40%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 708 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts; Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence; American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; Business Formation Statistics; Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master files; Public Libraries Survey; Fatality Analysis Reporting System; Distance to airports and intercity rail. 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 925 metro and micro areas 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.

Metro and micro areas like Mankato, MN metro area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Mankato, MN metro area 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, Mankato, MN metro area itself moved −0.8 points in standing on average over the same 30 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

104,282 residents

Men
Women

80 and over
70–79
60–69

Income

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

Household income

40,608 households (±407)

Mankato, MN metro area
United States share

Under $25k13%5,463
$25k–50k18%7,430
$50k–75k18%7,239

Homes

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

Owners and renters

40,608 households (±407)

Mankato, MN metro area
United States share

Own65%26,328
Rent35%14,280

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

Table view

Getting to work

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

How people get to work

55,131 workers (±878)

Mankato, MN metro area
United States share

Drive alone74%40,669
Carpool9.6%5,291
Public transit1.0%†528

Jobs and pay

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

The 10 largest occupations in Mankato, MN employ 14,820 people. 7 pay a median above the US median and 3 below it.

Above the US median
Below the US median

The largest occupations in Mankato, MN by employment, with median annual pay and how it compares with the United States
Occupation	Jobs	Median pay	vs USCompared with the US	Concentration
Home Health and Personal Care Aides3,170 jobs	3,170	$37,560US $35,800	+5%	2.04×
Fast Food and Counter Workers1,860 jobs	1,860	$30,000US $31,200	−4%	1.34×
Retail Salespersons1,780 jobs	1,780	$35,350US $35,410	0%	1.27×
Registered Nurses1,570 jobs	1,570	$103,400US $97,550	+6%	1.29×
General and Operations Managers1,180 jobs	1,180	$86,890US $105,770	−18%	0.93×
Cashiers1,140 jobs	1,140	$33,530US $32,880	+2%	1.02×
Office Clerks, General1,080 jobs	1,080	$47,890US $45,010	+6%	1.21×
Stockers and Order Fillers1,080 jobs	1,080	$39,360US $37,330	+5%	1.06×
Customer Service Representatives1,030 jobs	1,030	$47,320US $44,770	+6%	1.1×
Nursing Assistants930 jobs	930	$46,430US $42,260	+10%	1.77×

Look up any occupation

Search more than 800 occupations and see what they pay in Mankato, MN.

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025-05 (all industries and ownerships) bls.gov/oes

Reference period: 2025-05. BLS publishes metro areas, states and the nation (not counties or cities), so a county or city page shows its metro area.
Pay is not adjusted for the cost of living, so a higher median does not mean more purchasing power.
BLS caps the highest wages it publishes: where a figure is shown as “or more”, the real value is at least that much.
Some occupations (teachers, performers) are published by the hour or school year and shown here as an annual figure.

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.

Mankato, MN has 2,677 employer establishments, 257 for every 10,000 residents (1.03× the US rate of 248), with 49,423 paid employees at an average annual pay of $51,561. The Census Bureau also counts 6,973 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 2,677; 6,973 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 257; US 248
Paid employees: 49,423
Average annual pay: $51,561; US $68,342

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

Specialty trade contractors	212	20.3	1.31×More than typical	1,575	$75,542	460
Restaurants and other eating places	180	17.2	0.94×About typical	4,174	$18,695	13
Ambulatory health care services	159	15.2	0.73×Fewer than typical	2,533	$73,743	251
Lessors of real estate	87	8.3	0.68×Fewer than typical	946	$39,026	911
Limited-service restaurants	83	8	0.99×About typical	1,894	$16,543	3
Construction of buildings	77	7.4	0.98×About typical	394	$70,995	171
Building equipment contractors	73	7	1.16×About typical	709	$74,815	50
Full-service restaurants	73	7	0.91×About typical	1,905	$21,176	8
Religious organizations	73	7	1.26×More than typical	631	$21,582	—
Truck transportation	71	6.8	1.35×More than typical	417	$60,319	258
Services to buildings and dwellings	69	6.6	0.98×About typical	579	$38,435	302
Insurance agencies and brokerages	68	6.5	1.48×More than typical	263	$63,753	141

Rank places for an industry

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 104,349 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.
A metro area's figures are the exact sums of its counties.
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 contract spending

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $1.2M on contracts performed in Mankato, MN metro area: $11.43 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $1.2M; −81% vs FY2025
Per resident: $11.43; US $1,994
Sole-source: 23%; US 30%
Single offer: 0.0%; 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

Defense Logistics Agency$600.6K50%
Department of the Navy$198.5K17%
Federal Prison System / Bureau of Prisons$198K17%
National Institute of Standards and Technology$85.9K7.2%
Department of the Army$83.3K6.9%
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service$29.9K2.5%
Department of Veterans Affairs$2,6630.2%

Top recipients

SUPPLYCORE LLC$590.1K49%
KATO ENGINEERING INC.$167.9K14%
MAYO CLINIC HEALTH SYSTEM-SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA REGION$102.7K8.6%
PRIMARY PRECISION, LLC$83.3K6.9%
V-TEK INC$82.8K6.9%

Spending by fiscal year

5.1MFY2017
4MFY2018
6.9MFY2019
8.3MFY2020
3MFY2021
3.6MFY2022
73.5MFY2023
28M

Top industries (NAICS)

Semiconductor and other electronic component manufacturing · 3344$590.1K49%
Aerospace product and parts manufacturing · 3364$167.9K14%
General medical and surgical hospitals · 6221$102.7K8.6%
Navigational, measuring, electromedical, and control instruments manufacturing · 3345$85.9K7.2%
Services to buildings and dwellings · 5617$83.3K6.9%
Facilities support services · 5612

Largest awards

CVN 81 EMALS ESS FULL PRODUCTION$90M
KATO ENGINEERING INC.· Nicollet County, MN· Weapons, aircraft, ships & vehicles· Sep 7, 2023 – May 26, 2026· N0001923C0040
ARMATURE,GENERATOR$590.1K
SUPPLYCORE LLC· Nicollet County, MN· Other equipment & supplies· Oct 27, 2025 – Oct 27, 2025· SPRMM126FE80B
MEDICAL SERVICES FOR INMATES AT FCI WASECA FOR AUGUST FY25 AT MAYO CLINIC HEALTH SYSTEMS MANKATO AND WASECA.$291.2K
MAYO CLINIC HEALTH SYSTEM-SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA REGION· Blue Earth County, MN· Health & medical· Jul 31, 2025 – Jan 2, 2026· 15B41525P00000096
MEDICAL SERVICES FOR INMATES AT FCI WASECA FOR JULY FY25 AT MAYO CLINIC HEALTH SYSTEMS MANKATO AND WASECA.

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.

Federal grants & assistance

Grants, loans (counted at their subsidy cost), direct payments and insurance, by fiscal year of the action (USAspending.gov, FABS). Reported apart from contracts and never added to them.

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $666.1M in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Mankato, MN metro area: $6,349 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $666.1M; +0% vs FY2025
Per resident: $6,349; US $12,955
Loan face value: $25.4M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 7.5%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$369.8M56%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$40.9M6.1%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$38.6M5.8%
10.988 · Supplemental Disaster Relief Program$33.2M5.0%
84.063 · Federal Pell Grant Program$26.4M4.0%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$24.2M3.6%
20.287 · Surface Transportation Block Grant Program$21.8M3.3%
20.205 · Highway Planning and Construction$17.3M2.6%

Top recipients (organizations)

MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION$40.7M6.1%
SAINT PAUL, MN
CITY OF MANKATO$26.1M3.9%
MANKATO, MN
MINNESOTA STATE UNIVERSITY MANKATO$21.4M3.2%
MANKATO, MN
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY OF MANKATO, MINNESOTA$8M1.2%
MANKATO, MN
MINNESOTA VALLEY ACTION COUNCIL, INC.

Organizations only: awards to individuals and county aggregate records count in the totals but are never listed. Grants to state governments recorded at the agency's own address are counted statewide, not in the capital's county.

Top agencies

Social Security Administration$443.8M67%
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$47.1M7.1%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Farm Service Agency$46.6M7.0%
Department of Agriculture
Federal Highway Administration$40.7M6.1%
Department of Transportation
Department of Education$29.7M

Assistance by fiscal year

601.5MFY2021
517.3MFY2022
503.9MFY2023
541.5MFY2024
666.1MFY2025
666.1MFY2026

County aggregates

74%

Share of obligations reported only as county totals of many small awards (for example Social Security or Medicare payments), with no recipient named.

Source: Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Counties in Mankato, MN

Whole counties, as the U.S. Office of Management and Budget delineates the area. Federal spending below is the exact sum of these counties.

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

MankatoPrincipal city45,473

Largest cities and towns

By population, for places with most of their residents in the area.

Other metro and micro areas in Minnesota

Areas based in Minnesota, best score first.

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Places that share a border, best score first.

Similar metro and micro areas

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.

Mapping Injury, Overdose, and ViolenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2026-10-01
PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Daily county PM2.5 and ozone (EPA downscaler model)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2022
Care Compare: Hospital General Information and Timely and Effective CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services · release 2026-07-22
Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master filesFederal Bureau of Investigation · release 2025
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-09-29
Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration · release 2024
nClimGrid-Daily county averagesNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · release 2025
Regional Economic AccountsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · release 2024
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2026 Q1
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Business Formation StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-10-01
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
Alternative Fuels Data Center station locatorU.S. Department of Energy · release 2026-10
Election Administration and Voting SurveyU.S. Election Assistance Commission · release 2024
Air Quality Index Annual Summary by CountyU.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2025
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement
Zillow Home Value Index, Observed Rent Index and affordabilityZillow Research · release 2026-08

JSON · /api/v1/places/M31860

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved13

Declined5

Metro and micro areas like Mankato, MN metro area five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Getting to work

How people get to work

Jobs and pay

Look up any occupation

Local businesses

Federal contract spending

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

Federal grants & assistance

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Counties in Mankato, MN

Principal cities

Largest cities and towns

Other metro and micro areas in Minnesota

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Similar metro and micro areas

Data and sources

Improved13

Declined5

Age and sex

Household income

Owners and renters

How people get to work

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Time to get to work

Look up any occupation

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

By type

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

What was bought