Scores by category

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

Safety81#180/924
Economy75#233/925
Housing67#302/925
Health85#137/925
Healthcare95#51/923
Environment89#105/917
Education63#343/925
Infrastructure63#345/925
Community90#92/925
Leisure & amenities45#512/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

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

Strengths

Social associations · high19.2 /10k
99/100Minnesota 12.2 /10kUnited States 9.1 /10k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Mammography screening · high60.0%
97/100Minnesota 54.0%United States 46.0%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Drought exposure · low0%
97/100Minnesota 36%United States 43%Oct 2025–Sep 2026National Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAAAggregated from counties
Flu vaccinations · high55.0%
97/100Minnesota 50.0%United States 44.0%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Drug overdose deaths · low7.0 /100k
95/100Minnesota 15.7 /100kUnited States 18.4 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Injury deaths · low64 /100k
93/100Minnesota 81 /100kUnited States 87 /100k2019-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties

Weaknesses

Restaurants and bars · low5.6 /10k
11/100Minnesota 8.6 /10kUnited States 9.0 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
Adult obesity · high41.0%
17/100Minnesota 37.1%United States 38.2%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Access to exercise opportunities · low59.5%
19/100Minnesota 86.4%United States 84.5%2022 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Distance to an airport · high90 mi
22/100Minnesota 43 miUnited States 33 mi2025Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties
Comfortable days · low23.8%
23/100Minnesota 23.6%United States 26.8%2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationAggregated from counties
Public EV charging ports · low2.2 /10k
23/100Minnesota 5.6 /10kUnited States 7.6 /10kOct 2026U.S. Department of EnergyAggregated from counties

Trends

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

Drought exposureImproving
30% (2021) → 0% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
−30 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
Traffic deathsWorsening
7.9 /100k (2015-2019) → 19.0 /100k (2020-2024)
+140%5 yearsUS 11.3 /100k → 12.3 /100k
New homes permittedWorsening
7.5 /1k (2021) → 1.7 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
−77%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k
Property crime rateImproving
1,860 /100k (2020) → 783 /100k (2025)
−58%5 yearsUS 1,929 /100k → 1,535 /100k
Child care cost burdenWorsening
21.6% (2020 & 2021) → 31.2% (2023 & 2024)
+9.7 pts3 yearsUS 24.5% → 27.9%
Gyms and fitness centersWorsening
1.1 /10k (2020) → 0.7 /10k (2025)
−41%5 yearsUS 1.2 /10k → 1.3 /10k

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, Willmar, MN micropolitan area improved on 10 of 30 measures with a comparison and declined on 7. 7 moved within the margin of error and 6 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.

Improved10

Inequality−0.0200.435 → 0.415
Property crime−58%1,860 /100k → 783 /100k
Bachelor's++4.7 points23.3% → 27.9%
Real income+37%$56,407 → $77,048
Child poverty−3.8 points15.5% → 11.8%

Declined7

Traffic deaths+140%7.9 /100k → 19.0 /100k
Restaurants−21%7.1 /10k → 5.6 /10k
Gyms−41%1.1 /10k → 0.7 /10k
Pharmacies−27%1.8 /10k → 1.3 /10k
Transit use−0.8 points1.3% → 0.5%

All 30 measures

Change of every measure of Willmar, MN micropolitan area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	5.7 /10k2020	5.1 /10k2025	−10%	Declined	14%
Average commute time	17.6 min2015-2019	17.5 min2020-2024	−0.1 min	Within the margin of error	67%
Average weekly wage	$8572020	$1,0532025	+23%	Improved	47%
Bachelor's degree or higher	23.3%2015-2019	27.9%2020-2024	+4.7 points	Improved	87%
Broadband subscriptions	81.5%2015-2019	88.5%2020-2024	+7.1 points	Improved	25%
Child poverty rate	15.5%2015-2019	11.8%2020-2024	−3.8 points	Improved	67%
Distance to an airport	90 mi2020	90 mi2025	0 mi	Little change	50%
Drug overdose deaths	6.8 /100k2020	7.0 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	+2.9%	Little change	26%
Effective property tax rate	0.99%2015-2019	0.91%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Within the margin of error	31%
Grocery stores	1.8 /10k2020	1.8 /10k2025	−2.2%	Little change	41%
Gyms and fitness centers	1.1 /10k2020	0.7 /10k2025	−41%	Declined	6%
High school diploma or higher	89.0%2015-2019	91.3%2020-2024	+2.3 points	Within the margin of error	65%
Home price to income ratio	2.8×2015-2019	3.2×2020-2024	+0.4×	Declined	59%
Income adjusted for local prices	$56,4072019	$77,0482024	+37%	Improved	79%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4352015-2019	0.4152020-2024	−0.020	Improved	89%
Median household income	$60,2942015-2019	$76,5922020-2024	+27%	Improved	51%
New business applications	7.0 /1k2020	9.6 /1k2025	+37%	Improved	37%
Pharmacies	1.8 /10k2020	1.3 /10k2025	−27%	Declined	11%
Poverty rate	10.5%2015-2019	9.1%2020-2024	−1.4 points	Within the margin of error	62%
Property crime rate	1,860 /100k2020	783 /100k2025	−58%	Improved	94%
Public libraries	1.4 /10k2019	1.3 /10k2024	−3.7%	Little change	33%
Public transit commuters	1.3%2015-2019	0.5%2020-2024	−0.8 points	Declined	20%
Rent as share of income	27.6%2015-2019	26.6%2020-2024	−1 points	Within the margin of error	76%
Rent-burdened households	42.2%2015-2019	41.5%2020-2024	−0.8 points	Within the margin of error	64%
Restaurants and bars	7.1 /10k2020	5.6 /10k2025	−21%	Declined	3%
Suicide rate	16.2 /100k2020	15.8 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−2.5%	Little change	66%
Traffic deaths	7.9 /100k2015-2019	19.0 /100k2020-2024	+140%	Declined	0%
Unemployment rate	5.0%2020	4.2%2025	−0.8 points	Little change	3%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	7.9%2015-2019	7.9%2020-2024	+0 points	Within the margin of error	43%
Violent crime rate	276 /100k2020	230 /100k2025	−17%	Improved	50%

“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 Willmar, MN micropolitan area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Willmar, MN micropolitan 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, Willmar, MN micropolitan area itself moved −4.8 points in standing on average over the same 29 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

44,079 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

17,603 households (±297)

Willmar, MN micropolitan area
United States share

Under $25k12%2,076
$25k–50k19%3,273
$50k–75k18%3,222

Homes

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

Owners and renters

17,603 households (±297)

Willmar, MN micropolitan area
United States share

Own73%12,764
Rent27%4,839

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

21,488 workers (±474)

Willmar, MN micropolitan area
United States share

Drive alone80%17,138
Carpool8.1%1,741
Public transit0.5%†113

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 no occupation wages for Willmar, MN micropolitan area.

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.

Willmar, MN has 1,416 employer establishments, 319 for every 10,000 residents (1.28× the US rate of 248), 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
Paid employees: 18,568
Average annual pay: $51,009; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Willmar, MN 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

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.
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 $58.6M on contracts performed in Willmar, MN micropolitan area: $1,311 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $58.6M; +15% vs FY2025
Per resident: $1,311; US $1,994
Sole-source: 0.0%; US 30%
Single offer: 4.7%; 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

Agricultural Marketing Service$58.6M99.9%
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service$59.6K0.1%

Top recipients

JENNIE-O TURKEY STORE INC$58.6M99.9%
JEFF JOHNSON EXCAVATING INC$59.6K0.1%

Spending by fiscal year

55.8MFY2017
14.5MFY2018
41.1MFY2019
79.6MFY2020
23.2MFY2021
81MFY2022
47.8MFY2023
95.8M

Top industries (NAICS)

Animal slaughtering and processing · 3116$58.6M99.9%
Nonmetallic mineral mining and quarrying · 2123$59.6K0.1%

Largest awards

COMMODITIES FOR USG FOOD DONATIONS: 2000010260/4100030842/TURKEY BREAST CKD FRZ CTN 34-42 LBS,TURKEY BREAST DELI SLC FRZ PKG-20/2 LB$34M
JENNIE-O TURKEY STORE INC· Kandiyohi County, MN· Other equipment & supplies· Aug 26, 2024 – Apr 16, 2026· 123J1424C2595
COMMODITIES FOR USG FOOD DONATIONS: 2000009286/4100027637/TURKEY BREAST SMKD SLC FRZ PKG-8/5 LB,TURKEY HAM SMKD SLC FRZ PKG-8/5 LB,TURKEY TACO FILLING CTN-30 LB,TURKEY BREAST DELI FRZ CTN-40 LB,TURKEY ROASTS FRZ CTN-32-48 LB,TURKEY BREAST DELI SLICED$25.8M
JENNIE-O TURKEY STORE INC· Kandiyohi County, MN· Other equipment & supplies· May 24, 2023 – Jan 30, 2026· 123J1423C1441
COMMODITIES FOR USG FOOD DONATIONS: 2000010780/4100032373/TURKEY BREAST DELI SLICED FRZ PKG 8/5 LB,TURKEY BREAST SMKD SLC FRZ PKG 8/5 LB,TURKEY BREAST DELI SLC FRZ PKG 20/2 LB,TURKEY TACO FILLING CTN-30 LB,TURKEY BREAST DELI FRZ CTN-40 LB,TURKEY BREA$15.8M
JENNIE-O TURKEY STORE INC· Kandiyohi County, MN

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 $328.6M in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Willmar, MN micropolitan area: $7,347 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $328.6M; −11% vs FY2025
Per resident: $7,347; US $12,955
Loan face value: $29.6M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 8.2%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$192.6M59%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$18.2M5.5%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$16.1M4.9%
10.030 · Indemnity Program$15.6M4.8%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$13.9M4.2%
10.988 · Supplemental Disaster Relief Program$13.3M4.0%
93.600 · Head Start$7.3M2.2%
57.001 · Social Insurance for Railroad Workers$7.1M2.2%

Top recipients (organizations)

JENNIE-O TURKEY STORE INC$15.2M4.6%
FRAZEE, MN
UNITED COMMUNITY ACTION PARTNERSHIP$8.1M2.5%
WILLMAR, MN
MINNESOTA STATE COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES$6.6M2.0%
WILLMAR, MN
CITY OF HECTOR$3.4M1.0%
HECTOR, MN
KANDIYOHI COUNTY HOUSING AND REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY

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$230.5M70%
Farm Service Agency$20.9M6.4%
Department of Agriculture
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$19M5.8%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service$15.6M4.8%
Department of Agriculture
Administration for Children and Families

Assistance by fiscal year

275MFY2021
283.1MFY2022
270MFY2023
294.9MFY2024
367.2MFY2025
328.6MFY2026

County aggregates

78%

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 Willmar, 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.

Kandiyohi CountyCentral county8744,720

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

WillmarPrincipal city21,378

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.

St. Cloud, MN89

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
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/M48820

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved10

Declined7

Metro and micro areas like Willmar, MN micropolitan 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

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 Willmar, 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

Improved10

Declined7

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

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

What was bought

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

By type