Atwater is a city in Kandiyohi County, Minnesota, home to about 1,203 people across 1.0 square miles. Its ZIP code is 56209.
Homes sold for a median of $277 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a seller’s market.
Mostly Atwater; also Gennessee and Harrison
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Atwater. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Atwater’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
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| Nearest major airport | Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport / Wold–Chamberlain Field (MSP)78 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Saint Cloud Regional Airport (STC)47 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Minneapolis, MN75 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Chicago, IL422 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Atwater; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
Atwater had 1,124 residents in the 2020 census, up 4% since 2000.
It’s the 505th largest of 2,727 towns in Minnesota by population.
Kandiyohi County grew from 18,416 residents in 1900 to 43,732 in 2020.
Kandiyohi County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 82°F in summer, and winter lows average 3°F. About 28.6 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 46 inches of snow.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Willmar Wwtp, MN weather station (12 miles away).
18,568 jobs at 1,416 businesses in Kandiyohi County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
2 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Atwater.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 1 |
|---|---|
| Chiropractors | 1 |
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.
Libraries
Museums
Counts are within about 1 mile of the center of town.
Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.
Public schools here are run by A.C.G.C. Public School District. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A.C.G.C. ElementaryAtwater | Pre-K–4 | 369 | Public | 1.7 mi |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.
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Shares ZIP codes with Gennessee, Harrison, Irving, Lake Elizabeth, Acton and Danielson.
Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.