Town guide

Brighton, Minnesota

Brighton is a township in Nicollet County, Minnesota, home to about 152 people across 18 square miles. It has no ZIP code of its own: it’s part of 56073 and 56074.

Homes sold for a median of $150 per square foot across 2 ZIP codes in the three months ending August 2026, and all of them were seller’s markets.

Population1529 per sq mi
Median home value$355,900Census, as estimated by owners
Price per sq ft$150Sold homes, 3 months to August 2026
Sold over asking36%Median of 2 ZIP codes

ZIP codes in Brighton

2 ZIP codes, 2 shared with neighboring towns

Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Brighton. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology

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We’re writing up Brighton’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.

  • History
  • What it’s like to live there
  • Getting around
  • Things to do

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Around Brighton

Distances

Nearest major airportMinneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport / Wold–Chamberlain Field (MSP)71 miles away
Nearest city of 250,000+Minneapolis, MN72 miles away
Nearest city of 1 million+Chicago, IL379 miles away

Straight-line distances from the center of Brighton; driving is longer.

Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Who represents Brighton

Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.

Population over time

Brighton had 129 residents in the 2020 census, down 24% since 2000.

It’s the 2073rd largest of 2,727 towns in Minnesota by population.

Nicollet County grew from 14,774 residents in 1900 to 34,454 in 2020.

Brighton population by census2000: 169, 2010: 149, 2020: 129169200014920101292020

Nicollet County, 1900–2020

Nicollet County population, 1900 to 20201900: 14,774, 1910: 14,125, 1920: 15,036, 1930: 16,550, 1940: 18,282, 1950: 20,929, 1960: 23,196, 1970: 24,518, 1980: 26,929, 1990: 28,076, 2000: 29,771, 2010: 32,727, 2020: 34,45415K’00’1015K’20’3018K’40’5023K’60’7027K’80’9030K’00’1034K’20

Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).

Weather by month

Average highs peak around 81°F in summer, and winter lows average 4°F. About 32.7 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year.

Average high and low temperature and precipitation by month near BrightonJan: high 23°F, low 4°F, 0.8 in; Feb: high 27°F, low 7°F, 0.9 in; Mar: high 40°F, low 20°F, 1.8 in; Apr: high 56°F, low 33°F, 3.1 in; May: high 68°F, low 46°F, 4.5 in; Jun: high 78°F, low 57°F, 5.1 in; Jul: high 81°F, low 61°F, 3.9 in; Aug: high 79°F, low 58°F, 4.1 in; Sep: high 73°F, low 50°F, 3.2 in; Oct: high 59°F, low 36°F, 2.6 in; Nov: high 42°F, low 23°F, 1.6 in; Dec: high 28°F, low 12°F, 1.1 in23°4°Jan0.827°7°Feb0.940°20°Mar1.856°33°Apr3.168°46°May4.578°57°Jun5.181°61°Jul3.979°58°Aug4.173°50°Sep3.259°36°Oct2.642°23°Nov1.628°12°Dec1.1Rain and melted snow, inches

Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, New Ulm 3se, MN weather station (about a mile away).

Jobs in Nicollet County

13,540 jobs at 685 businesses in Nicollet County. The biggest industries by employees:

Largest industries in Nicollet CountyManufacturing: 3,502 jobs; Health care and social assistance: 2,726 jobs; Retail trade: 1,424 jobs; Hotels and restaurants: 913 jobs; Educational services: 723 jobs; Other services: 682 jobs; Company headquarters: 577 jobs; Transportation and warehousing: 567 jobsManufacturing 26% Health care and social assistance 20% Retail trade 11% Hotels and restaurants 7% Educational services 5% Other services 5% Company headquarters 4% Transportation and warehousing 4%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).

Health care

206 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Brighton’s ZIP codes.

Nearest hospitals

  • New Ulm Medical CenterCritical access hospital · emergency room · CMS rating 5 of 5 · New Ulm3.8 miles
  • Sleepy Eye Medical CenterCritical access hospital · emergency room · Sleepy Eye16.2 miles
  • Madelia HealthCritical access hospital · emergency room · Madelia17.1 miles

Providers with an office here

Primary care doctors34
Specialist doctors32
Dentists11
Nurse practitioners and physician assistants24
Mental health providers56
Physical and occupational therapists31
Optometrists5
Chiropractors13
Pharmacies6

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.

Places in and around Brighton

Parks (9 nearby)

  • New Ulm Spring Wayside Park · 70 acres1.8 mi
  • South Park · 16 acres2.3 mi
  • Riverside Park · 13 acres2.8 mi
  • Junior Pioneer Park · 4 acres2.2 mi
  • Archery Range Park · 4 acres1.6 mi
  • Lincoln Park · 3 acres2.8 mi

Grocery stores (1 nearby)

  • Hy-Vee1.9 mi

Pharmacies

  • Walgreens3.6 mi
  • Allina Health Pharmacy- New Ulm3.9 mi

Libraries

  • New Ulm Library3.2 mi

Museums

  • Brown County Historical Society & Museum3.2 mi
  • Minnesota Music Hall of Fame Museum3.2 mi

Theaters and performance venues

  • Amphitheatre3.2 mi
  • State Street Theater Co.3.3 mi
  • Auditorium3.6 mi

Counts are within about 3 miles 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.

Schools in Brighton

Public schools here are run by Nicollet Public School District, River Bend Education District, New Ulm Public School District. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.

Public schools (17)
SchoolGradesStudentsTypeDistance
Nicollet Early Childhood Special EdNicolletPre-K7Special Education10.6 mi
Nicollet Elementary SchoolNicolletPre-K–6156Public10.6 mi
River Bend Early Childhood Prog.New UlmPre-K90Special Education2.3 mi
Washington Learning CenterNew UlmPre-K–K180Public4.3 mi
Imprints ProgramNew UlmK–1230Special Education2.3 mi
Out of State Care and TreatmentNew UlmK–12—Alternative Education3.2 mi
R.I.S.E. ProgramNew UlmK–1217Special Education2.3 mi
Jefferson ElementaryNew Ulm1–4643Public3.3 mi
Raptor ProgramNew Ulm1–1215Special Education2.3 mi
New Ulm Middle SchoolNew Ulm5–8617Public3.2 mi
Nicollet High SchoolNicollet7–12151Public10.6 mi
River Bend Area Learning CenterNew Ulm7–1243Alternative Education2.3 mi
New Ulm High SchoolNew Ulm9–12687Public4.5 mi
River Bend ALC Credit Recovery ProgNew Ulm9–12—Alternative Education2.3 mi
River Bend Online ALCNew Ulm9–1223Alternative Education2.3 mi
W.O.R.K. ProgramNew Ulm10–128Special Education2.3 mi
New Ulm CTE CenterNew Ulm11–12—Career and Technical3.1 mi
Private schools (8)
SchoolGradesStudentsAffiliationDistance
Cathedral High School/New Ulm Area Catholic SchoolNew UlmPre-K–12392Roman Catholic3.7 mi
New Ulm Area Catholic SchoolsNew UlmPre-K–12392Roman Catholic3.6 mi
St Anthony ElementaryNew UlmPre-K–6202Roman Catholic3.6 mi
St Paul's Lutheran SchoolNew UlmPre-K–8316Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod3.4 mi
Trinity Evangelical LutheranNicolletPre-K–837Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod10.4 mi
Trinity Lutheran SchoolNicolletPre-K–837Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod10.4 mi
Amazing Grace Virtual AcademyNew Ulm9–118Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod0.7 mi
Minnesota Valley Lutheran High SchoolNew Ulm9–12269Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod0.7 mi

Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools; Private School Universe Survey (2023-2024) for private schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.

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Towns near Brighton

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Shares ZIP codes with New Ulm, Nicollet City, Cottonwood Township, Milford, Lafayette Township, Nicollet Township, Cambria, Sigel, Granby, West Newton, New Sweden and Bernadotte.

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.