Cottonwood Township is a township in Brown County, Minnesota, home to about 861 people across 35 square miles. It has no ZIP code of its own: it’s part of 56041 and 56073.
Homes sold for a median of $145 per square foot across 2 ZIP codes in the three months ending August 2026, and all of them were seller’s markets.
Mostly Hanska; part is in Cottonwood Township
Mostly New Ulm; part is in Cottonwood Township
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Cottonwood Township. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Cottonwood Township’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
Are you a local agent who knows Cottonwood Township well? Agents who advertise here will be able to write the guide. Advertise on OfferBacked
| Nearest major airport | Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport / Wold–Chamberlain Field (MSP)74 miles away |
|---|---|
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Minneapolis, MN75 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Chicago, IL382 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Cottonwood Township; 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.
Cottonwood Township had 856 residents in the 2020 census, down 9% since 2000.
It’s the 678th largest of 2,727 towns in Minnesota by population.
Brown County grew from 19,787 residents in 1900 to 25,912 in 2020.
Brown 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 7°F. About 31.1 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 38 inches of snow.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, New Ulm 2 Se, MN weather station (about a mile away).
12,995 jobs at 786 businesses in Brown County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
205 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Cottonwood Township’s ZIP codes.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 34 |
|---|---|
| Specialist doctors | 32 |
| Dentists | 10 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 24 |
| Mental health providers | 57 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 31 |
| Optometrists | 5 |
| Chiropractors | 12 |
| Pharmacies | 6 |
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.
Parks (29 nearby)
Grocery stores (4 nearby)
Pharmacies (2 nearby)
Libraries (1 nearby)
Museums (2 nearby)
Theaters and performance venues (3 nearby)
Counts are within about 4 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.
Public schools here are run by River Bend Education District, New Ulm Public School District. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| River Bend Early Childhood Prog.New Ulm | Pre-K | 90 | Special Education | 1.3 mi |
| Washington Learning CenterNew Ulm | Pre-K–K | 180 | Public | 2.5 mi |
| Imprints ProgramNew Ulm | K–12 | 30 | Special Education | 1.3 mi |
| Out of State Care and TreatmentNew Ulm | K–12 | — | Alternative Education | 1.0 mi |
| R.I.S.E. ProgramNew Ulm | K–12 | 17 | Special Education | 1.3 mi |
| Jefferson ElementaryNew Ulm | 1–4 | 643 | Public | 1.1 mi |
| Raptor ProgramNew Ulm | 1–12 | 15 | Special Education | 1.3 mi |
| New Ulm Middle SchoolNew Ulm | 5–8 | 617 | Public | 1.0 mi |
| River Bend Area Learning CenterNew Ulm | 7–12 | 43 | Alternative Education | 1.3 mi |
| New Ulm High SchoolNew Ulm | 9–12 | 687 | Public | 2.0 mi |
| River Bend ALC Credit Recovery ProgNew Ulm | 9–12 | — | Alternative Education | 1.3 mi |
| River Bend Online ALCNew Ulm | 9–12 | 23 | Alternative Education | 1.3 mi |
| W.O.R.K. ProgramNew Ulm | 10–12 | 8 | Special Education | 1.3 mi |
| New Ulm CTE CenterNew Ulm | 11–12 | — | Career and Technical | 2.1 mi |
| School | Grades | Students | Affiliation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cathedral High School/New Ulm Area Catholic SchoolNew Ulm | Pre-K–12 | 392 | Roman Catholic | 2.0 mi |
| New Ulm Area Catholic SchoolsNew Ulm | Pre-K–12 | 392 | Roman Catholic | 1.9 mi |
| St Anthony ElementaryNew Ulm | Pre-K–6 | 202 | Roman Catholic | 1.9 mi |
| St Paul's Lutheran SchoolNew Ulm | Pre-K–8 | 316 | Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod | 1.2 mi |
| Amazing Grace Virtual AcademyNew Ulm | 9–11 | 8 | Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod | 3.7 mi |
| Minnesota Valley Lutheran High SchoolNew Ulm | 9–12 | 269 | Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod | 3.6 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.
Buying or selling around Cottonwood Township? Tell us what you need and when. No agents advertise here yet, so we’ll keep your request for up to 30 days and send it to local agents who join. No obligation, and you choose who to work with.
Loading map…
Shares ZIP codes with New Ulm, Milford, Lafayette Township, Hanska, Lake Hanska, Cambria, Sigel, Linden, West Newton, Brighton, Albin 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.