Great Bend is a township in Cottonwood County, Minnesota, home to about 352 people across 31 square miles. It has no ZIP code of its own: it’s part of 56101.
Homes sold for a median of $117 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a balanced market.
Mostly Windom; part is in Great Bend
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Great Bend. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Great Bend’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)117 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Sioux Falls Regional Airport (FSD)83 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Minneapolis, MN119 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Chicago, IL403 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Great Bend; 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.
Great Bend had 314 residents in the 2020 census, down 4% since 2000.
It’s the 1345th largest of 2,727 towns in Minnesota by population.
Cottonwood County grew from 12,069 residents in 1900 to 11,517 in 2020.
Cottonwood County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 84°F in summer, and winter lows average 8°F. About 31.8 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 44 inches of snow.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Windom, MN weather station (about a mile away).
5,046 jobs at 325 businesses in Cottonwood County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
56 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Great Bend.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 9 |
|---|---|
| Specialist doctors | 2 |
| Dentists | 6 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 11 |
| Mental health providers | 16 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 7 |
| Optometrists | 2 |
| Chiropractors | 3 |
| Pharmacies | 3 |
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 (5 nearby)
Grocery stores (1 nearby)
Libraries (1 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 Windom Public School District, Region 6 and 8-SW/WC Service Coop. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Early Childhood Learning CenterWindom | Pre-K | 8 | Special Education | 1.8 mi |
| Windom Area ElementaryWindom | Pre-K–4 | 493 | Public | 0.7 mi |
| Out-of-State Care and TreatmentWindom | K–12 | — | Alternative Education | 0.6 mi |
| STARSS Online Academy ElementaryWindom | K–5 | — | Public | 1.1 mi |
| SWWC ELC - WindomWindom | K–12 | 42 | Special Education | 1.1 mi |
| Windom MiddleWindom | 5–8 | 359 | Public | 0.6 mi |
| Starrs Online AcademyWindom | 6–12 | — | Public | 1.4 mi |
| SWWC ALC Midlevel - WindomWindom | 7–8 | — | Alternative Education | 1.1 mi |
| SWWC ALC - WindomWindom | 9–12 | 41 | Alternative Education | 1.1 mi |
| Windom Learn Center Credit RecoveryWindom | 9–12 | — | Alternative Education | 0.6 mi |
| Windom Senior HighWindom | 9–12 | 327 | Public | 0.6 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 Windom, Christiania, Delafield, Lakeside Township (Cottonwood County), Dale, Springfield Township, Amo and Wilder.
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.