Sandnes is a township in Yellow Medicine County, Minnesota, home to about 229 people across 36 square miles. It has no ZIP code of its own: it’s part of 56229 and 56245.
Homes sold for a median of $103 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a seller’s market.
Mostly Cottonwood City; part is in Sandnes
Mostly Hanley Falls; part is in Sandnes
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Sandnes. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Sandnes’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)122 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Watertown Regional Airport (ATY)74 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Minneapolis, MN120 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Chicago, IL447 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Sandnes; 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.
Sandnes had 198 residents in the 2020 census, up 1% since 2000.
It’s the 1733rd largest of 2,727 towns in Minnesota by population.
Yellow Medicine County grew from 14,602 residents in 1900 to 9,528 in 2020.
Yellow Medicine County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 85°F in summer, and winter lows average 3°F. About 28.8 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 52 inches of snow.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Granite Falls, MN weather station (12 miles away).
3,603 jobs at 324 businesses in Yellow Medicine County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
Nearest hospitals
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances.
Libraries (1 nearby)
Museums (2 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 Lakeview School District. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lakeview ElementaryCottonwood | Pre-K–6 | 389 | Public | 2.9 mi |
| Lakeview SecondaryCottonwood | 7–12 | 331 | Public | 2.9 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 Cottonwood City, Hanley Falls, Vallers, Lucas, Stanley, Normania, Wood Lake Township and Hazel Run Township.
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.