Town guide

Selma, Minnesota

Selma is a township in Cottonwood County, Minnesota, home to about 140 people across 36 square miles. It has no ZIP code of its own: it’s part of 56019 and 56159.

Homes sold for a median of $97 per square foot across 2 ZIP codes in the three months ending August 2026, and 1 of 2 were seller’s markets.

Population1404 per sq mi
Median home value$264,300Census, as estimated by owners
Price per sq ft$97Sold homes, 3 months to August 2026
Sold over asking14%Median of 2 ZIP codes

ZIP codes in Selma

2 ZIP codes, 2 shared with neighboring towns

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

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We’re writing up Selma’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 Selma

Distances

Nearest major airportMinneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport / Wold–Chamberlain Field (MSP)101 miles away
Closer regional airportSioux Falls Regional Airport (FSD)96 miles away
Nearest city of 250,000+Minneapolis, MN103 miles away
Nearest city of 1 million+Chicago, IL396 miles away

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

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

Who represents Selma

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

Selma had 170 residents in the 2020 census, down 17% since 2000.

It’s the 2127th largest of 2,727 towns in Minnesota by population.

Cottonwood County grew from 12,069 residents in 1900 to 11,517 in 2020.

Selma population by census2000: 204, 2010: 193, 2020: 170204200019320101702020

Cottonwood County, 1900–2020

Cottonwood County population, 1900 to 20201900: 12,069, 1910: 12,651, 1920: 14,570, 1930: 14,782, 1940: 16,143, 1950: 15,763, 1960: 16,166, 1970: 14,887, 1980: 14,854, 1990: 12,694, 2000: 12,167, 2010: 11,687, 2020: 11,51712K’00’1015K’20’3016K’40’5016K’60’7015K’80’9012K’00’1012K’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 82°F in summer, and winter lows average 4°F. About 29.7 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 42 inches of snow.

Average high and low temperature and precipitation by month near SelmaJan: high 23°F, low 4°F, 0.7 in; Feb: high 28°F, low 8°F, 0.8 in; Mar: high 40°F, low 21°F, 1.6 in; Apr: high 56°F, low 33°F, 3.1 in; May: high 69°F, low 46°F, 4.3 in; Jun: high 79°F, low 57°F, 4.6 in; Jul: high 82°F, low 60°F, 4 in; Aug: high 80°F, low 57°F, 3.5 in; Sep: high 74°F, low 48°F, 2.9 in; Oct: high 60°F, low 36°F, 2 in; Nov: high 42°F, low 23°F, 1.4 in; Dec: high 28°F, low 11°F, 0.8 in23°4°Jan0.728°8°Feb0.840°21°Mar1.656°33°Apr3.169°46°May4.379°57°Jun4.682°60°Jul4.080°57°Aug3.574°48°Sep2.960°36°Oct2.042°23°Nov1.428°11°Dec0.8Rain and melted snow, inches

Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Springfield 1 Nw, MN weather station (14 miles away).

Jobs in Cottonwood County

5,046 jobs at 325 businesses in Cottonwood County. The biggest industries by employees:

Largest industries in Cottonwood CountyManufacturing: 2,165 jobs; Health care and social assistance: 745 jobs; Retail trade: 594 jobs; Construction: 321 jobs; Wholesale trade: 285 jobs; Hotels and restaurants: 267 jobs; Other services: 250 jobs; Finance and insurance: 100 jobsManufacturing 43% Health care and social assistance 15% Retail trade 12% Construction 6% Wholesale trade 6% Hotels and restaurants 5% Other services 5% Finance and insurance 2%

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

Health care

7 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Selma’s ZIP codes.

Nearest hospitals

  • Mayo Clinic Health System St.. JamesCritical access hospital · emergency room · St. James15.3 miles
  • Windom Area HealthCritical access hospital · emergency room · Windom15.8 miles
  • Sleepy Eye Medical CenterCritical access hospital · emergency room · Sleepy Eye19.7 miles

Providers with an office here

Primary care doctors1
Nurse practitioners and physician assistants4
Physical and occupational therapists1
Chiropractors1
Pharmacies2

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 Selma

Grocery stores

  • Maynards7.5 mi

Pharmacies

  • Thrifty White7.6 mi

Libraries (1 nearby)

  • Darfur Branch Library4.0 mi

Museums

  • Jeffers Petroglyphs Historic Site7.4 mi
  • Jeffers Petroglyphs7.5 mi
  • Heritage Village Museum7.9 mi

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.

Schools in Selma

Public schools here are run by Comfrey Public School District, Mountain Lake Public Schools. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.

Public schools (4)
SchoolGradesStudentsTypeDistance
Comfrey ElementaryComfreyPre-K–657Public4.2 mi
Mountain Lake ElementaryMountain LakePre-K–6257Public7.4 mi
Comfrey SecondaryComfrey7–1247Public4.2 mi
Mountain Lake SecondaryMountain Lake7–12241Public7.4 mi
Private schools (3)
SchoolGradesStudentsAffiliationDistance
Mountain Lake Christian SchoolMountain LakePre-K–1279Christian (no specific denomination)7.2 mi
Elmendorf Christian SchoolMountain LakeK–1158Brethren12.9 mi
Neuhof SchoolMountain Lake1–914Brethren10.4 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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Where Selma is

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Towns near Selma

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Shares ZIP codes with Mountain Lake, Comfrey City (Brown County), Mountain Lake Township, Midway Township, Mulligan, Bashaw, Carson, Kimball Township, Adrian Township, Albin, Delton, Stately and Comfrey City (Cottonwood County).

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.