Town guide

Wadena City (Otter Tail County), Minnesota

Wadena City (Otter Tail County) is a city in Otter Tail County, Minnesota, home to about 179 people across 0.1 square miles. It has no ZIP code of its own: it’s part of 56482.

Homes sold for a median of $133 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a seller’s market.

Population1791,989 per sq mi
Median home value$237,000Census, as estimated by owners
Price per sq ft$133Sold homes, 3 months to August 2026
Sold over asking26%Latest 3 months

ZIP codes in Wadena City (Otter Tail County)

1 ZIP code, 1 shared with neighboring towns

Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Wadena City (Otter Tail County). Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology

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

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Around Wadena City (Otter Tail County)

Distances

Nearest major airportMinneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport / Wold–Chamberlain Field (MSP)142 miles away
Closer regional airportBrainerd Lakes Regional Airport (BRD)48 miles away
Nearest city of 250,000+Minneapolis, MN136 miles away
Nearest city of 1 million+Chicago, IL487 miles away

Straight-line distances from the center of Wadena City (Otter Tail County); driving is longer.

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

Who represents Wadena City (Otter Tail County)

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

Wadena City (Otter Tail County) had 107 residents in the 2020 census, up 114% since 2000.

It’s the 1945th largest of 2,727 towns in Minnesota by population.

Otter Tail County grew from 45,375 residents in 1900 to 60,081 in 2020.

Wadena City (Otter Tail County) population by census2000: 50, 2010: 66, 2020: 1075020006620101072020

Otter Tail County, 1900–2020

Otter Tail County population, 1900 to 20201900: 45,375, 1910: 46,036, 1920: 50,818, 1930: 51,006, 1940: 53,192, 1950: 51,320, 1960: 48,960, 1970: 46,097, 1980: 51,937, 1990: 50,714, 2000: 57,159, 2010: 57,303, 2020: 60,08145K’00’1051K’20’3053K’40’5049K’60’7052K’80’9057K’00’1060K’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 78°F in summer, and winter lows average -1°F. About 29.4 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 51 inches of snow.

Average high and low temperature and precipitation by month near Wadena City (Otter Tail County)Jan: high 18°F, low -1°F, 0.9 in; Feb: high 23°F, low 2°F, 0.8 in; Mar: high 36°F, low 15°F, 1.4 in; Apr: high 52°F, low 29°F, 2.6 in; May: high 65°F, low 42°F, 3.5 in; Jun: high 74°F, low 54°F, 4.4 in; Jul: high 78°F, low 58°F, 4.3 in; Aug: high 77°F, low 55°F, 3.6 in; Sep: high 69°F, low 47°F, 2.9 in; Oct: high 54°F, low 34°F, 2.8 in; Nov: high 37°F, low 20°F, 1.3 in; Dec: high 24°F, low 7°F, 0.9 in18°-1°Jan0.923°2°Feb0.836°15°Mar1.452°29°Apr2.665°42°May3.574°54°Jun4.478°58°Jul4.377°55°Aug3.669°47°Sep2.954°34°Oct2.837°20°Nov1.324°7°Dec0.9Rain and melted snow, inches

Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Wadena 3 S, MN weather station (3 miles away).

Jobs in Otter Tail County

18,813 jobs at 1,730 businesses in Otter Tail County. The biggest industries by employees:

Largest industries in Otter Tail CountyManufacturing: 4,135 jobs; Health care and social assistance: 3,883 jobs; Retail trade: 2,798 jobs; Hotels and restaurants: 1,713 jobs; Construction: 1,048 jobs; Other services: 999 jobs; Administrative and support: 773 jobs; Wholesale trade: 535 jobsManufacturing 22% Health care and social assistance 21% Retail trade 15% Hotels and restaurants 9% Construction 6% Other services 5% Administrative and support 4% Wholesale trade 3%

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

Health care

115 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Wadena City (Otter Tail County).

Nearest hospitals

  • Astera HealthCritical access hospital · emergency room · CMS rating 3 of 5 · Wadena1.5 miles
  • Lakewood Health SystemCritical access hospital · emergency room · Staples19.1 miles
  • Perham HealthCritical access hospital · emergency room · CMS rating 3 of 5 · Perham24.4 miles

Providers with an office here

Primary care doctors14
Specialist doctors5
Dentists10
Nurse practitioners and physician assistants24
Mental health providers39
Physical and occupational therapists15
Optometrists5
Chiropractors3
Pharmacies9

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 Wadena City (Otter Tail County)

Parks (4 nearby)

  • Sunnybrook Park · 66 acres0.4 mi
  • Northwest Park · 3 acres0.6 mi
  • Burlington Northern Park · 2 acres0.5 mi

Grocery stores (1 nearby)

  • Walmart Supercenter0.9 mi

Libraries (1 nearby)

  • Wadena City Library0.5 mi

Museums (1 nearby)

  • Wadena County Historical Society0.6 mi

Counts are within about 1 mile 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 Wadena City (Otter Tail County)

Public schools here are run by Freshwater Education District, Wadena-Deer Creek School District. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.

Public schools (8)
SchoolGradesStudentsTypeDistance
Early Childhood Special EducationWadenaPre-K64Special Education1.4 mi
Wadena-Deer Creek ElementaryWadenaPre-K–4450Public0.7 mi
Leaf River AcademyWadenaK–1215Special Education1.4 mi
Elm Tree AcademyWadena2–129Special Education1.4 mi
Wadena-Deer Creek 5th and 6th GradeWadena5–6159Public0.9 mi
White Pine AcademyWadena5–1211Special Education1.4 mi
Freshwater Education District ALCWadena6–12101Alternative Education1.4 mi
Wadena-Deer Creek Senior HighWadena7–12470Public0.9 mi
Private schools (1)
SchoolGradesStudentsAffiliationDistance
Green Meadow SchoolWadena1–814Amish5.1 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 Wadena City (Otter Tail County) is

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Towns near Wadena City (Otter Tail County)

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Shares ZIP codes with Wadena City (Wadena County), Wadena Township, Leaf River, Compton, Bluffton Township, Blowers and Rockwood Township (Wadena 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.