Wadena: Housing & Real Estate
The median Wadena home is valued at $160,800, with median rent $684 (1.1× below Wadena County median $746; 1.9× below Minnesota median $1,280). Homeownership rate: 58.1%. That's 1.1× below the Wadena County median ($173,000); 2.0× below the Minnesota median ($329,300). Market is warm. Vacancy rate 7.4%. New construction makes up 16.8% of stock. 2 nursing facilities on file. A municipal building code is in effect.
- 2.9× annual income — home value vs. household income (vs Minnesota 3.9×).
- 19.6 years to break even renting at the median (vs Minnesota 20y).
- 4-BR rent is 2.1× a studio — rent gradient by unit size.
- Median rent 30% below HUD 2-BR FMR — local market vs federal subsidy benchmark.
Home Values & Rent
Median home value $160,800 — 0.5× the Minnesota median ($337,000). Median rent $684/month. homeownership rate 58.1% — below the U.S. share of ~65%.
| Affordability · Home Price To Income | 2.9× |
|---|---|
| Affordability · Home Affordability | affordable |
| Affordability · Rent Pct Income | 14.6% |
| Affordability · Rent Affordability | affordable |
| Affordability · Pct Severely Rent Burdened | 28.0% |
| Affordability · Poverty Rate | 17.7% |
| Affordability · Property Tax Pct Income | 2.7% |
| Fair Market Rent · Studio rent | $678 (vs Minnesota $1,242) |
| Fair Market Rent · One-bedroom rent | $749 (vs Minnesota $1,405) |
| Fair Market Rent · Two-bedroom rent | $983 (vs Minnesota $1,709) |
| Fair Market Rent · Three-bedroom rent | $1,367 (vs Minnesota $2,262) |
| Fair Market Rent · Four-bedroom rent | $1,432 (vs Minnesota $2,531) |
| Fair Market Rent · HUD FMR area | Otter Tail County, MN |
| Fair Market Rent · Fiscal year | FY2026 |
| Home Value Estimate | $165,674 |
| Median Home Value | $160,800 (vs Minnesota $337,000) |
| Median Rent | $684 (vs Minnesota $1,371) |
Sources: HUD FMR FY2026 · Census ACS 5-Year 2023, B25077 · Census ACS 5-Year 2023 · Refreshed 2026-04-12
Tenure & Occupancy
Owner-occupied vs renter-occupied housing units, plus vacancy rates.
| Housing Market · Market temperature | warm |
|---|---|
| Housing Market · Vacancy rate | 7.4% |
| Housing Market · New construction (% of stock) | 16.8% |
| Housing Market · Price Appreciation 2Yr | 1.3% |
Utilities
Electricity, water, and broadband infrastructure serving residents. Broadband percentages reflect the share of premises that can subscribe to service at the listed speed (FCC Form 477).
Facilities (2)
Systems (1)
| Broadband · % of premises with 25/3 Mbps broadband | 100.0% (at Minnesota median) |
|---|---|
| Broadband · % of premises with 100/20 Mbps broadband | 100.0% (at Minnesota median) |
| Broadband · % of premises with 250/25 Mbps broadband | 100.0% (at Minnesota median) |
| Broadband · % of premises with 1 Gbps / 100 Mbps broadband | 99.5% (vs Minnesota 62.2%) |
| Broadband · Broadband-capable premises | 2,830 |
| Electricity · Electricity rate (¢/kWh) | 15.45¢/kWh |
| Electricity · Customers | 2581180 |
| Electricity · Revenue Millions | $3,409 |
| Electricity · Year | 2024 |
| Mobile Broadband · 3G mobile coverage | 0.000000000 |
| Mobile Broadband · 4G mobile coverage | 1.000000000 (at Minnesota median) |
| Mobile Broadband · 5G mobile coverage | 0.936000000 (vs Minnesota 100.0%) |
Sources: FCC BDC Jun 2025 · EIA Annual Retail Sales 2023 · FCC BDC Mobile 2024 · Refreshed 2026-04-12
Charging & Mobility
| Ev Charging · Stations | 2 |
|---|---|
| Ev Charging · Public Stations | 2 |
| Ev Charging · L2 Ports | 4 |
Sources: DOE AFDC API
Other
| Homeownership Rate | 58.1% (vs Minnesota 69.7%) |
|---|---|
| Median Year Built | 1964 |
Sources: Census ACS 5-Year 2023 · Refreshed 2026-04-12