COUNTY REPORT MN

Stearns County, Minnesota

34 ZIP codes · Avg score 64/100 · Grade C · Updated

ZipCheckup grade for Stearns County: C.

A mixed picture - some signals here are worth your attention.

Covering 34 ZIP codes, Stearns County falls in the average tier for tap water safety - violations appear in a meaningful share of areas, and the data suggests quality depends heavily on which specific part of the county a household sits in.

How Stearns County Compares

Stearns County64/100
Minnesota avg68/100
National avg73/100

How Stearns County Compares

C
County Grade
64/100
Avg Safety Score
34
ZIP Codes
14
Water Systems

Stearns County scores 4 points below the Minnesota state average (68/100) and 9 points below the national average (73/100).

Data: ZipCheckup Home Safety Score model 4.0.0; EPA SDWIS, UCMR 5, EPA radon zones, EPA AirData Last verified:

C
County Grade
64
Avg Safety Score
34
ZIP Codes
Best ZIP: 56320 (67/100)
Lowest ZIP: 56387 (49/100)
$238K
Median Home Value
$1,629
Avg Remediation (68% of home value)

ZIP Code Risk Map

Water Quality Map: Stearns County, Minnesota

Each dot represents a ZIP code. Color indicates water quality grade. Tap a dot for details.

A B C D F

Key Risk Factors

Health risk index: 12.1 (asthma 10.3%, diabetes 10.1%)

Estimated additional annual cost per homeowner: $913, driven primarily by flood

59.8% of homes built before 1978 (lead paint era)

County Health Indicators vs National Average

Asthma 10.3% (national: 8.9%)
Diabetes 10.1% (national: 10.5%)
Obesity 36% (national: 32.4%)

Black markers indicate national averages. Source: CDC PLACES, Census ACS.

Infrastructure Overview

1975
Median Build Year
59.8%
Pre-1978 Housing
42/100
Infrastructure Stress Indicator
67%
ZIPs with High Infrastructure Stress
Low
Lead Pipe Risk

Modeled area-level indicator, not a failure probability. Sources: Census ACS housing age, EPA DWINS infrastructure needs, EPA SDWIS violations, and EPA lead indicators.

Compound Risk Breakdown

Estimated additional annual cost per homeowner: $913

Flood $486/yr
Energy Code Gap $420/yr
Water / Lead $163/yr

Bar widths proportional to share of total annual risk cost. Source: compound risk model (FEMA, EPA, USGS).

Housing Age Distribution

66,588 housing units in Stearns County

Pre-1940 12%
1940–1959 10%
1960–1979 23%
1980–1999 29%
2000+ 25%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS B25034 (Year Structure Built).

Water Safety Affordability

How much it costs to fix water issues relative to home values in Stearns County

$238K
Median Home Value
$1,629
Est. Remediation Cost
0.7%
of Home Value
Remediation as % of home value low burden

Remediation costs are relatively manageable for most homeowners in Stearns County, representing a small fraction of property value.

Remediation includes water filtration, lead abatement, radon mitigation, and flood protection where applicable. Source: Census ACS, EPA SDWIS.

Health Outcomes vs National Average

CDC PLACES data for Stearns County residents

Asthma 10.3% (US avg: 8.9%)
Diabetes 10.1% (US avg: 11%)
Obesity 36% (US avg: 32.4%)

Black markers = national averages. Red = above national avg. Green = below. Source: CDC PLACES, Census ACS.

Water systems serving Stearns County

8 community water systems serving Stearns County.

Show all 8 water systems
  • Melrose
    Serves ~3,886 people
    C
  • Albany
    Serves ~2,805 people 1 violation

14 total water systems serve Stearns County.

Systems with the most violations in Stearns County

4 water systems with recorded EPA violations.

All ZIP Codes in Stearns County

34 ZIP codes tracked in Stearns County.

# ZIP Code City Safety Score Grade Violations Home Value
1 56320 Cold Spring 67 C 0 $312K
2 56352 Melrose 67 C 0 $225K
3 56377 Sartell 67 C 0 $283K
4 56301 Saint Cloud 66 C 3 $263K
5 56374 Saint Joseph 66 C 2 $281K
6 56378 Sauk Centre 66 C 1 $239K
7 56387 Waite Park 49 D 2 $231K
8 55329 Eden Valley $215K
9 55382 South Haven 1 $347K
10 56302 Saint Cloud
11 56303 Saint Cloud 0 $198K
12 56307 Albany 1 $269K
13 56310 Avon 1 $287K
14 56316 Brooten 1 $209K
15 56321 Collegeville
16 56325 Elrosa $164K
17 56331 Freeport $270K
18 56335 Greenwald $138K
19 56340 Holdingford $287K
20 56356 New Munich $160K
21 56362 Paynesville 0 $243K
22 56368 Richmond 0 $310K
23 56369 Rockville $223K
24 56371 Roscoe $183K
25 56372 Saint Cloud
26 56375 Saint Stephen $238K
27 56376 Saint Martin $213K
28 56388 Waite Park
29 56393 Saint Cloud
30 56395 Saint Cloud
31 56396 Saint Cloud
32 56397 Saint Cloud
33 56398 Saint Cloud
34 56399 Saint Cloud

Recommended Buyer Guides for Stearns County

If FEMA records flag flood-top-risk status or EPA samples show PFAS exceedances, the matching logic lifts emergency-water and PFAS-rated filtration into the recommendations - federal data drives the order, not retailer arrangements.

Overview

Stearns County in Minnesota covers 34 tracked ZIP records with an average Home Safety Score of C (64/100) across 7 scored records.

8 of 14 ZIP codes with a reported violation count in the available EPA record have recorded EPA violations. The available record reports no health-based violations for this measured scope.

← Back to Minnesota Home Safety Profile

Data Sources

Reporting periods vary by source. Missing data is shown as unavailable, not as zero.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is water safe in Stearns County?
Stearns County receives a grade of C. Some ZIP codes have recorded violations and residents in affected areas may want to test their water.
How many water systems serve Stearns County?
Stearns County is served by 14 public water systems that supply drinking water to residents across 34 ZIP codes.
What is the biggest environmental risk in Stearns County?
The primary environmental risk factor in Stearns County is flood. This contributes to an estimated additional annual cost of $913 per homeowner.
How old are homes in Stearns County?
The median home build year in Stearns County is 1975. 59.8% of homes were built before 1978, which means they may contain lead-based paint and older plumbing materials.
How does Stearns County compare to Minnesota?
Stearns County has an average Home Safety Score of 64/100 under model 4.0.0, which is below the Minnesota state average of 68/100.

How to cite this page

APA ZipCheckup. (2026). Stearns County, MN: HSS 64/100; 5 Violations. https://zipcheckup.com/county/minnesota/stearns/
BibTeX
@misc{zipcheckup-county-minnesota-stearns,
  author = {{ZipCheckup}},
  title  = {{Stearns County, MN: HSS 64/100; 5 Violations}},
  year   = {2026},
  url    = {https://zipcheckup.com/county/minnesota/stearns/}
}

Page version: August 2026.

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