The Town FilesBelle Prairie, Minnesota
Township in Morrison County · population 665 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $307,800
- Household income
- $85,000
- Jan low / Jul high
- 4° / 85°
- Snow a year
- 53 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 9
- Median age
- 44.8
Belle Prairie is a township of 665 people in Morrison County, Minnesota. The median home is worth $307,800, close to the typical Minnesota town ($301,800). It ranks easier by car than 85% of Minnesota towns.
How Belle Prairie ranks
Percentile among Minnesota towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Minnesota towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Belle Prairie is worth $307,800, close to the typical Minnesota town ($301,800). Homes cost about 3.6 times the median household income of $85,000, which is more affordable than 40% of Minnesota towns. Median rent is $1,350 a month. 94.0% of households own their home.
| Housing | Belle Prairie | Typical Minnesota town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $307,800 | $301,800 |
| Median rent | $1,350 | $991 |
| Median household income | $85,000 | $87,375 |
| Home value ÷ income | 3.6× | 3.4× |
| Homeownership | 94.0% | 88.6% |
| Median year built | 1978 | 1979 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 8.7% | — |
Who lives in Belle Prairie
| People | Belle Prairie | Typical Minnesota town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 44.8 | 42.7 |
| Age 65 and over | 18.3% | 20.0% |
| Under 18 | 24.9% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 17.4% | 26.2% |
| Below the poverty line | 6.6% | 6.9% |
| Veterans | 4.6% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 0.0% | — |
| Work from home | 8.2% | 11.1% |
| Average commute | 34.6 min | 24.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 85.3% | 90.2% |
Weather in Belle Prairie
July highs average 84.7°F and January lows 3.5°F. About 27.2 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 52.8 inches of snow (typical Minnesota town: 47.0 in). Expect about 14 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 167 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
9 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Belle Prairie since 1950, compared with 14 for the typical Minnesota town. 2 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on June 13, 2001 about 7.9 miles from the town center. The most recent was on August 29, 2024.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 37 times; the largest was 2.75 inches on July 29, 1962.
Severe weather in Morrison County since 1996
Morrison County has been included in 14 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, drought.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| July 19, 2023 | Flood | DR-4722: Severe Storms And Flooding |
| July 8, 2022 | Severe Storm | DR-4658: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| April 7, 2020 | Biological | DR-4531: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3453: Covid-19 |
| July 25, 2013 | Severe Storm | DR-4131: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding |
Jobs and pay in Morrison County
Morrison County had 11,175 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $47,270 a year. Unemployment was 4.4% in 2023; in Belle Prairie itself the ACS puts it at 6.1%.
Towns near Belle Prairie
- Green Prairie, MN4.3 mi · 764 people · home $274,300
- Little Falls, MN5.2 mi · 9,140 people · home $202,600
- Ripley, MN5.9 mi · 740 people · home $307,100
- Little Falls, MN6.4 mi · 1,676 people · home $301,100
- Buh, MN7.8 mi · 562 people · home $246,400
- Agram, MN7.9 mi · 561 people · home $338,700
- Pike Creek, MN9.1 mi · 958 people · home $266,400
- Pierz, MN9.3 mi · 1,418 people · home $170,600
Belle Prairie questions
Is Belle Prairie, Minnesota a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Belle Prairie scores better for retirees than 12% of Minnesota towns and quieter than 46%. 18.3% of residents are 65 or older (median age 44.8).
How much does a house cost in Belle Prairie?
The median owner-occupied home in Belle Prairie is valued at $307,800 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $85,000, so homes cost about 3.6 times income. Median rent is $1,350 a month.
What is the weather like in Belle Prairie?
July highs average 84.7°F and January lows 3.5°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 27.2 inches of precipitation a year and 52.8 inches of snow.
Does Belle Prairie get tornadoes?
9 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Belle Prairie since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F2 on June 13, 2001. The typical Minnesota town has had 14.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)