The Town FilesBovey, Minnesota
City in Itasca County · population 829 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $122,800
- Household income
- $64,083
- Jan low / Jul high
- -1° / 80°
- Snow a year
- 60 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 1
- Median age
- 30.1
Bovey is a city of 829 people in Itasca County, Minnesota. The median home is worth $122,800, below the typical Minnesota town ($301,800). It ranks better for first-time buyers than 88% of Minnesota towns, more of a college town than 86% of Minnesota towns, better for a vacation home than 82% of Minnesota towns.
How Bovey 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 Bovey is worth $122,800, below the typical Minnesota town ($301,800). Homes cost about 1.9 times the median household income of $64,083, which is more affordable than 95% of Minnesota towns. Median rent is $948 a month. 71.7% of households own their home.
| Housing | Bovey | Typical Minnesota town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $122,800 | $301,800 |
| Median rent | $948 | $991 |
| Median household income | $64,083 | $87,375 |
| Home value ÷ income | 1.9× | 3.4× |
| Homeownership | 71.7% | 88.6% |
| Median year built | 1943 | 1979 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 2.0% | — |
Who lives in Bovey
| People | Bovey | Typical Minnesota town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 30.1 | 42.7 |
| Age 65 and over | 10.1% | 20.0% |
| Under 18 | 27.4% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 15.2% | 26.2% |
| Below the poverty line | 18.7% | 6.9% |
| Veterans | 10.9% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 0.0% | — |
| Work from home | 9.3% | 11.1% |
| Average commute | 22.8 min | 24.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 79.2% | 90.2% |
Weather in Bovey
July highs average 79.7°F and January lows -1.5°F. About 29.4 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 59.6 inches of snow (typical Minnesota town: 47.0 in). Expect about 6 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 187 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
1 tornado has passed within 10 miles of Bovey since 1950, compared with 14 for the typical Minnesota town. 1 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on June 7, 1977 about 6.0 miles from the town center. The most recent was on June 7, 1977.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 54 times; the largest was 3.00 inches on August 11, 1988.
Severe weather in Itasca County since 1996
Itasca County has been included in 15 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, drought, hurricane.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| June 28, 2024 | Flood | DR-4797: Severe Storms And Flooding |
| August 9, 2022 | Severe Storm | DR-4666: 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 |
| September 5, 2018 | Flood | DR-4390: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding |
Jobs and pay in Itasca County
Itasca County had 16,608 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $54,071 a year. Unemployment was 4.6% in 2023; in Bovey itself the ACS puts it at 0%.
Towns near Bovey
- Taconite, MN1.7 mi · 651 people · home $219,600
- Coleraine, MN3.6 mi · 2,006 people · home $211,800
- Trout Lake, MN4.1 mi · 1,056 people · home $260,000
- Arbo, MN4.6 mi · 862 people · home $263,700
- Marble, MN5.9 mi · 610 people · home $102,500
- La Prairie, MN6.2 mi · 653 people · home $212,800
- Grand Rapids, MN7.3 mi · 11,126 people · home $213,800
- Greenway, MN7.5 mi · 1,788 people · home $138,200
Bovey questions
Is Bovey, Minnesota a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Bovey scores better for retirees than 34% of Minnesota towns and quieter than 59%. 10.1% of residents are 65 or older (median age 30.1).
How much does a house cost in Bovey?
The median owner-occupied home in Bovey is valued at $122,800 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $64,083, so homes cost about 1.9 times income. Median rent is $948 a month.
What is the weather like in Bovey?
July highs average 79.7°F and January lows -1.5°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 29.4 inches of precipitation a year and 59.6 inches of snow.
Does Bovey get tornadoes?
1 tornado has passed within 10 miles of Bovey since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F2 on June 7, 1977. 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)