The Town Files

Farming, Minnesota

Township in Stearns County · population 982 (2020 Census)

Map: where Farming is in MinnesotaFarming
Median home
$385,000
Household income
$95,417
Jan low / Jul high
4° / 81°
Snow a year
57 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
18
Median age
41.5

Farming is a township of 982 people in Stearns County, Minnesota. The median home is worth $385,000, above the typical Minnesota town ($301,800). It ranks more of a college town than 87% of Minnesota towns, better for families than 82% of Minnesota towns, easier by car than 77% of Minnesota towns.

How Farming 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.

Farming lifestyle rankings vs other Minnesota townsRetirement23rd pctFamilies82nd pctQuiet27th pctWalkability48th pctFirst-time buyers64th pctYoung professionals47th pctVibrancy52nd pctHip & trendy39th pctCollege town87th pctUpscale33rd pctVacation homes65th pctSeaside characterbottomCycling55th pctTransit67th pctDriving77th pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Farming is worth $385,000, above the typical Minnesota town ($301,800). Homes cost about 4.0 times the median household income of $95,417, which is more affordable than 23% of Minnesota towns. Median rent is $1,250 a month. 93.1% of households own their home.

Farming vs Stearns County vs typical Minnesota townFarmingStearns CountyTypical Minnesota townHome value$385,000$273,400$301,800Household income$95,417$77,066$87,375Monthly rent$1,250$1,068$991
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Minnesota towns with 500+ people.
HousingFarmingTypical Minnesota town
Median home value$385,000$301,800
Median rent$1,250$991
Median household income$95,417$87,375
Home value ÷ income4.0×3.4×
Homeownership93.1%88.6%
Median year built19901979
Seasonal / vacation homes4.3%—

Who lives in Farming

PeopleFarmingTypical Minnesota town
Median age41.542.7
Age 65 and over19.5%20.0%
Under 1827.4%—
Bachelor's degree or higher16.2%26.2%
Below the poverty line11.4%6.9%
Veterans8.1%—
Born outside the U.S.0.0%—
Work from home16.9%11.1%
Average commute25.4 min24.5 min
Homes with broadband82.1%90.2%

Weather in Farming

July highs average 80.9°F and January lows 3.8°F. About 31.0 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 57.4 inches of snow (typical Minnesota town: 47.0 in). Expect about 9 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 159 nights at or below freezing.

Farming monthly temperatures and precipitation0°10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing21°4°Jan26°8°Feb39°20°Mar54°33°Apr67°46°May77°56°Jun81°61°Jul78°59°Aug71°51°Sep56°38°Oct39°24°Nov26°11°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue0.811.20.910.21.710.12.76.64.00.14.63.94.13.02.80.71.68.01.010.5
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Collegeville St John'S station (9.0 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

18 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Farming since 1950, compared with 14 for the typical Minnesota town. 2 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on October 26, 1996 about 3.6 miles from the town center. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 1 deaths and 40 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on May 15, 2025.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Farming by decade41950s21960s21970s11980s31990s22000s22010s22020s
NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 52 times; the largest was 3.50 inches on July 12, 1971.

Severe weather in Stearns County since 1996

Storm events in Stearns County since 1996 by typeHail378Tornado30Blizzard9High Wind11Heavy Rain19Heavy Snow18Flash Flood19Funnel Cloud21
NOAA Storm Events Database, Stearns County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 5 deaths recorded.

Stearns County has been included in 13 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, drought, hurricane.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
July 8, 2022Severe StormDR-4658: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding
April 7, 2020BiologicalDR-4531: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3453: Covid-19
July 25, 2013Severe StormDR-4131: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding
July 28, 2011Severe StormDR-4009: Severe Storms, Flooding, And Tornadoes

Jobs and pay in Stearns County

Stearns County had 87,252 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $62,313 a year. Unemployment was 2.8% in 2023; in Farming itself the ACS puts it at 0.6%.

Largest industries in Stearns CountyHealth care & social assistan…16,483 jobs · $68,706Manufacturing11,532 jobs · $67,375Retail11,347 jobs · $39,344Hotels & restaurants6,059 jobs · $21,221Construction5,448 jobs · $93,145Wholesale trade4,127 jobs · $72,349
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Stearns County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%2000200420082012201620202023Stearns 2.8%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Farming

Farming questions

Is Farming, Minnesota a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Farming scores better for retirees than 23% of Minnesota towns and quieter than 27%. 19.5% of residents are 65 or older (median age 41.5).

How much does a house cost in Farming?

The median owner-occupied home in Farming is valued at $385,000 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $95,417, so homes cost about 4.0 times income. Median rent is $1,250 a month.

What is the weather like in Farming?

July highs average 80.9°F and January lows 3.8°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 31.0 inches of precipitation a year and 57.4 inches of snow.

Does Farming get tornadoes?

18 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Farming since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F2 on October 26, 1996. The typical Minnesota town has had 14.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Farming's Census boundary (GEOID 2714520600). Comparisons use the median of Minnesota towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-13.