The Town FilesFort Ripley, Minnesota
Township in Crow Wing County · population 1,009 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $322,300
- Household income
- $75,000
- Jan low / Jul high
- -2° / 80°
- Snow a year
- 50 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 6
- Median age
- 43.7
Fort Ripley is a township of 1,009 people in Crow Wing County, Minnesota. The median home is worth $322,300, above the typical Minnesota town ($301,800). It ranks better for families than 95% of Minnesota towns, better for a vacation home than 91% of Minnesota towns, easier by car than 79% of Minnesota towns.
How Fort Ripley 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 Fort Ripley is worth $322,300, above the typical Minnesota town ($301,800). Homes cost about 4.3 times the median household income of $75,000, which is more affordable than 15% of Minnesota towns. Median rent is $1,232 a month. 95.2% of households own their home.
| Housing | Fort Ripley | Typical Minnesota town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $322,300 | $301,800 |
| Median rent | $1,232 | $991 |
| Median household income | $75,000 | $87,375 |
| Home value ÷ income | 4.3× | 3.4× |
| Homeownership | 95.2% | 88.6% |
| Median year built | 1996 | 1979 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 25.2% | — |
Who lives in Fort Ripley
| People | Fort Ripley | Typical Minnesota town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 43.7 | 42.7 |
| Age 65 and over | 17.3% | 20.0% |
| Under 18 | 23.2% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 23.2% | 26.2% |
| Below the poverty line | 11.2% | 6.9% |
| Veterans | 8.9% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 0.3% | — |
| Work from home | 8.9% | 11.1% |
| Average commute | 30.6 min | 24.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 94.7% | 90.2% |
Weather in Fort Ripley
July highs average 80.1°F and January lows -2.0°F. About 30.6 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 49.6 inches of snow (typical Minnesota town: 47.0 in). Expect about 5 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 185 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
6 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Fort Ripley since 1950, compared with 14 for the typical Minnesota town. The strongest, an EF1, struck on May 12, 2022 about 7.4 miles from the town center. The most recent was on May 12, 2022.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 57 times; the largest was 2.75 inches on June 23, 2022.
Severe weather in Crow Wing County since 1996
Crow Wing County has been included in 13 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, drought.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| July 6, 2012 | Severe Storm | DR-4069: Severe Storms And Flooding |
| September 13, 2005 | Hurricane | EM-3242: Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
Jobs and pay in Crow Wing County
Crow Wing County had 31,053 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $53,044 a year. Unemployment was 3.4% in 2023; in Fort Ripley itself the ACS puts it at 2.4%.
Towns near Fort Ripley
- St. Mathias, MN5.1 mi · 606 people · home $284,600
- Crow Wing, MN6.0 mi · 2,149 people · home $293,600
- Scandia Valley, MN7.6 mi · 1,315 people · home $363,100
- Ripley, MN8.0 mi · 740 people · home $307,100
- Sylvan, MN8.5 mi · 2,889 people · home $298,200
- Baxter, MN8.7 mi · 8,612 people · home $324,100
- Pillager, MN9.7 mi · 507 people · home $180,300
- Cushing, MN10.0 mi · 776 people · home $222,400
Fort Ripley questions
Is Fort Ripley, Minnesota a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Fort Ripley scores better for retirees than 29% of Minnesota towns and quieter than 68%. 17.3% of residents are 65 or older (median age 43.7).
How much does a house cost in Fort Ripley?
The median owner-occupied home in Fort Ripley is valued at $322,300 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $75,000, so homes cost about 4.3 times income. Median rent is $1,232 a month.
What is the weather like in Fort Ripley?
July highs average 80.1°F and January lows -2.0°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 30.6 inches of precipitation a year and 49.6 inches of snow.
Does Fort Ripley get tornadoes?
6 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Fort Ripley since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF1 on May 12, 2022. 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)