The Town Files

Holding, Minnesota

Township in Stearns County · population 1,182 (2020 Census)

Map: where Holding is in MinnesotaHolding
Median home
$297,400
Household income
$99,073
Jan low / Jul high
4° / 81°
Snow a year
51 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
12
Median age
37.1

Holding is a township of 1,182 people in Stearns County, Minnesota. The median home is worth $297,400, close to the typical Minnesota town ($301,800). It ranks better for families than 97% of Minnesota towns, more of a college town than 92% of Minnesota towns, easier by car than 91% of Minnesota towns.

How Holding 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.

Holding lifestyle rankings vs other Minnesota townsRetirement4th pctFamilies97th pctQuiet33rd pctWalkability53rd pctFirst-time buyersbottomYoung professionals14th pctVibrancy45th pctHip & trendy2nd pctCollege town92nd pctUpscale27th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransit55th pctDriving91st 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 Holding is worth $297,400, close to the typical Minnesota town ($301,800). Homes cost about 3.0 times the median household income of $99,073, which is more affordable than 69% of Minnesota towns. 96.9% of households own their home.

Holding vs Stearns County vs typical Minnesota townHoldingStearns CountyTypical Minnesota townHome value$297,400$273,400$301,800Household income$99,073$77,066$87,375
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Minnesota towns with 500+ people.
HousingHoldingTypical Minnesota town
Median home value$297,400$301,800
Median rent—$991
Median household income$99,073$87,375
Home value ÷ income3.0×3.4×
Homeownership96.9%88.6%
Median year built19891979
Seasonal / vacation homes6.8%—

Who lives in Holding

PeopleHoldingTypical Minnesota town
Median age37.142.7
Age 65 and over16.8%20.0%
Under 1828.4%—
Bachelor's degree or higher17.5%26.2%
Below the poverty line2.1%6.9%
Veterans4.1%—
Born outside the U.S.0.1%—
Work from home6.6%11.1%
Average commute27.6 min24.5 min
Homes with broadband84.3%90.2%

Weather in Holding

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 50.7 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.

Holding 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 blue0.811.20.98.51.78.52.75.04.04.63.94.13.02.81.11.69.01.07.4
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 (10.3 mi away); snow from Royalton 5W (8.6 mi).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

12 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Holding since 1950, compared with 14 for the typical Minnesota town. 3 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on October 26, 1996 about 9.7 miles from the town center. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 1 deaths and 36 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on August 14, 2020.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Holding by decade11950s11960s41970s11980s31990s02000s12010s12020s
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 47 times; the largest was 2.75 inches on June 15, 1979.

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 Holding itself the ACS puts it at 2.3%.

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 Holding

Holding questions

Is Holding, Minnesota a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Holding scores better for retirees than 4% of Minnesota towns and quieter than 33%. 16.8% of residents are 65 or older (median age 37.1).

How much does a house cost in Holding?

The median owner-occupied home in Holding is valued at $297,400 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $99,073, so homes cost about 3.0 times income. Median rent is — a month.

What is the weather like in Holding?

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 50.7 inches of snow.

Does Holding get tornadoes?

12 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Holding 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 Holding's Census boundary (GEOID 2714529564). 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.