The Town Files

Holdingford, Minnesota

City in Stearns County · population 743 (2020 Census)

Map: where Holdingford is in MinnesotaHoldingford
Median home
$205,700
Household income
$79,375
Jan low / Jul high
4° / 81°
Snow a year
51 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
10
Median age
27.9

Holdingford is a city of 743 people in Stearns County, Minnesota. The median home is worth $205,700, below 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 Holdingford 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.

Holdingford lifestyle rankings vs other Minnesota townsRetirement4th pctFamilies97th pctQuiet33rd pctWalkability53rd pctFirst-time buyersbottomYoung professionals14th pctVibrancy45th pctHip & trendy2nd pctCollege town92nd pctUpscale27th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransit56th 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 Holdingford is worth $205,700, below the typical Minnesota town ($301,800). Homes cost about 2.6 times the median household income of $79,375, which is more affordable than 82% of Minnesota towns. Median rent is $582 a month. 83.5% of households own their home.

Holdingford vs Stearns County vs typical Minnesota townHoldingfordStearns CountyTypical Minnesota townHome value$205,700$273,400$301,800Household income$79,375$77,066$87,375Monthly rent$582$1,068$991
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Minnesota towns with 500+ people.
HousingHoldingfordTypical Minnesota town
Median home value$205,700$301,800
Median rent$582$991
Median household income$79,375$87,375
Home value ÷ income2.6×3.4×
Homeownership83.5%88.6%
Median year built19661979
Seasonal / vacation homes0.6%—

Who lives in Holdingford

PeopleHoldingfordTypical Minnesota town
Median age27.942.7
Age 65 and over9.6%20.0%
Under 1830.5%—
Bachelor's degree or higher24.0%26.2%
Below the poverty line6.3%6.9%
Veterans4.0%—
Born outside the U.S.0.0%—
Work from home6.6%11.1%
Average commute29.2 min24.5 min
Homes with broadband83.9%90.2%

Weather in Holdingford

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.

Holdingford 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 (11.1 mi away); snow from Royalton 5W (8.8 mi).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

10 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Holdingford 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 9.3 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 Holdingford by decade11950s01960s31970s11980s31990s02000s12010s12020s
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 40 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 Holdingford itself the ACS puts it at 1.8%.

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).

Public schools in Holdingford

3 public schools with 1,077 students, about 16.6 students per teacher.

SchoolGradesStudentsPer teacher
HOLDINGFORD ELEMENTARYPK-656413.4
HOLDINGFORD SECONDARY7-1251322.3
ALC - Holdingford7-12——

Towns near Holdingford

Holdingford questions

Is Holdingford, Minnesota a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Holdingford scores better for retirees than 4% of Minnesota towns and quieter than 33%. 9.6% of residents are 65 or older (median age 27.9).

How much does a house cost in Holdingford?

The median owner-occupied home in Holdingford is valued at $205,700 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $79,375, so homes cost about 2.6 times income. Median rent is $582 a month.

What is the weather like in Holdingford?

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 Holdingford get tornadoes?

10 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Holdingford 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 Holdingford's Census boundary (GEOID 2729582). 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.