The Town Files

Kimball, Minnesota

City in Stearns County · population 799 (2020 Census)

Map: where Kimball is in MinnesotaKimball
Median home
$232,200
Household income
$66,146
Jan low / Jul high
3° / 79°
Snow a year
47 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
13
Median age
37.8

Kimball is a city of 799 people in Stearns County, Minnesota. The median home is worth $232,200, below the typical Minnesota town ($301,800). It ranks better for families than 79% of Minnesota towns, quieter than 74% of Minnesota towns.

How Kimball 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.

Kimball lifestyle rankings vs other Minnesota townsRetirement22nd pctFamilies79th pctQuiet74th pctWalkability44th pctFirst-time buyersbottomYoung professionals40th pctVibrancy51st pctHip & trendy10th pctCollege town60th pctUpscale48th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransit64th pctDriving35th 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 Kimball is worth $232,200, below the typical Minnesota town ($301,800). Homes cost about 3.5 times the median household income of $66,146, which is more affordable than 45% of Minnesota towns. Median rent is $779 a month. 63.1% of households own their home.

Kimball vs Stearns County vs typical Minnesota townKimballStearns CountyTypical Minnesota townHome value$232,200$273,400$301,800Household income$66,146$77,066$87,375Monthly rent$779$1,068$991
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Minnesota towns with 500+ people.
HousingKimballTypical Minnesota town
Median home value$232,200$301,800
Median rent$779$991
Median household income$66,146$87,375
Home value ÷ income3.5×3.4×
Homeownership63.1%88.6%
Median year built19741979
Seasonal / vacation homes0.0%—

Who lives in Kimball

PeopleKimballTypical Minnesota town
Median age37.842.7
Age 65 and over19.7%20.0%
Under 1819.7%—
Bachelor's degree or higher18.6%26.2%
Below the poverty line11.3%6.9%
Veterans4.4%—
Born outside the U.S.2.0%—
Work from home4.2%11.1%
Average commute28.1 min24.5 min
Homes with broadband81.4%90.2%

Weather in Kimball

July highs average 79.3°F and January lows 2.6°F. About 30.8 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 47.2 inches of snow (typical Minnesota town: 47.0 in). Expect about 3 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 168 nights at or below freezing.

Kimball monthly temperatures and precipitation0°10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°32° freezing20°3°Jan25°6°Feb37°19°Mar53°32°Apr66°45°May76°55°Jun79°60°Jul78°57°Aug71°49°Sep56°37°Oct39°23°Nov25°11°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue0.88.30.99.81.77.92.85.04.10.14.34.13.93.12.70.71.45.81.09.7
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Kimball 3N station (2.7 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 4 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

13 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Kimball since 1950, compared with 14 for the typical Minnesota town. 1 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an EF2, struck on July 11, 2016 about 5.2 miles from the town center. The most recent was on July 11, 2016.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Kimball by decade01950s01960s21970s11980s31990s32000s42010s02020s
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 48 times; the largest was 2.75 inches on July 17, 2010.

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 Kimball itself the ACS puts it at 5.7%.

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 Kimball

3 public schools with 748 students, about 15.9 students per teacher.

SchoolGradesStudentsPer teacher
KIMBALL SECONDARY6-1242517.7
KIMBALL ELEMENTARYPK-532314.0
ALC - Kimball7-12——

Towns near Kimball

Kimball questions

Is Kimball, Minnesota a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Kimball scores better for retirees than 22% of Minnesota towns and quieter than 74%. 19.7% of residents are 65 or older (median age 37.8).

How much does a house cost in Kimball?

The median owner-occupied home in Kimball is valued at $232,200 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $66,146, so homes cost about 3.5 times income. Median rent is $779 a month.

What is the weather like in Kimball?

July highs average 79.3°F and January lows 2.6°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 30.8 inches of precipitation a year and 47.2 inches of snow.

Does Kimball get tornadoes?

13 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Kimball since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF2 on July 11, 2016. The typical Minnesota town has had 14.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Kimball's Census boundary (GEOID 2733164). 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.