The Town FilesLake Prairie, Minnesota
Township in Nicollet County · population 630 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $409,400
- Household income
- $100,536
- Jan low / Jul high
- 3° / 82°
- Snow a year
- 38 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 17
- Median age
- 41.2
Lake Prairie is a township of 630 people in Nicollet County, Minnesota. The median home is worth $409,400, above the typical Minnesota town ($301,800). It ranks easier by car than 84% of Minnesota towns, more upscale than 74% of Minnesota towns, better for young professionals than 71% of Minnesota towns.
How Lake Prairie 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 Lake Prairie is worth $409,400, above the typical Minnesota town ($301,800). Homes cost about 4.1 times the median household income of $100,536, which is more affordable than 20% of Minnesota towns. Median rent is $975 a month. 90.0% of households own their home.
| Housing | Lake Prairie | Typical Minnesota town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $409,400 | $301,800 |
| Median rent | $975 | $991 |
| Median household income | $100,536 | $87,375 |
| Home value ÷ income | 4.1× | 3.4× |
| Homeownership | 90.0% | 88.6% |
| Median year built | 1975 | 1979 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.0% | — |
Who lives in Lake Prairie
| People | Lake Prairie | Typical Minnesota town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 41.2 | 42.7 |
| Age 65 and over | 14.6% | 20.0% |
| Under 18 | 25.8% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 29.8% | 26.2% |
| Below the poverty line | 5.8% | 6.9% |
| Veterans | 4.3% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 1.5% | — |
| Work from home | 9.0% | 11.1% |
| Average commute | 24.0 min | 24.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 87.1% | 90.2% |
Weather in Lake Prairie
July highs average 81.9°F and January lows 3.1°F. About 32.4 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 37.9 inches of snow (typical Minnesota town: 47.0 in). Expect about 10 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 163 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
17 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Lake Prairie since 1950, compared with 14 for the typical Minnesota town. 2 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F3, struck on March 29, 1998 about 7.1 miles from the town center and killed 1. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 1 deaths and 0 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on September 4, 2025.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 41 times; the largest was 2.75 inches on April 13, 2026.
Severe weather in Nicollet County since 1996
Nicollet County has been included in 22 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, drought, tornado.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| June 28, 2024 | Flood | DR-4797: Severe Storms And Flooding |
| April 7, 2020 | Biological | DR-4531: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3453: Covid-19 |
| June 12, 2019 | Flood | DR-4442: Severe Winter Storm, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding |
| September 5, 2018 | Flood | DR-4390: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding |
Jobs and pay in Nicollet County
Nicollet County had 14,609 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $56,235 a year. Unemployment was 2.2% in 2023; in Lake Prairie itself the ACS puts it at 1.5%.
Towns near Lake Prairie
- Henderson, MN6.4 mi · 665 people · home $352,100
- St. Peter, MN7.1 mi · 12,066 people · home $250,700
- Le Sueur, MN7.8 mi · 4,213 people · home $244,000
- Oshawa, MN7.9 mi · 594 people · home $426,300
- Kasota, MN9.4 mi · 714 people · home $190,800
- Henderson, MN9.7 mi · 960 people · home $223,500
- Kasota, MN9.9 mi · 1,573 people · home $433,100
- Sharon, MN11.0 mi · 639 people · home $376,400
Lake Prairie questions
Is Lake Prairie, Minnesota a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Lake Prairie scores better for retirees than 62% of Minnesota towns and quieter than 39%. 14.6% of residents are 65 or older (median age 41.2).
How much does a house cost in Lake Prairie?
The median owner-occupied home in Lake Prairie is valued at $409,400 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $100,536, so homes cost about 4.1 times income. Median rent is $975 a month.
What is the weather like in Lake Prairie?
July highs average 81.9°F and January lows 3.1°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 32.4 inches of precipitation a year and 37.9 inches of snow.
Does Lake Prairie get tornadoes?
17 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Lake Prairie since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F3 on March 29, 1998. 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)