The Town Files

Leon, Minnesota

Township in Goodhue County · population 956 (2020 Census)

Map: where Leon is in MinnesotaLeon
Median home
$459,100
Household income
$100,833
Jan low / Jul high
4° / 81°
Snow a year
43 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
17
Median age
44.4

Leon is a township of 956 people in Goodhue County, Minnesota. The median home is worth $459,100, above the typical Minnesota town ($301,800). It ranks better for families than 87% of Minnesota towns, more of a college town than 87% of Minnesota towns, better for retirees than 82% of Minnesota towns.

How Leon 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.

Leon lifestyle rankings vs other Minnesota townsRetirement82nd pctFamilies87th pctQuiet79th pctWalkability47th pctFirst-time buyersbottomYoung professionals60th pctVibrancy28th pctHip & trendy19th pctCollege town87th pctUpscale78th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransit26th pctDriving82nd 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 Leon is worth $459,100, above the typical Minnesota town ($301,800). Homes cost about 4.6 times the median household income of $100,833, which is more affordable than 8% of Minnesota towns. Median rent is $979 a month. 82.7% of households own their home.

Leon vs Goodhue County vs typical Minnesota townLeonGoodhue CountyTypical Minnesota townHome value$459,100$285,100$301,800Household income$100,833$84,171$87,375Monthly rent$979$966$991
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Minnesota towns with 500+ people.
HousingLeonTypical Minnesota town
Median home value$459,100$301,800
Median rent$979$991
Median household income$100,833$87,375
Home value ÷ income4.6×3.4×
Homeownership82.7%88.6%
Median year built19781979
Seasonal / vacation homes0.0%—

Who lives in Leon

PeopleLeonTypical Minnesota town
Median age44.442.7
Age 65 and over18.7%20.0%
Under 1816.9%—
Bachelor's degree or higher30.6%26.2%
Below the poverty line2.2%6.9%
Veterans4.7%—
Born outside the U.S.5.8%—
Work from home26.0%11.1%
Average commute30.9 min24.5 min
Homes with broadband94.6%90.2%

Weather in Leon

July highs average 81.0°F and January lows 4.1°F. About 35.2 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 43.2 inches of snow (typical Minnesota town: 47.0 in). Expect about 7 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 163 nights at or below freezing.

Leon monthly temperatures and precipitation0°10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing23°4°Jan27°7°Feb40°21°Mar55°34°Apr67°46°May77°56°Jun81°60°Jul79°58°Aug72°49°Sep59°36°Oct42°24°Nov28°12°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue1.010.41.09.31.96.93.32.64.20.35.34.14.93.92.60.41.84.01.29.3
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Zumbrota station (12.4 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 4 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

17 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Leon since 1950, compared with 14 for the typical Minnesota town. 3 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F3, struck on July 27, 1987 about 6.9 miles from the town center. The most recent was on September 20, 2018.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Leon by decade01950s11960s01970s31980s21990s22000s92010s02020s
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 43 times; the largest was 3.30 inches on April 13, 2026.

Severe weather in Goodhue County since 1996

Storm events in Goodhue County since 1996 by typeHail140Flood9Tornado27Blizzard10High Wind11Heavy Rain20Heavy Snow21Flash Flood20
NOAA Storm Events Database, Goodhue County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 5 deaths recorded.

Goodhue County has been included in 18 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, tornado, hurricane.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
June 28, 2024FloodDR-4797: Severe Storms And Flooding
April 7, 2020BiologicalDR-4531: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3453: Covid-19
June 12, 2019FloodDR-4442: Severe Winter Storm, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding
November 2, 2016FloodDR-4290: Severe Storms And Flooding

Jobs and pay in Goodhue County

Goodhue County had 21,366 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $60,513 a year. Unemployment was 2.6% in 2023; in Leon itself the ACS puts it at 3%.

Largest industries in Goodhue CountyManufacturing4,647 jobs · $70,052Health care & social assistan…2,750 jobs · $59,657Retail2,133 jobs · $36,241Hotels & restaurants1,869 jobs · $22,719Construction852 jobs · $78,711Wholesale trade728 jobs · $80,035
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Goodhue County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%2000200420082012201620202023Goodhue 2.6%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Leon

Leon questions

Is Leon, Minnesota a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Leon scores better for retirees than 82% of Minnesota towns and quieter than 79%. 18.7% of residents are 65 or older (median age 44.4).

How much does a house cost in Leon?

The median owner-occupied home in Leon is valued at $459,100 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $100,833, so homes cost about 4.6 times income. Median rent is $979 a month.

What is the weather like in Leon?

July highs average 81.0°F and January lows 4.1°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 35.2 inches of precipitation a year and 43.2 inches of snow.

Does Leon get tornadoes?

17 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Leon since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F3 on July 27, 1987. The typical Minnesota town has had 14.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Leon's Census boundary (GEOID 2704936476). 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.