The Town Files

Lewiston, Minnesota

City in Winona County · population 1,533 (2020 Census)

Map: where Lewiston is in MinnesotaLewiston
Median home
$213,600
Household income
$91,875
Jan low / Jul high
8° / 83°
Snow a year
41 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
18
Median age
38.1

Lewiston is a city of 1,533 people in Winona County, Minnesota. The median home is worth $213,600, below the typical Minnesota town ($301,800). It ranks better for cycling than 97% of Minnesota towns, better for young professionals than 85% of Minnesota towns, better transit than 73% of Minnesota towns.

How Lewiston 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.

Lewiston lifestyle rankings vs other Minnesota townsRetirement54th pctFamilies46th pctQuiet42nd pctWalkability66th pctFirst-time buyersbottomYoung professionals85th pctVibrancy42nd pctHip & trendy32nd pctCollege town34th pctUpscale57th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCycling97th pctTransit73rd pctDriving44th 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 Lewiston is worth $213,600, below the typical Minnesota town ($301,800). Homes cost about 2.3 times the median household income of $91,875, which is more affordable than 89% of Minnesota towns. Median rent is $929 a month. 76.9% of households own their home.

Lewiston vs Winona County vs typical Minnesota townLewistonWinona CountyTypical Minnesota townHome value$213,600$235,400$301,800Household income$91,875$70,744$87,375Monthly rent$929$907$991
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Minnesota towns with 500+ people.
HousingLewistonTypical Minnesota town
Median home value$213,600$301,800
Median rent$929$991
Median household income$91,875$87,375
Home value ÷ income2.3×3.4×
Homeownership76.9%88.6%
Median year built19781979
Seasonal / vacation homes0.0%—

Who lives in Lewiston

PeopleLewistonTypical Minnesota town
Median age38.142.7
Age 65 and over15.2%20.0%
Under 1823.4%—
Bachelor's degree or higher31.0%26.2%
Below the poverty line5.2%6.9%
Veterans5.5%—
Born outside the U.S.8.2%—
Work from home9.9%11.1%
Average commute22.0 min24.5 min
Homes with broadband91.9%90.2%

Weather in Lewiston

July highs average 82.5°F and January lows 8.0°F. About 34.4 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 40.5 inches of snow (typical Minnesota town: 47.0 in). Expect about 11 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 148 nights at or below freezing.

Lewiston monthly temperatures and precipitation0°10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing25°8°Jan30°11°Feb42°24°Mar56°37°Apr69°48°May78°59°Jun83°63°Jul81°61°Aug73°54°Sep59°41°Oct44°29°Nov31°16°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue1.18.91.09.91.96.73.62.14.10.44.84.14.53.62.50.21.91.91.210.4
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Winona Dam 5 A station (12.3 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 4 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

18 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Lewiston since 1950, compared with 14 for the typical Minnesota town. 4 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F4, struck on May 10, 1953 about 8.8 miles from the town center. The most recent was on May 21, 2024.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Lewiston by decade11950s31960s01970s41980s21990s02000s12010s72020s
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 67 times; the largest was 3.00 inches on July 13, 2023.

Severe weather in Winona County since 1996

Storm events in Winona County since 1996 by typeHail208Flood67Drought13Tornado14Heavy Rain22Heavy Snow20Flash Flood31Funnel Cloud10
NOAA Storm Events Database, Winona County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 10 deaths recorded.

Winona County has been included in 17 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, drought, tornado.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
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
October 13, 2010Severe StormDR-1941: Severe Storms And Flooding
August 23, 2007Severe StormDR-1717: Severe Storms And Flooding

Jobs and pay in Winona County

Winona County had 24,022 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $52,828 a year. Unemployment was 2.3% in 2023; in Lewiston itself the ACS puts it at 1.6%.

Largest industries in Winona CountyManufacturing5,393 jobs · $69,582Health care & social assistan…2,703 jobs · $49,513Retail2,583 jobs · $33,195Hotels & restaurants2,522 jobs · $22,305Transportation & warehousing1,237 jobs · $61,855Education1,156 jobs · $41,708
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Winona County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%2000200420082012201620202023Winona 2.3%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Public schools in Lewiston

2 public schools with 591 students, about 11.4 students per teacher.

SchoolGradesStudentsPer teacher
LEWISTON-ALTURA SECONDARY6-1236612.6
LEWISTON-ALTURA ELEMENTARYPK-52259.8

Towns near Lewiston

Lewiston questions

Is Lewiston, Minnesota a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Lewiston scores better for retirees than 54% of Minnesota towns and quieter than 42%. 15.2% of residents are 65 or older (median age 38.1).

How much does a house cost in Lewiston?

The median owner-occupied home in Lewiston is valued at $213,600 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $91,875, so homes cost about 2.3 times income. Median rent is $929 a month.

What is the weather like in Lewiston?

July highs average 82.5°F and January lows 8.0°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 34.4 inches of precipitation a year and 40.5 inches of snow.

Does Lewiston get tornadoes?

18 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Lewiston since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F4 on May 10, 1953. The typical Minnesota town has had 14.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Lewiston's Census boundary (GEOID 2736800). 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.