The Town Files

Morristown, Minnesota

City in Rice County · population 949 (2020 Census)

Map: where Morristown is in MinnesotaMorristown
Median home
$184,800
Household income
$83,059
Jan low / Jul high
5° / 82°
Snow a year
46 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
32
Median age
36.7

Morristown is a city of 949 people in Rice County, Minnesota. The median home is worth $184,800, below the typical Minnesota town ($301,800). It ranks more of a college town than 86% of Minnesota towns, quieter than 78% of Minnesota towns, better for a vacation home than 77% of Minnesota towns.

How Morristown 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.

Morristown lifestyle rankings vs other Minnesota townsRetirement62nd pctFamilies42nd pctQuiet78th pctWalkability53rd pctFirst-time buyersbottomYoung professionals55th pctVibrancy36th pctHip & trendy47th pctCollege town86th pctUpscale61st pctVacation homes77th pctSeaside characterbottomCycling58th pctTransit43rd pctDriving51st 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 Morristown is worth $184,800, below the typical Minnesota town ($301,800). Homes cost about 2.2 times the median household income of $83,059, which is more affordable than 91% of Minnesota towns. Median rent is $1,018 a month. 76.7% of households own their home.

Morristown vs Rice County vs typical Minnesota townMorristownRice CountyTypical Minnesota townHome value$184,800$320,200$301,800Household income$83,059$83,181$87,375Monthly rent$1,018$1,083$991
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Minnesota towns with 500+ people.
HousingMorristownTypical Minnesota town
Median home value$184,800$301,800
Median rent$1,018$991
Median household income$83,059$87,375
Home value ÷ income2.2×3.4×
Homeownership76.7%88.6%
Median year built19601979
Seasonal / vacation homes0.4%—

Who lives in Morristown

PeopleMorristownTypical Minnesota town
Median age36.742.7
Age 65 and over10.4%20.0%
Under 1825.7%—
Bachelor's degree or higher11.7%26.2%
Below the poverty line15.1%6.9%
Veterans7.8%—
Born outside the U.S.7.8%—
Work from home6.7%11.1%
Average commute25.4 min24.5 min
Homes with broadband90.1%90.2%

Weather in Morristown

July highs average 82.0°F and January lows 4.8°F. About 35.5 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 45.9 inches of snow (typical Minnesota town: 47.0 in). Expect about 9 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 168 nights at or below freezing.

Morristown monthly temperatures and precipitation0°10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing23°5°Jan28°8°Feb40°20°Mar56°33°Apr68°45°May78°57°Jun82°61°Jul80°58°Aug73°50°Sep59°36°Oct42°24°Nov29°13°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue1.09.61.010.51.97.43.12.34.40.35.64.64.73.72.60.31.74.51.210.9
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Faribault station (10.6 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 4 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

32 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Morristown since 1950, compared with 14 for the typical Minnesota town. 6 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F4, struck on April 30, 1967 about 7.5 miles from the town center and killed 6. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 6 deaths and 23 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on April 28, 2025.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Morristown by decade11950s31960s21970s01980s71990s22000s122010s52020s
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 49 times; the largest was 3.50 inches on May 12, 1962.

Severe weather in Rice County since 1996

Storm events in Rice County since 1996 by typeHail148Tornado33Blizzard15High Wind12Heavy Rain12Heavy Snow19Flash Flood18Winter Storm67
NOAA Storm Events Database, Rice County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 1 deaths recorded.

Rice County has been included in 14 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
November 2, 2016FloodDR-4290: Severe Storms And Flooding
July 21, 2014FloodDR-4182: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides

Jobs and pay in Rice County

Rice County had 26,196 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $60,604 a year. Unemployment was 2.6% in 2023; in Morristown itself the ACS puts it at 5.1%.

Largest industries in Rice CountyManufacturing5,319 jobs · $90,041Health care & social assistan…3,048 jobs · $49,551Retail2,747 jobs · $33,627Hotels & restaurants2,349 jobs · $21,457Education2,293 jobs · $71,021Construction1,107 jobs · $71,154
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Rice County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%2000200420082012201620202023Rice 2.6%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Public schools in Morristown

2 public schools with 231 students, about 12.8 students per teacher.

SchoolGradesStudentsPer teacher
MORRISTOWN ELEMENTARY5-611813.1
WATERVILLE-ELYSIAN-MORRISTOWN JR.7-811312.6

Towns near Morristown

Morristown questions

Is Morristown, Minnesota a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Morristown scores better for retirees than 62% of Minnesota towns and quieter than 78%. 10.4% of residents are 65 or older (median age 36.7).

How much does a house cost in Morristown?

The median owner-occupied home in Morristown is valued at $184,800 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $83,059, so homes cost about 2.2 times income. Median rent is $1,018 a month.

What is the weather like in Morristown?

July highs average 82.0°F and January lows 4.8°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 35.5 inches of precipitation a year and 45.9 inches of snow.

Does Morristown get tornadoes?

32 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Morristown since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F4 on April 30, 1967. The typical Minnesota town has had 14.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Morristown's Census boundary (GEOID 2744296). 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.