The Town Files

Mound Prairie, Minnesota

Township in Houston County · population 570 (2020 Census)

Map: where Mound Prairie is in MinnesotaMound Prairie
Median home
$315,800
Household income
$72,222
Jan low / Jul high
12° / 82°
Snow a year
38 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
12
Median age
45.2

Mound Prairie is a township of 570 people in Houston County, Minnesota. The median home is worth $315,800, close to the typical Minnesota town ($301,800). It ranks quieter than 87% of Minnesota towns, better for retirees than 80% of Minnesota towns, better for families than 77% of Minnesota towns.

Mound Prairie in our rankings:

How Mound 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.

Mound Prairie lifestyle rankings vs other Minnesota townsRetirement80th pctFamilies77th pctQuiet87th pctWalkability49th pctFirst-time buyersbottomYoung professionals15th pctVibrancy11th pctHip & trendy39th pctCollege town55th pctUpscale41st pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransit32nd pctDriving25th 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 Mound Prairie is worth $315,800, close to the typical Minnesota town ($301,800). Homes cost about 4.4 times the median household income of $72,222, which is more affordable than 12% of Minnesota towns. Median rent is $914 a month. 93.5% of households own their home.

Mound Prairie vs Houston County vs typical Minnesota townMound PrairieHouston CountyTypical Minnesota townHome value$315,800$239,000$301,800Household income$72,222$79,825$87,375Monthly rent$914$879$991
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Minnesota towns with 500+ people.
HousingMound PrairieTypical Minnesota town
Median home value$315,800$301,800
Median rent$914$991
Median household income$72,222$87,375
Home value ÷ income4.4×3.4×
Homeownership93.5%88.6%
Median year built19771979
Seasonal / vacation homes2.6%—

Who lives in Mound Prairie

PeopleMound PrairieTypical Minnesota town
Median age45.242.7
Age 65 and over21.6%20.0%
Under 1822.3%—
Bachelor's degree or higher34.9%26.2%
Below the poverty line6.7%6.9%
Veterans7.6%—
Born outside the U.S.0.7%—
Work from home17.1%11.1%
Average commute27.6 min24.5 min
Homes with broadband91.7%90.2%

Weather in Mound Prairie

July highs average 81.8°F and January lows 11.7°F. About 37.6 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 37.9 inches of snow (typical Minnesota town: 47.0 in). Expect about 8 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 125 nights at or below freezing.

Mound Prairie monthly temperatures and precipitation10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing26°12°Jan30°15°Feb42°27°Mar57°40°Apr68°52°May78°63°Jun82°67°Jul80°65°Aug72°56°Sep59°44°Oct43°31°Nov30°19°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue1.211.21.28.41.95.74.11.65.15.44.24.33.93.00.12.01.21.49.7
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the La Crescent Dam 7 station (8.1 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

12 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Mound Prairie since 1950, compared with 14 for the typical Minnesota town. 5 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F3, struck on May 5, 1965 about 3.4 miles from the town center. The most recent was on June 25, 2025.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Mound Prairie by decade01950s31960s11970s11980s11990s02000s22010s42020s
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 65 times; the largest was 3.00 inches on April 10, 2011.

Severe weather in Houston County since 1996

Storm events in Houston County since 1996 by typeHail71Flood23Drought20Tornado8Heavy Rain20Heavy Snow21Flash Flood23Winter Storm57
NOAA Storm Events Database, Houston County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 2 deaths recorded.

Houston County has been included in 21 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, drought, tornado.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
June 28, 2024FloodDR-4797: Severe Storms And Flooding
July 19, 2023FloodDR-4722: 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

Jobs and pay in Houston County

Houston County had 5,031 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $47,489 a year. Unemployment was 2.5% in 2023; in Mound Prairie itself the ACS puts it at 0.3%.

Largest industries in Houston CountyRetail485 jobs · $28,393Transportation & warehousing444 jobs · $69,409Manufacturing375 jobs · $53,054Construction358 jobs · $69,412Hotels & restaurants323 jobs · $14,095Other services191 jobs · $27,833
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Houston County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%2000200420082012201620202023Houston 2.5%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Mound Prairie

Mound Prairie questions

Is Mound Prairie, Minnesota a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Mound Prairie scores better for retirees than 80% of Minnesota towns and quieter than 87%. 21.6% of residents are 65 or older (median age 45.2).

How much does a house cost in Mound Prairie?

The median owner-occupied home in Mound Prairie is valued at $315,800 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $72,222, so homes cost about 4.4 times income. Median rent is $914 a month.

What is the weather like in Mound Prairie?

July highs average 81.8°F and January lows 11.7°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 37.6 inches of precipitation a year and 37.9 inches of snow.

Does Mound Prairie get tornadoes?

12 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Mound Prairie since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F3 on May 5, 1965. The typical Minnesota town has had 14.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Mound Prairie's Census boundary (GEOID 2705544512). 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.