The Town Files

Pine City, Minnesota

Township in Pine County · population 1,381 (2020 Census)

Map: where Pine City is in MinnesotaPine City
Median home
$288,800
Household income
$85,536
Jan low / Jul high
1° / 82°
Snow a year
49 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
16
Median age
45.3

Pine City is a township of 1,381 people in Pine County, Minnesota. The median home is worth $288,800, close to the typical Minnesota town ($301,800). It ranks better for a vacation home than 75% of Minnesota towns, better for families than 71% of Minnesota towns.

How Pine City 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.

Pine City lifestyle rankings vs other Minnesota townsRetirement10th pctFamilies71st pctQuiet58th pctWalkability14th pctFirst-time buyersbottomYoung professionals3rd pctVibrancy16th pctHip & trendy9th pctCollege town32nd pctUpscale31st pctVacation homes75th pctSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransit21st pctDriving24th 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 Pine City is worth $288,800, close to the typical Minnesota town ($301,800). Homes cost about 3.4 times the median household income of $85,536, which is more affordable than 50% of Minnesota towns. Median rent is $1,539 a month. 93.6% of households own their home.

Pine City vs Pine County vs typical Minnesota townPine CityPine CountyTypical Minnesota townHome value$288,800$239,300$301,800Household income$85,536$71,146$87,375Monthly rent$1,539$877$991
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Minnesota towns with 500+ people.
HousingPine CityTypical Minnesota town
Median home value$288,800$301,800
Median rent$1,539$991
Median household income$85,536$87,375
Home value ÷ income3.4×3.4×
Homeownership93.6%88.6%
Median year built19881979
Seasonal / vacation homes20.8%—

Who lives in Pine City

PeoplePine CityTypical Minnesota town
Median age45.342.7
Age 65 and over20.9%20.0%
Under 1819.3%—
Bachelor's degree or higher19.2%26.2%
Below the poverty line5.4%6.9%
Veterans7.6%—
Born outside the U.S.3.6%—
Work from home21.7%11.1%
Average commute31.7 min24.5 min
Homes with broadband88.6%90.2%

Weather in Pine City

July highs average 82.4°F and January lows 1.2°F. About 33.8 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 49.3 inches of snow (typical Minnesota town: 47.0 in). Expect about 10 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 177 nights at or below freezing.

Pine City monthly temperatures and precipitation0°10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing22°1°Jan28°5°Feb41°18°Mar56°31°Apr69°44°May78°53°Jun82°58°Jul80°56°Aug72°47°Sep58°35°Oct41°22°Nov27°10°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue0.99.30.98.91.68.12.93.74.10.14.54.64.53.73.20.51.87.71.411.1
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Grantsburg station (10.1 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 4 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

16 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Pine City since 1950, compared with 14 for the typical Minnesota town. 3 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F4, struck on May 21, 1957 about 6.5 miles from the town center. The most recent was on August 7, 2018.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Pine City by decade31950s11960s01970s21980s21990s32000s52010s02020s
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 51 times; the largest was 3.00 inches on July 19, 2019.

Severe weather in Pine County since 1996

Storm events in Pine County since 1996 by typeHail172Flood4Drought36Tornado8Ice Storm5Heavy Snow76Flash Flood19Winter Storm13
NOAA Storm Events Database, Pine County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 2 deaths recorded.

Pine County has been included in 15 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, drought.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
July 19, 2023FloodDR-4722: Severe Storms And Flooding
August 9, 2022Severe StormDR-4666: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding
April 7, 2020BiologicalDR-4531: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3453: Covid-19
September 5, 2018FloodDR-4390: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding

Jobs and pay in Pine County

Pine County had 7,799 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $44,269 a year. Unemployment was 4.9% in 2023; in Pine City itself the ACS puts it at 2.3%.

Largest industries in Pine CountyRetail1,086 jobs · $30,216Hotels & restaurants954 jobs · $20,915Health care & social assistan…806 jobs · $42,659Construction462 jobs · $56,552Manufacturing308 jobs · $54,541Professional & technical serv…197 jobs · $60,301
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Pine County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%12%2000200420082012201620202023Pine 4.9%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Pine City

Pine City questions

Is Pine City, Minnesota a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Pine City scores better for retirees than 10% of Minnesota towns and quieter than 58%. 20.9% of residents are 65 or older (median age 45.3).

How much does a house cost in Pine City?

The median owner-occupied home in Pine City is valued at $288,800 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $85,536, so homes cost about 3.4 times income. Median rent is $1,539 a month.

What is the weather like in Pine City?

July highs average 82.4°F and January lows 1.2°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 33.8 inches of precipitation a year and 49.3 inches of snow.

Does Pine City get tornadoes?

16 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Pine City since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F4 on May 21, 1957. The typical Minnesota town has had 14.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Pine City's Census boundary (GEOID 2711551082). 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.