The Town FilesRich Valley, Minnesota
Township in McLeod County · population 669 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $305,500
- Household income
- $95,833
- Jan low / Jul high
- 5° / 83°
- Snow a year
- 46 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 18
- Median age
- 55.6
Rich Valley is a township of 669 people in McLeod County, Minnesota. The median home is worth $305,500, close to the typical Minnesota town ($301,800). It ranks better transit than 91% of Minnesota towns, easier by car than 85% of Minnesota towns, better for cycling than 71% of Minnesota towns.
How Rich Valley 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.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Rich Valley is worth $305,500, close to the typical Minnesota town ($301,800). Homes cost about 3.2 times the median household income of $95,833, which is more affordable than 62% of Minnesota towns. 95.4% of households own their home.
| Housing | Rich Valley | Typical Minnesota town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $305,500 | $301,800 |
| Median rent | — | $991 |
| Median household income | $95,833 | $87,375 |
| Home value ÷ income | 3.2× | 3.4× |
| Homeownership | 95.4% | 88.6% |
| Median year built | 1959 | 1979 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.0% | — |
Who lives in Rich Valley
| People | Rich Valley | Typical Minnesota town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 55.6 | 42.7 |
| Age 65 and over | 25.7% | 20.0% |
| Under 18 | 15.5% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 19.1% | 26.2% |
| Below the poverty line | 2.0% | 6.9% |
| Veterans | 6.1% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 0.3% | — |
| Work from home | 15.0% | 11.1% |
| Average commute | 27.0 min | 24.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 77.1% | 90.2% |
Weather in Rich Valley
July highs average 82.7°F and January lows 5.0°F. About 29.8 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 46.4 inches of snow (typical Minnesota town: 47.0 in). Expect about 10 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 162 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
18 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Rich Valley since 1950, compared with 14 for the typical Minnesota town. 3 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F4, struck on June 19, 1951 about 4.9 miles from the town center. The most recent was on May 30, 2022.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 78 times; the largest was 2.50 inches on July 5, 2016.
Severe weather in McLeod County since 1996
McLeod County has been included in 18 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, drought, hurricane.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| June 28, 2024 | Flood | DR-4797: Severe Storms And Flooding |
| April 7, 2020 | Biological | DR-4531: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3453: Covid-19 |
| June 12, 2019 | Flood | DR-4442: Severe Winter Storm, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding |
| July 21, 2014 | Flood | DR-4182: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
Jobs and pay in McLeod County
McLeod County had 15,697 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $56,991 a year. Unemployment was 3.2% in 2023; in Rich Valley itself the ACS puts it at 6.2%.
Towns near Rich Valley
- Silver Lake, MN3.3 mi · 866 people · home $202,600
- Hale, MN5.2 mi · 917 people · home $302,300
- Hassan Valley, MN5.7 mi · 643 people · home $319,300
- Glencoe, MN6.3 mi · 514 people · home $338,900
- Glencoe, MN6.5 mi · 5,744 people · home $227,900
- Bergen, MN6.8 mi · 910 people · home $389,200
- Hutchinson, MN7.4 mi · 1,215 people · home $403,200
- Winsted, MN8.2 mi · 936 people · home $428,600
Rich Valley questions
Is Rich Valley, Minnesota a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Rich Valley scores better for retirees than 10% of Minnesota towns and quieter than 69%. 25.7% of residents are 65 or older (median age 55.6).
How much does a house cost in Rich Valley?
The median owner-occupied home in Rich Valley is valued at $305,500 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $95,833, so homes cost about 3.2 times income. Median rent is — a month.
What is the weather like in Rich Valley?
July highs average 82.7°F and January lows 5.0°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 29.8 inches of precipitation a year and 46.4 inches of snow.
Does Rich Valley get tornadoes?
18 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Rich Valley since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F4 on June 19, 1951. The typical Minnesota town has had 14.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)