The Town FilesSandstone, Minnesota
City in Pine County · population 2,462 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $166,300
- Household income
- $51,875
- Jan low / Jul high
- 2° / 79°
- Snow a year
- 50 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 4
- Median age
- 39.9
Sandstone is a city of 2,462 people in Pine County, Minnesota. The median home is worth $166,300, below the typical Minnesota town ($301,800). It ranks better for first-time buyers than 89% of Minnesota towns, better for young professionals than 78% of Minnesota towns, better for a vacation home than 72% of Minnesota towns.
How Sandstone 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 Sandstone is worth $166,300, below the typical Minnesota town ($301,800). Homes cost about 3.2 times the median household income of $51,875, which is more affordable than 62% of Minnesota towns. Median rent is $1,015 a month. 52.9% of households own their home.
| Housing | Sandstone | Typical Minnesota town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $166,300 | $301,800 |
| Median rent | $1,015 | $991 |
| Median household income | $51,875 | $87,375 |
| Home value ÷ income | 3.2× | 3.4× |
| Homeownership | 52.9% | 88.6% |
| Median year built | 1970 | 1979 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 2.8% | — |
Who lives in Sandstone
| People | Sandstone | Typical Minnesota town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 39.9 | 42.7 |
| Age 65 and over | 11.6% | 20.0% |
| Under 18 | 11.6% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 12.3% | 26.2% |
| Below the poverty line | 25.2% | 6.9% |
| Veterans | 7.1% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 8.5% | — |
| Work from home | 3.5% | 11.1% |
| Average commute | 24.2 min | 24.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 88.9% | 90.2% |
Weather in Sandstone
July highs average 78.8°F and January lows 2.2°F. About 33.3 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 49.6 inches of snow (typical Minnesota town: 47.0 in). Expect about 2 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 177 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
4 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Sandstone since 1950, compared with 14 for the typical Minnesota town. 1 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on September 18, 1997 about 9.9 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 40 times; the largest was 5.00 inches on June 13, 1956.
Severe weather in Pine County since 1996
Pine County has been included in 15 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, drought.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| July 19, 2023 | Flood | DR-4722: Severe Storms And Flooding |
| August 9, 2022 | Severe Storm | DR-4666: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| April 7, 2020 | Biological | DR-4531: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3453: Covid-19 |
| September 5, 2018 | Flood | DR-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 Sandstone itself the ACS puts it at 7.4%.
Towns near Sandstone
- Sandstone, MN3.8 mi · 805 people · home $209,000
- Dell Grove, MN5.2 mi · 752 people · home $217,100
- Barry, MN6.8 mi · 550 people · home $293,800
- Pine Lake, MN7.8 mi · 580 people · home $312,500
- Partridge, MN8.1 mi · 554 people · home $263,300
- Hinckley, MN8.3 mi · 1,904 people · home $182,800
- Hinckley, MN10.0 mi · 744 people · home $278,100
- Mission Creek, MN13.5 mi · 539 people · home $251,300
Sandstone questions
Is Sandstone, Minnesota a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Sandstone scores better for retirees than 48% of Minnesota towns and quieter than 69%. 11.6% of residents are 65 or older (median age 39.9).
How much does a house cost in Sandstone?
The median owner-occupied home in Sandstone is valued at $166,300 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $51,875, so homes cost about 3.2 times income. Median rent is $1,015 a month.
What is the weather like in Sandstone?
July highs average 78.8°F and January lows 2.2°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 33.3 inches of precipitation a year and 49.6 inches of snow.
Does Sandstone get tornadoes?
4 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Sandstone since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F2 on September 18, 1997. 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)