The Town Files

Vasa, Minnesota

Township in Goodhue County · population 857 (2020 Census)

Map: where Vasa is in MinnesotaVasa
Median home
$389,000
Household income
$106,250
Jan low / Jul high
6° / 82°
Snow a year
42 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
19
Median age
47.5

Vasa is a township of 857 people in Goodhue County, Minnesota. The median home is worth $389,000, above the typical Minnesota town ($301,800). It ranks more of a college town than 88% of Minnesota towns, easier by car than 88% of Minnesota towns, better for families than 75% of Minnesota towns.

How Vasa 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.

Vasa lifestyle rankings vs other Minnesota townsRetirement23rd pctFamilies75th pctQuiet29th pctWalkability57th pctFirst-time buyersbottomYoung professionals62nd pctVibrancy35th pctHip & trendy8th pctCollege town88th pctUpscale61st pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCycling48th pctTransit54th pctDriving88th 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 Vasa is worth $389,000, above the typical Minnesota town ($301,800). Homes cost about 3.7 times the median household income of $106,250, which is more affordable than 34% of Minnesota towns. Median rent is $1,654 a month. 85.7% of households own their home.

Vasa vs Goodhue County vs typical Minnesota townVasaGoodhue CountyTypical Minnesota townHome value$389,000$285,100$301,800Household income$106,250$84,171$87,375Monthly rent$1,654$966$991
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Minnesota towns with 500+ people.
HousingVasaTypical Minnesota town
Median home value$389,000$301,800
Median rent$1,654$991
Median household income$106,250$87,375
Home value ÷ income3.7×3.4×
Homeownership85.7%88.6%
Median year built19721979
Seasonal / vacation homes0.6%—

Who lives in Vasa

PeopleVasaTypical Minnesota town
Median age47.542.7
Age 65 and over23.1%20.0%
Under 1818.5%—
Bachelor's degree or higher24.7%26.2%
Below the poverty line7.3%6.9%
Veterans5.0%—
Born outside the U.S.1.1%—
Work from home8.8%11.1%
Average commute30.1 min24.5 min
Homes with broadband84.1%90.2%

Weather in Vasa

July highs average 82.4°F and January lows 5.7°F. About 32.4 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 42.4 inches of snow (typical Minnesota town: 47.0 in). Expect about 10 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 154 nights at or below freezing.

Vasa monthly temperatures and precipitation0°10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing23°6°Jan28°9°Feb41°22°Mar56°36°Apr68°48°May78°58°Jun82°62°Jul80°60°Aug73°52°Sep59°39°Oct42°26°Nov29°14°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue0.810.10.99.71.77.52.92.54.10.25.13.84.53.72.50.31.63.61.08.5
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Red Wing Dam 3 station (9.2 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 4 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

19 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Vasa since 1950, compared with 14 for the typical Minnesota town. 1 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F3, struck on July 27, 1987 about 3.7 miles from the town center. The most recent was on May 21, 2024.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Vasa by decade01950s11960s11970s31980s51990s22000s62010s12020s
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 39 times; the largest was 3.00 inches on June 17, 2021.

Severe weather in Goodhue County since 1996

Storm events in Goodhue County since 1996 by typeHail140Flood9Tornado27Blizzard10High Wind11Heavy Rain20Heavy Snow21Flash Flood20
NOAA Storm Events Database, Goodhue County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 5 deaths recorded.

Goodhue County has been included in 18 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
June 12, 2019FloodDR-4442: Severe Winter Storm, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding
November 2, 2016FloodDR-4290: Severe Storms And Flooding

Jobs and pay in Goodhue County

Goodhue County had 21,366 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $60,513 a year. Unemployment was 2.6% in 2023; in Vasa itself the ACS puts it at 1.2%.

Largest industries in Goodhue CountyManufacturing4,647 jobs · $70,052Health care & social assistan…2,750 jobs · $59,657Retail2,133 jobs · $36,241Hotels & restaurants1,869 jobs · $22,719Construction852 jobs · $78,711Wholesale trade728 jobs · $80,035
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Goodhue County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%2000200420082012201620202023Goodhue 2.6%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Vasa

Vasa questions

Is Vasa, Minnesota a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Vasa scores better for retirees than 23% of Minnesota towns and quieter than 29%. 23.1% of residents are 65 or older (median age 47.5).

How much does a house cost in Vasa?

The median owner-occupied home in Vasa is valued at $389,000 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $106,250, so homes cost about 3.7 times income. Median rent is $1,654 a month.

What is the weather like in Vasa?

July highs average 82.4°F and January lows 5.7°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 32.4 inches of precipitation a year and 42.4 inches of snow.

Does Vasa get tornadoes?

19 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Vasa since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F3 on July 27, 1987. The typical Minnesota town has had 14.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Vasa's Census boundary (GEOID 2704966640). 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.