The Town Files

Waconia, Minnesota

Township in Carver County · population 1,068 (2020 Census)

Map: where Waconia is in MinnesotaWaconia
Median home
$622,900
Household income
$122,083
Jan low / Jul high
4° / 83°
Snow a year
49 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
26
Median age
48.0

Waconia is a township of 1,068 people in Carver County, Minnesota. The median home is worth $622,900, above the typical Minnesota town ($301,800). It ranks more upscale than 97% of Minnesota towns, better for families than 94% of Minnesota towns, better for young professionals than 84% of Minnesota towns.

How Waconia 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.

Waconia lifestyle rankings vs other Minnesota townsRetirement39th pctFamilies94th pctQuiet26th pctWalkability29th pctFirst-time buyers51st pctYoung professionals84th pctVibrancy70th pctHip & trendy33rd pctCollege town74th pctUpscale97th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransit52nd pctDriving46th 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 Waconia is worth $622,900, above the typical Minnesota town ($301,800). Homes cost about 5.1 times the median household income of $122,083, which is more affordable than 4% of Minnesota towns. 91.2% of households own their home.

Waconia vs Carver County vs typical Minnesota townWaconiaCarver CountyTypical Minnesota townHome value$622,900$453,600$301,800Household income$122,083$125,946$87,375
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Minnesota towns with 500+ people.
HousingWaconiaTypical Minnesota town
Median home value$622,900$301,800
Median rent—$991
Median household income$122,083$87,375
Home value ÷ income5.1×3.4×
Homeownership91.2%88.6%
Median year built19781979
Seasonal / vacation homes0.0%—

Who lives in Waconia

PeopleWaconiaTypical Minnesota town
Median age48.042.7
Age 65 and over26.7%20.0%
Under 1823.1%—
Bachelor's degree or higher40.7%26.2%
Below the poverty line9.5%6.9%
Veterans6.9%—
Born outside the U.S.1.8%—
Work from home22.4%11.1%
Average commute29.7 min24.5 min
Homes with broadband94.6%90.2%

Weather in Waconia

July highs average 82.6°F and January lows 3.9°F. About 34.1 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 49.4 inches of snow (typical Minnesota town: 47.0 in). Expect about 11 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 161 nights at or below freezing.

Waconia monthly temperatures and precipitation0°10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing23°4°Jan27°7°Feb40°19°Mar56°33°Apr68°44°May78°56°Jun83°60°Jul80°58°Aug73°50°Sep58°36°Oct41°24°Nov28°12°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue0.88.20.910.91.77.63.24.44.45.34.14.63.32.80.41.64.31.313.6
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Chaska 2Nw station (11.0 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 4 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

26 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Waconia since 1950, compared with 14 for the typical Minnesota town. 3 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F4, struck on May 6, 1965 about 5.2 miles from the town center and killed 3. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 3 deaths and 275 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on June 28, 2025.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Waconia by decade01950s31960s11970s51980s21990s32000s42010s82020s
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 69 times; the largest was 3.25 inches on June 16, 2025.

Severe weather in Carver County since 1996

Storm events in Carver County since 1996 by typeHail174Flood15Tornado14High Wind10Heavy Rain27Heavy Snow16Flash Flood17Funnel Cloud10
NOAA Storm Events Database, Carver County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 2 deaths recorded.

Carver County has been included in 17 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, drought, tornado.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
June 28, 2024FloodDR-4797: Severe Storms And Flooding
April 7, 2020BiologicalDR-4531: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3453: Covid-19
July 21, 2014FloodDR-4182: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides
May 10, 2011FloodDR-1982: Severe Storms And Flooding

Jobs and pay in Carver County

Carver County had 40,848 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $67,445 a year. Unemployment was 2.4% in 2023; in Waconia itself the ACS puts it at 2.1%.

Largest industries in Carver CountyManufacturing8,474 jobs · $89,204Health care & social assistan…6,691 jobs · $67,079Retail4,296 jobs · $32,816Hotels & restaurants3,388 jobs · $22,145Construction2,586 jobs · $86,878Wholesale trade1,788 jobs · $100,920
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Carver County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%2000200420082012201620202023Carver 2.4%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Waconia

Waconia questions

Is Waconia, Minnesota a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Waconia scores better for retirees than 39% of Minnesota towns and quieter than 26%. 26.7% of residents are 65 or older (median age 48.0).

How much does a house cost in Waconia?

The median owner-occupied home in Waconia is valued at $622,900 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $122,083, so homes cost about 5.1 times income. Median rent is — a month.

What is the weather like in Waconia?

July highs average 82.6°F and January lows 3.9°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 34.1 inches of precipitation a year and 49.4 inches of snow.

Does Waconia get tornadoes?

26 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Waconia since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F4 on May 6, 1965. The typical Minnesota town has had 14.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Waconia's Census boundary (GEOID 2701967450). 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.