The Town Files

Welcome, Minnesota

City in Martin County · population 710 (2020 Census)

Map: where Welcome is in MinnesotaWelcome
Median home
$101,600
Household income
$49,167
Jan low / Jul high
7° / 83°
Snow a year
45 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
18
Median age
34.9

Welcome is a city of 710 people in Martin County, Minnesota. The median home is worth $101,600, below the typical Minnesota town ($301,800). It ranks easier by car than 91% of Minnesota towns, better for first-time buyers than 85% of Minnesota towns, more of a college town than 84% of Minnesota towns.

How Welcome 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.

Welcome lifestyle rankings vs other Minnesota townsRetirement57th pctFamilies70th pctQuiet71st pctWalkability52nd pctFirst-time buyers85th pctYoung professionals15th pctVibrancy55th pctHip & trendy27th pctCollege town84th pctUpscale21st pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransit59th pctDriving91st 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 Welcome is worth $101,600, below the typical Minnesota town ($301,800). Homes cost about 2.1 times the median household income of $49,167, which is more affordable than 92% of Minnesota towns. Median rent is $882 a month. 76.9% of households own their home.

Welcome vs Martin County vs typical Minnesota townWelcomeMartin CountyTypical Minnesota townHome value$101,600$163,500$301,800Household income$49,167$59,507$87,375Monthly rent$882$761$991
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Minnesota towns with 500+ people.
HousingWelcomeTypical Minnesota town
Median home value$101,600$301,800
Median rent$882$991
Median household income$49,167$87,375
Home value ÷ income2.1×3.4×
Homeownership76.9%88.6%
Median year built19501979
Seasonal / vacation homes0.0%—

Who lives in Welcome

PeopleWelcomeTypical Minnesota town
Median age34.942.7
Age 65 and over15.1%20.0%
Under 1825.2%—
Bachelor's degree or higher17.6%26.2%
Below the poverty line18.3%6.9%
Veterans7.8%—
Born outside the U.S.6.7%—
Work from home1.7%11.1%
Average commute20.4 min24.5 min
Homes with broadband83.0%90.2%

Weather in Welcome

July highs average 82.9°F and January lows 6.6°F. About 33.5 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 45.4 inches of snow (typical Minnesota town: 47.0 in). Expect about 11 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 151 nights at or below freezing.

Welcome monthly temperatures and precipitation0°10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing24°7°Jan28°10°Feb41°22°Mar56°35°Apr69°49°May80°60°Jun83°64°Jul81°61°Aug75°52°Sep60°39°Oct43°25°Nov29°13°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue0.810.71.29.51.96.63.53.74.65.03.93.83.42.30.61.64.41.49.9
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Fairmont station (7.3 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 3 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

18 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Welcome since 1950, compared with 14 for the typical Minnesota town. 3 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on May 4, 1977 about 8.1 miles from the town center. The most recent was on May 17, 2026.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Welcome by decade41950s21960s31970s31980s11990s02000s32010s22020s
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 68 times; the largest was 2.75 inches on October 4, 2006.

Severe weather in Martin County since 1996

Storm events in Martin County since 1996 by typeHail114Tornado11Blizzard30High Wind17Heavy Rain9Heavy Snow16Flash Flood15Winter Storm61
NOAA Storm Events Database, Martin County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996).

Martin County has been included in 15 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, drought, 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
September 5, 2018FloodDR-4390: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding

Jobs and pay in Martin County

Martin County had 8,245 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $53,706 a year. Unemployment was 2.8% in 2023; in Welcome itself the ACS puts it at 8.9%.

Largest industries in Martin CountyRetail1,091 jobs · $32,784Manufacturing920 jobs · $66,994Hotels & restaurants776 jobs · $17,314Wholesale trade755 jobs · $109,833Agriculture, forestry & fishi…438 jobs · $44,669Finance & insurance422 jobs · $80,886
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Martin County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%2000200420082012201620202023Martin 2.8%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Welcome

Welcome questions

Is Welcome, Minnesota a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Welcome scores better for retirees than 57% of Minnesota towns and quieter than 71%. 15.1% of residents are 65 or older (median age 34.9).

How much does a house cost in Welcome?

The median owner-occupied home in Welcome is valued at $101,600 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $49,167, so homes cost about 2.1 times income. Median rent is $882 a month.

What is the weather like in Welcome?

July highs average 82.9°F and January lows 6.6°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 33.5 inches of precipitation a year and 45.4 inches of snow.

Does Welcome get tornadoes?

18 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Welcome since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F2 on May 4, 1977. The typical Minnesota town has had 14.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Welcome's Census boundary (GEOID 2769070). 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.