The Town Files

Wheatland, Minnesota

Township in Rice County · population 1,261 (2020 Census)

Map: where Wheatland is in MinnesotaWheatland
Median home
$387,500
Household income
$114,375
Jan low / Jul high
5° / 81°
Snow a year
40 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
27
Median age
47.5

Wheatland is a township of 1,261 people in Rice County, Minnesota. The median home is worth $387,500, above the typical Minnesota town ($301,800). It ranks better for families than 100% of Minnesota towns, easier by car than 95% of Minnesota towns, more upscale than 79% of Minnesota towns.

Wheatland in our rankings:

How Wheatland 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.

Wheatland lifestyle rankings vs other Minnesota townsRetirement27th pctFamilies100th pctQuiet60th pctWalkability49th pctFirst-time buyersbottomYoung professionals45th pctVibrancy26th pctHip & trendy1st pctCollege town66th pctUpscale79th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransit28th pctDriving95th 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 Wheatland is worth $387,500, above the typical Minnesota town ($301,800). Homes cost about 3.4 times the median household income of $114,375, which is more affordable than 50% of Minnesota towns. Median rent is $683 a month. 92.3% of households own their home.

Wheatland vs Rice County vs typical Minnesota townWheatlandRice CountyTypical Minnesota townHome value$387,500$320,200$301,800Household income$114,375$83,181$87,375Monthly rent$683$1,083$991
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Minnesota towns with 500+ people.
HousingWheatlandTypical Minnesota town
Median home value$387,500$301,800
Median rent$683$991
Median household income$114,375$87,375
Home value ÷ income3.4×3.4×
Homeownership92.3%88.6%
Median year built19721979
Seasonal / vacation homes0.0%—

Who lives in Wheatland

PeopleWheatlandTypical Minnesota town
Median age47.542.7
Age 65 and over18.1%20.0%
Under 1815.5%—
Bachelor's degree or higher20.3%26.2%
Below the poverty line7.0%6.9%
Veterans6.8%—
Born outside the U.S.0.7%—
Work from home16.4%11.1%
Average commute25.0 min24.5 min
Homes with broadband87.0%90.2%

Weather in Wheatland

July highs average 80.7°F and January lows 5.3°F. About 33.3 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 40.2 inches of snow (typical Minnesota town: 47.0 in). Expect about 6 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 162 nights at or below freezing.

Wheatland monthly temperatures and precipitation0°10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing22°5°Jan27°9°Feb40°21°Mar55°34°Apr67°46°May77°57°Jun81°61°Jul78°58°Aug72°50°Sep58°38°Oct41°25°Nov27°12°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue0.87.60.99.81.86.62.82.54.55.13.85.23.22.70.21.63.61.29.8
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Jordan 1Ssw station (13.0 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 4 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

27 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Wheatland since 1950, compared with 14 for the typical Minnesota town. 7 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F3, struck on August 24, 2006 about 9.7 miles from the town center and killed 1. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 1 deaths and 56 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on May 19, 2021.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Wheatland by decade11950s21960s21970s01980s81990s82000s52010s12020s
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 78 times; the largest was 3.00 inches on June 22, 2016.

Severe weather in Rice County since 1996

Storm events in Rice County since 1996 by typeHail148Tornado33Blizzard15High Wind12Heavy Rain12Heavy Snow19Flash Flood18Winter Storm67
NOAA Storm Events Database, Rice County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 1 deaths recorded.

Rice County has been included in 14 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
November 2, 2016FloodDR-4290: Severe Storms And Flooding
July 21, 2014FloodDR-4182: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides

Jobs and pay in Rice County

Rice County had 26,196 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $60,604 a year. Unemployment was 2.6% in 2023; in Wheatland itself the ACS puts it at 2.7%.

Largest industries in Rice CountyManufacturing5,319 jobs · $90,041Health care & social assistan…3,048 jobs · $49,551Retail2,747 jobs · $33,627Hotels & restaurants2,349 jobs · $21,457Education2,293 jobs · $71,021Construction1,107 jobs · $71,154
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Rice County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%2000200420082012201620202023Rice 2.6%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Wheatland

Wheatland questions

Is Wheatland, Minnesota a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Wheatland scores better for retirees than 27% of Minnesota towns and quieter than 60%. 18.1% of residents are 65 or older (median age 47.5).

How much does a house cost in Wheatland?

The median owner-occupied home in Wheatland is valued at $387,500 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $114,375, so homes cost about 3.4 times income. Median rent is $683 a month.

What is the weather like in Wheatland?

July highs average 80.7°F and January lows 5.3°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 33.3 inches of precipitation a year and 40.2 inches of snow.

Does Wheatland get tornadoes?

27 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Wheatland since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F3 on August 24, 2006. The typical Minnesota town has had 14.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Wheatland's Census boundary (GEOID 2713169826). 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.