The Town FilesWinthrop, Minnesota
City in Sibley County · population 1,332 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $169,600
- Household income
- $69,219
- Jan low / Jul high
- 3° / 81°
- Snow a year
- 45 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 17
- Median age
- 46.3
Winthrop is a city of 1,332 people in Sibley County, Minnesota. The median home is worth $169,600, below the typical Minnesota town ($301,800). It ranks better for retirees than 79% of Minnesota towns, hipper than 79% of Minnesota towns, quieter than 77% of Minnesota towns.
How Winthrop 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 Winthrop is worth $169,600, below the typical Minnesota town ($301,800). Homes cost about 2.5 times the median household income of $69,219, which is more affordable than 84% of Minnesota towns. Median rent is $776 a month. 81.3% of households own their home.
| Housing | Winthrop | Typical Minnesota town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $169,600 | $301,800 |
| Median rent | $776 | $991 |
| Median household income | $69,219 | $87,375 |
| Home value ÷ income | 2.5× | 3.4× |
| Homeownership | 81.3% | 88.6% |
| Median year built | 1957 | 1979 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.0% | — |
Who lives in Winthrop
| People | Winthrop | Typical Minnesota town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 46.3 | 42.7 |
| Age 65 and over | 27.1% | 20.0% |
| Under 18 | 23.6% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 19.5% | 26.2% |
| Below the poverty line | 6.1% | 6.9% |
| Veterans | 11.0% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 9.3% | — |
| Work from home | 6.3% | 11.1% |
| Average commute | 27.5 min | 24.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 82.5% | 90.2% |
Weather in Winthrop
July highs average 80.9°F and January lows 3.4°F. About 31.7 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 44.6 inches of snow (typical Minnesota town: 47.0 in). Expect about 6 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 164 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
17 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Winthrop since 1950, compared with 14 for the typical Minnesota town. 1 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on June 23, 1952 about 4.2 miles from the town center. The most recent was on September 4, 2025.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 53 times; the largest was 4.00 inches on July 9, 2017.
Severe weather in Sibley County since 1996
Sibley County has been included in 21 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, drought, tornado.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| June 28, 2024 | Flood | DR-4797: Severe Storms And Flooding |
| April 7, 2020 | Biological | DR-4531: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3453: Covid-19 |
| June 12, 2019 | Flood | DR-4442: Severe Winter Storm, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding |
| September 5, 2018 | Flood | DR-4390: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding |
Jobs and pay in Sibley County
Sibley County had 3,884 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $52,827 a year. Unemployment was 3.3% in 2023; in Winthrop itself the ACS puts it at 6.5%.
Public schools in Winthrop
2 public schools with 400 students, about 14.3 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| GFW High School | 9-12 | 225 | 13.2 |
| GFW Middle School | 5-8 | 175 | 15.9 |
Towns near Winthrop
- Gaylord, MN7.3 mi · 2,273 people · home $171,600
- Gibbon, MN8.1 mi · 784 people · home $102,700
- Lafayette, MN11.7 mi · 700 people · home $330,600
- Brownton, MN13.2 mi · 731 people · home $162,500
- Arlington, MN14.7 mi · 2,247 people · home $206,300
- New Ulm, MN16.8 mi · 14,120 people · home $204,200
- Glencoe, MN17.5 mi · 514 people · home $338,900
- Courtland, MN17.6 mi · 572 people · home $318,000
Winthrop questions
Is Winthrop, Minnesota a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Winthrop scores better for retirees than 79% of Minnesota towns and quieter than 77%. 27.1% of residents are 65 or older (median age 46.3).
How much does a house cost in Winthrop?
The median owner-occupied home in Winthrop is valued at $169,600 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $69,219, so homes cost about 2.5 times income. Median rent is $776 a month.
What is the weather like in Winthrop?
July highs average 80.9°F and January lows 3.4°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 31.7 inches of precipitation a year and 44.6 inches of snow.
Does Winthrop get tornadoes?
17 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Winthrop since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F2 on June 23, 1952. 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)