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Tiny town

Living in Heron Lake, MN

Heron Lake is a tiny town of 593 people in Jackson County, Minnesota. It's about 72 miles from Mankato, MN and 129 miles from Minneapolis, MN, the nearest major city. Summer highs average 83°F and winter highs 23°F, with about 46 inches of snow a year. The typical home is valued around $89k and rent runs about $833 a month.

593people
$89kTypical home
$833/moRent
83° / 23°Summer / winter
46"Snow
240Sunny days
107Rain/snow days

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Size & setting

  • Tiny town of 593
  • A standalone small town, not a suburb
  • About 477 people per sq mi
  • 129 mi to Minneapolis, MN
  • 72 mi to Mankato, MN
  • 18 mi to the nearest town of 10k+

Money

  • Typical home $89k (≈$559/mo)
  • Median rent $833/mo
  • Median household income $68k
  • Property tax about 1.3% of value
  • 2.0% unemployment

Weather

  • Summer highs around 83°F
  • Winter highs around 23°F
  • Somewhat humid summers (dew point 59°F)
  • 240 sunny days a year (85 totally clear)
  • 125 cloudy days a year
  • 38 of 90 winter days are gray
  • 107 days a year with rain or snow
  • 46" of snow a year
  • 16 days a year with 1"+ of snow
  • Rarely hits 100°F
  • 57 nights a year below 10°F
  • Windier than most places

Safety

  • Very low violent crime (111 per 100k), county-wide
  • Very low property crime (191 per 100k), county-wide

People

  • Median age 46
  • 21% of households have kids
  • 27% are 65 or older
  • 22% have a college degree
  • Not very diverse
  • 3% of residents are college students

Getting around & homes

  • Average commute 20 min
  • 8% walk or take transit to work
  • 73 mi to FSD airport
  • 128 mi to MSP (major hub)
  • 135 mi to the nearest Amtrak station
  • 90% single-family homes
  • Typical home built around 1953
  • 89% of homes have broadband

Outdoors

  • Flat, open land
  • Elevation 1,421 ft
  • 833 mi to the ocean
  • 146 mi to a big lake
  • 53 mi to the nearest trailhead
  • 68 mi to the nearest ski area
  • 7 mi to the nearest campground
  • 8 golf courses within 25 mi

Things to do

  • 26 sit-down restaurants within 25 mi
  • Few or no bars within 25 mi
  • 3 coffee shops within 25 mi
  • No music venues & clubs within 25 mi
  • 4 museums within 25 mi
  • No breweries & distilleries within 25 mi
  • 45 mi to the nearest farmers market

Everyday

  • Schools in the bottom 18% of Minnesota districts (reading)
  • 11 mi to the nearest grocery store
  • 11 mi to the nearest ER hospital
  • 18 mi to a 4–5★ hospital
  • 20 mi to the nearest vet
  • 11 mi to the nearest dog park
  • 20 congregations per 10k people
  • 20 mi to the nearest college

Politics

  • Jackson County: R+42 in 2024
  • Minnesota: D+4 in 2024

Natural hazards

  • Very low hurricane risk
  • High tornado risk
  • Very low wildfire risk
  • Very low earthquake risk
  • Low flood risk
  • Very low drought risk
  • High winter storm risk
  • Low heat wave risk
  • Very low volcano risk

Places near Heron Lake

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