Name: Lester Prairie, MN statistics
Creator: Citytistics

Moving to Lester Prairie

McLeod County loses about 0.2 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in1,584

Moved out1,589

Net−5

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Carver County, MN203195+8

Hennepin County, MN164145+19

Wright County, MN1451450

Meeker County, MN137151−14

Sibley County, MN73730

Renville County, MN6966+3

Scott County, MN53

Dakota County, MN38

Within Minnesota, other states or abroad

Arrivals

77%23%

Leavers

76%24%

Within MinnesotaOther states

Income per tax return

Arrivals$60K

Leavers$57K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of McLeod County; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here: 5.7% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 0.7% from another state.
Who arrives and who leaves: Households moving into McLeod County report $60,200 a year in income on average; those leaving, $56,800, so newcomers earn more than leavers.
Income you would need: $27,500 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy: Median rent is $688 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $1,709 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $237,400.
Getting to work: 30 minutes each way on average; 8.6% work from home.
If it is close but not quite: Alvarado, TX matches it on character. Compare the two

Moved here in the past year1
5.7%
0% below the median place
Moved from another state1
0.7%
63% below the median place
Income of households moving out7
$56,816
19% below the median place

All 5 moving measures

Measure	Lester Prairie	Vs median
Moved here in the past year1	5.7%	0% below
Moved from another state1County figure	0.7%	63% below
Net movers per 1,000 people7County figure	-0.2	67% above
Income of households moving in7County figure	$60,232	15% below
Income of households moving out7County figure	$56,816	19% below

What it costs to live here

Rent to income is 8.6%, 58% below the median place.

Lester Prairie8.6%

Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent

$27,520

a year, at the 30% line

Rent to income

8.6%

58% below the median place

Home price to income

2.5x

35% below the median place

Could you afford it?

Your household income, before tax

The median rent would take

comfortably under the 30% line

Left after rent, in US prices

$88,700

a year, prices not adjusted

Vs the typical household here

Same

as the median household

Uses the median rent in Lester Prairie, $688 a month. It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in Lester Prairie.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Lester Prairie? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.

Homeownership1
85.8%
29% above the median place
Renters paying 30%+1
41.3%
18% below the median place
Property tax rate1
1.3%
40% above the median place

All 15 cost and housing measures

Measure	Lester Prairie	Vs median
Median gross rent1	$688	50% below
Rent to income1	8.6%	58% below
Property tax rate1	1.3%	40% above
Home price to income1	2.5x	35% below
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms2County figure	$1,073	34% below
HUD area median income3County figure	$107,300	0% above
Property tax paid (median)1	$3,022	7% below
Median home value1	$237,400	26% below
Home prices, 1-year change4County figure	0.2%	95% below
Home prices, 5-year change4County figure	43.0%	17% below
Homeownership1	85.8%	29% above
Renters paying 30%+1	41.3%	18% below
Owner costs with a mortgage1	$1,709	9% below
Vacant homes1County figure	4.7%	33% below
Median year built1	1976	0% below

Work and pay

Commutes by transit is 0.0%, below the median place (median 0.8%).

Commutes by transit1
0.0%
below the median place (median 0.8%)
Unemployment1
0.8%
83% below the median place
Poverty rate1
3.0%
72% below the median place

More on work and pay, against the typical place

Mean commute30 min +20%

Works from home8.6% −31%

Median household income$96,544 +20%

Income per person$38,836 −3%

All 10 work and pay measures

Measure	Lester Prairie	Vs median
Median household income1	$96,544	20% above
Income per person1	$38,836	3% below
Unemployment1	0.8%	83% below
Average annual pay5County figure	$59,899	9% below
Pay growth, 1 year5County figure	5.1%	38% above
Jobs5County figure	15,822	89% below
Poverty rate1	3.0%	72% below
Mean commute1	30 min	20% above
Works from home1	8.6%	31% below
Commutes by transit1	0.0%	below (median 0.8%)

Who lives here

Bachelor's or higher is 12.9%, 60% below the median place.

Bachelor's or higher1
12.9%
60% below the median place
Median age1
32.8
16% below the median place
Household size1
2.8
11% above the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

Born abroad5.9% −33%

Homes with broadband90.5% −2%

High school or higher90.4% −2%

All 9 people measures

Measure	Lester Prairie	Vs median
Population1	1,898	6646th largest
Population change since 20206	-0.9%	below (median 1.1%)
Median age1	32.8	16% below
Bachelor's or higher1	12.9%	60% below
High school or higher1	90.4%	2% below
Household size1	2.8	11% above
Born abroad1	5.9%	33% below
No health insurance1County figure	5.0%	22% below
Homes with broadband1	90.5%	2% below

Life in Lester Prairie

7 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places.

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents21.1 2.1×

Playgrounds per 10k10.5 +12%

Grocery stores per 10k0.0 −100%

Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k5.3 −53%

Libraries per 10k0.0 −100%

Named paths and bike trails2 km −20%

Bus and rail stops per sq mi0.0 −100%

Mapped by volunteers in OpenStreetMap inside the city limits (Census boundaries), so coverage is fuller in some places than others. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars16.6 −20%

Shops34.5 +14%

Arts, recreation and fitness4.9 +20%

Doctors' offices and clinics17.9 −11%

Child care centers1.9 −17%

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Public school students11
435
91% below the median place
Public schools11
2
78% below the median place
Students per teacher11
15.0
3% below the median place

All 16 schools and local life measures

Measure	Lester Prairie	Vs median
Public schools11	2	78% below
Public school students11	435	91% below
Students per teacher11	15.0	3% below
Restaurants and bars per 10k8County figure	16.6	20% below
Shops per 10k8County figure	34.5	14% above
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k8County figure	4.9	20% above
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k8County figure	17.9	11% below
Child care centers per 10k8County figure	1.9	17% below
Parks per 10k9	21.1	107% above
Playgrounds per 10k9	10.5	12% above
Grocery stores per 10k9	0.0	below (median 2.1)
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k9	5.3	53% below
Libraries per 10k9	0.0	below (median 0.9)
Named paths and bike trails9	1.6	20% below
Transit stops per sq mi9	0.0	below (median 0.2)
National Register listings10County figure	7	46% below

Safety, weather and risk

January average low is 5°F, 80% below the median place.

No crime figure yet. Either the city police department did not report to the FBI for the latest year, or our monthly fetch has not reached Lester Prairie. Larger places are fetched first.

January average low12
5°F
80% below the median place
Average temperature12
45°F
19% below the median place
Natural hazard risk13
46.6
50% below the median place

All 8 weather and risk measures

Measure	Lester Prairie	Vs median
July average high12County figure	82°F	5% below
January average low12County figure	5°F	80% below
Average temperature12County figure	45°F	19% below
Annual precipitation12County figure	29.2 in	33% below
Natural hazard risk13County figure	46.6	50% below
Tornado risk13County figure	67.9	17% below
Wildfire risk13County figure	22.2	64% below
Heat wave risk13County figure	54.3	40% below

How it is changing

Five-year survey estimates, one point per release.

Median gross rent

Up 26.7% from 2019 to 2024.

Median household income

Up 61.7% from 2019 to 2024.

Median home value

Up 58.5% from 2019 to 2024.

Population estimate

Down 0.8% from 2020 to 2025.

Citytistics measures

Paycheck stretch

n/a

No local price data

Pay vs rent

+5.2 pts

a year, pay outrunning rent. Better than 94% of places

Family fit

of 100 on cost, space and class size

Growth

of 100 on population and income growth

Measures only Citytistics publishes, built from the figures on this page. Scores of 100 beat every place we track. Formulas

Lester Prairie in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 8% of the median income in 2030, about the same as 9% now.

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases.

Measure	Latest	2030 projection	Likely range	Avg. per year
Median rent	$688/mo (2024)	$880/mo	$730 to $1,080/mo	+4.3%
Median household income	$96,544 (2024)	$125,500	$106,000 to $148,500	+4.4%
Median home value	$237,400 (2024)	$344,000	$250,000 to $474,000	+6.4%
Population	1,881 (2025)	1,890	1,810 to 1,970	+0.1%

The median home would be worth 2.7 years of the median income in 2030, against 2.5 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

Places like Lester Prairie

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

Place	Rent	Income
Alvarado, TX	$788	$80,523	Compare
Becker, MN	$889	$86,094	Compare
Fort Stockton, TX	$974	$84,784	Compare
Somerton, AZ	$896	$74,015	Compare

Nearby

Compare Lester Prairie with

Common questions

Is Lester Prairie a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. The median rent takes only 8.6% of the median household's income, a smaller share than in 99% of the 2,480 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the 3rd-lowest of 151 Minnesota places. Unemployment averaged 0.8% over the survey period, lower than in 99% of places its size. It is the 2nd-lowest of 123 Minnesota places. On cost, space and class size it scores 99 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Lester Prairie expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 8.6% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a lighter load here than usual. The median home is valued at $237,400.

What salary do you need to live in Lester Prairie?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $27,520 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to Lester Prairie?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Alvarado, TX, Becker, MN, Fort Stockton, TX and Somerton, AZ.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
Income Limits · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2026
House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
Population Estimates · US Census Bureau · Vintage 2025
SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares Lester Prairie with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Lester Prairie itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/lester-prairie-minnesota

Citytistics. “Lester Prairie, Minnesota.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/lester-prairie-minnesota/

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Lester Prairie

What stands out about Lester Prairie