Watonwan County, Minnesota Housing Market

In Watonwan County, Minnesota, the median home value is $162,400, with a median monthly rent of $834. This places Watonwan County at #1966 nationally out of 3134 counties by median home value, and #73 within Minnesota.

Median Home Value $162,400
Median Rent $834/mo
Owner Occupancy 77.8%
Price/Rent Ratio 16.2

📈 Price Trend (2017 → 2024)

📊 Recent Market Momentum (FHFA HPI)

FHFA House Price Index — All-Transactions, Annual (2000 = 100) · Latest: 2025

💡 Year-over-Year Trend: Home prices in Watonwan County rose +0.5% year-over-year as of 2025. (Source: FHFA)

📍 Economic Snapshot

💼

Employment & Wages

3,698
jobs (private sector)
  • Avg weekly wage: $959
  • Establishments: 292
  • BLS QCEW, 2025
🏗️

Housing Supply

11
new units authorized (2025)
  • Single-family: 5
  • Multi-family: 6
  • U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey
🚚

Migration Patterns

+132
net migration (filers, 2021-2022)
  • Inflow: 4,286 (avg $66,395)
  • Outflow: 4,154 (avg $67,026)
  • IRS Statistics of Income

How Watonwan County Compares

MetricWatonwan CountyMinnesota AverageU.S. Average
Median Home Value $162,400 $238,335 $227,706
Median Gross Rent $834 $938 $968
Owner Occupancy Rate 77.8% 77.9% 73.3%
Price/Rent Ratio 16.2 21.1 18.7

Market Analysis

The median home value in Watonwan County is 31.9% below the Minnesota state average and 28.7% below the U.S. national average. The median rent of $834/month is 11.1% below the state average.

With a price-to-rent ratio of 16.2, the buy-vs-rent decision in Watonwan County is balanced. Whether buying or renting makes more sense depends on your time horizon, down payment capacity, and local market conditions.

Watonwan County has an owner-occupancy rate of 77.8%, compared to 77.9% in Minnesota and 73.3% nationally. This indicates a more homeowner-heavy market than the U.S. average.

Similar Counties by Home Value

CountyStateMedian Home ValueMedian Rent
Dickey County North Dakota $162,400 $840
Northumberland County Pennsylvania $162,400 $806
Lanier County Georgia $162,300 $913
Branch County Michigan $162,500 $959
Gladwin County Michigan $162,300 $690

Other Counties in Minnesota

CountyMedian Home ValueMedian RentOwner Occ.
Red Lake County $162,000 $583 83.4%
Mahnomen County $161,900 $696 73.3%
Renville County $163,200 $790 80.2%
Swift County $161,400 $920 72.4%
Martin County $163,500 $761 68.9%

Data Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 2024 5-Year Estimates (2017–2024). Variables: B25077 (Median Home Value), B25064 (Median Gross Rent), B25003 (Tenure). Data collected on 2026-10-14. The price-to-rent ratio is calculated as Median Home Value ÷ (Median Monthly Rent × 12).