The Town Files

Chisholm, Minnesota

City in St. Louis County · population 4,775 (2020 Census)

Map: where Chisholm is in MinnesotaChisholm
Median home
$109,200
Household income
$50,891
Jan low / Jul high
-4° / 77°
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
3
Median age
46.6

Chisholm is a city of 4,775 people in St. Louis County, Minnesota. The median home is worth $109,200, below the typical Minnesota town ($301,800). It ranks better for cycling than 97% of Minnesota towns, more walkable than 96% of Minnesota towns, hipper than 89% of Minnesota towns.

Chisholm in our rankings:

How Chisholm 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.

Chisholm lifestyle rankings vs other Minnesota townsRetirement25th pctFamilies5th pctQuiet18th pctWalkability96th pctFirst-time buyers61st pctYoung professionals17th pctVibrancy88th pctHip & trendy89th pctCollege town25th pctUpscalebottomVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCycling97th pctTransitbottomDriving19th 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 Chisholm is worth $109,200, below the typical Minnesota town ($301,800). Homes cost about 2.1 times the median household income of $50,891, which is more affordable than 92% of Minnesota towns. Median rent is $732 a month. 72.2% of households own their home.

Chisholm vs St. Louis County vs typical Minnesota townChisholmSt. Louis CountyTypical Minnesota townHome value$109,200$221,400$301,800Household income$50,891$70,069$87,375Monthly rent$732$1,013$991
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Minnesota towns with 500+ people.
HousingChisholmTypical Minnesota town
Median home value$109,200$301,800
Median rent$732$991
Median household income$50,891$87,375
Home value ÷ income2.1×3.4×
Homeownership72.2%88.6%
Median year built19451979
Seasonal / vacation homes3.5%—

Who lives in Chisholm

PeopleChisholmTypical Minnesota town
Median age46.642.7
Age 65 and over27.8%20.0%
Under 1822.1%—
Bachelor's degree or higher16.6%26.2%
Below the poverty line14.0%6.9%
Veterans14.0%—
Born outside the U.S.0.0%—
Work from home5.2%11.1%
Average commute16.2 min24.5 min
Homes with broadband87.7%90.2%

Weather in Chisholm

July highs average 76.7°F and January lows -4.4°F. About 24.8 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year. Expect about 2 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 205 nights at or below freezing.

Chisholm monthly temperatures and precipitation-10°0°10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°32° freezing17°-4°Jan23°-1°Feb35°12°Mar50°25°Apr63°36°May72°46°Jun77°50°Jul75°48°Aug66°40°Sep51°30°Oct34°17°Nov21°3°DecPrecipitation (in)0.50.50.91.62.84.43.93.13.12.41.10.6
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Hibbing Chisholm Hibbing Ap station (7.3 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

3 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Chisholm since 1950, compared with 14 for the typical Minnesota town. 1 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F3, struck on August 6, 1969 about 8.1 miles from the town center. The most recent was on July 14, 2003.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Chisholm by decade01950s11960s11970s01980s01990s12000s02010s02020s
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 38 times; the largest was 2.50 inches on June 12, 2024.

Severe weather in St. Louis County since 1996

Storm events in St. Louis County since 1996 by typeHail455Flood19Drought160Blizzard22Ice Storm30Lightning26Heavy Snow365Flash Flood89
NOAA Storm Events Database, St. Louis County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 39 deaths recorded.

St. Louis County has been included in 17 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, drought.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
May 14, 2025FireFM-5583: Munger Shaw Fire
June 28, 2024FloodDR-4797: Severe Storms And Flooding
July 19, 2023FloodDR-4722: Severe Storms And Flooding
July 13, 2022FloodDR-4659: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding
April 7, 2020BiologicalDR-4531: Covid-19 Pandemic

Jobs and pay in St. Louis County

St. Louis County had 95,504 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $60,452 a year. Unemployment was 3.2% in 2023; in Chisholm itself the ACS puts it at 3.9%.

Largest industries in St. Louis CountyHealth care & social assistan…24,190 jobs · $68,738Retail11,325 jobs · $35,175Hotels & restaurants9,418 jobs · $23,060Manufacturing5,523 jobs · $69,885Construction4,551 jobs · $81,268Professional & technical serv…3,894 jobs · $88,119
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in St. Louis County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%2000200420082012201620202023St. Louis 3.2%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Public schools in Chisholm

3 public schools with 658 students, about 15.0 students per teacher.

SchoolGradesStudentsPer teacher
CHISHOLM SECONDARY7-1231615.8
Vaughan-Steffensrud ElementaryPK-321516.5
CHISHOLM ELEMENTARY4-612711.5

Towns near Chisholm

Chisholm questions

Is Chisholm, Minnesota a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Chisholm scores better for retirees than 25% of Minnesota towns and quieter than 18%. 27.8% of residents are 65 or older (median age 46.6).

How much does a house cost in Chisholm?

The median owner-occupied home in Chisholm is valued at $109,200 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $50,891, so homes cost about 2.1 times income. Median rent is $732 a month.

What is the weather like in Chisholm?

July highs average 76.7°F and January lows -4.4°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 24.8 inches of precipitation a year.

Does Chisholm get tornadoes?

3 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Chisholm since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F3 on August 6, 1969. The typical Minnesota town has had 14.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Chisholm's Census boundary (GEOID 2711386). 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.