The Town FilesPipestone, Minnesota
City in Pipestone County · population 4,215 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $114,100
- Household income
- $67,568
- Jan low / Jul high
- 5° / 82°
- Snow a year
- 40 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 8
- Median age
- 38.6
Pipestone is a city of 4,215 people in Pipestone County, Minnesota. The median home is worth $114,100, below the typical Minnesota town ($301,800). It ranks more walkable than 91% of Minnesota towns, hipper than 91% of Minnesota towns, more vibrant than 87% of Minnesota towns.
How Pipestone 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 Pipestone is worth $114,100, below the typical Minnesota town ($301,800). Homes cost about 1.7 times the median household income of $67,568, which is more affordable than 98% of Minnesota towns. Median rent is $740 a month. 70.1% of households own their home.
| Housing | Pipestone | Typical Minnesota town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $114,100 | $301,800 |
| Median rent | $740 | $991 |
| Median household income | $67,568 | $87,375 |
| Home value ÷ income | 1.7× | 3.4× |
| Homeownership | 70.1% | 88.6% |
| Median year built | 1955 | 1979 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 3.0% | — |
Who lives in Pipestone
| People | Pipestone | Typical Minnesota town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 38.6 | 42.7 |
| Age 65 and over | 19.7% | 20.0% |
| Under 18 | 26.2% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 25.4% | 26.2% |
| Below the poverty line | 13.1% | 6.9% |
| Veterans | 9.4% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 7.0% | — |
| Work from home | 6.2% | 11.1% |
| Average commute | 13.1 min | 24.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 89.0% | 90.2% |
Weather in Pipestone
July highs average 82.4°F and January lows 4.8°F. About 28.6 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 39.6 inches of snow (typical Minnesota town: 47.0 in). Expect about 11 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 173 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
8 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Pipestone since 1950, compared with 14 for the typical Minnesota town. 1 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on June 25, 1969 about 3.8 miles from the town center. The most recent was on May 30, 2022.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 44 times; the largest was 2.75 inches on April 20, 1985.
Severe weather in Pipestone County since 1996
Pipestone County has been included in 14 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, drought, hurricane.
| 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 Pipestone County
Pipestone County had 4,302 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $50,888 a year. Unemployment was 2.8% in 2023; in Pipestone itself the ACS puts it at 3%.
Public schools in Pipestone
7 public schools with 1,141 students, about 13.6 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pipestone Elementary | PK-5 | 518 | 12.0 |
| PIPESTONE SENIOR HIGH | 9-12 | 320 | 16.8 |
| PIPESTONE MIDDLE | 6-8 | 238 | 14.9 |
| SWWC ALC - Pipestone | 9-12 | 42 | 42.0 |
| SWWC ELC - Pipestone | K-12 | 23 | 4.6 |
| SWWC ALC Midlevel - Pipestone | 7-8 | — | — |
| PIPESTONE LEARNING CENTER | 9-12 | — | — |
Towns near Pipestone
- Dell Rapids, SD23.3 mi · 3,996 people · home $301,700
- Luverne, MN24.1 mi · 4,946 people · home $208,000
Pipestone questions
Is Pipestone, Minnesota a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Pipestone scores better for retirees than 72% of Minnesota towns and quieter than 19%. 19.7% of residents are 65 or older (median age 38.6).
How much does a house cost in Pipestone?
The median owner-occupied home in Pipestone is valued at $114,100 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $67,568, so homes cost about 1.7 times income. Median rent is $740 a month.
What is the weather like in Pipestone?
July highs average 82.4°F and January lows 4.8°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 28.6 inches of precipitation a year and 39.6 inches of snow.
Does Pipestone get tornadoes?
8 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Pipestone since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F2 on June 25, 1969. 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)