The Town FilesWabasha, Minnesota
City in Wabasha County · population 2,559 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $262,300
- Household income
- $64,514
- Jan low / Jul high
- 8° / 81°
- Snow a year
- 40 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 5
- Median age
- 56.5
Wabasha is a city of 2,559 people in Wabasha County, Minnesota. The median home is worth $262,300, below the typical Minnesota town ($301,800). It ranks hipper than 95% of Minnesota towns, better transit than 86% of Minnesota towns, more walkable than 85% of Minnesota towns.
How Wabasha 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 Wabasha is worth $262,300, below the typical Minnesota town ($301,800). Homes cost about 4.1 times the median household income of $64,514, which is more affordable than 20% of Minnesota towns. Median rent is $757 a month. 68.3% of households own their home.
| Housing | Wabasha | Typical Minnesota town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $262,300 | $301,800 |
| Median rent | $757 | $991 |
| Median household income | $64,514 | $87,375 |
| Home value ÷ income | 4.1× | 3.4× |
| Homeownership | 68.3% | 88.6% |
| Median year built | 1969 | 1979 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 4.4% | — |
Who lives in Wabasha
| People | Wabasha | Typical Minnesota town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 56.5 | 42.7 |
| Age 65 and over | 36.6% | 20.0% |
| Under 18 | 14.0% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 22.4% | 26.2% |
| Below the poverty line | 10.2% | 6.9% |
| Veterans | 9.3% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 2.2% | — |
| Work from home | 10.0% | 11.1% |
| Average commute | 21.4 min | 24.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 83.4% | 90.2% |
Weather in Wabasha
July highs average 80.9°F and January lows 8.1°F. About 37.2 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 39.8 inches of snow (typical Minnesota town: 47.0 in). Expect about 7 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 138 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
5 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Wabasha since 1950, compared with 14 for the typical Minnesota town. The strongest, an F1, struck on September 9, 1990 about 4.1 miles from the town center. The most recent was on July 18, 2015.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 48 times; the largest was 4.00 inches on July 3, 1973.
Severe weather in Wabasha County since 1996
Wabasha County has been included in 17 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, tornado, hurricane.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| June 28, 2024 | Flood | DR-4797: Severe Storms And Flooding |
| July 19, 2023 | Flood | DR-4722: 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 |
Jobs and pay in Wabasha County
Wabasha County had 6,566 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $47,637 a year. Unemployment was 2.7% in 2023; in Wabasha itself the ACS puts it at 1.7%.
Public schools in Wabasha
2 public schools with 469 students, about 9.6 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| WABASHA-KELLOGG SECONDARY | 7-12 | 263 | 12.5 |
| WABASHA-KELLOGG ELEMENTARY | PK-6 | 206 | 7.4 |
Towns near Wabasha
- Lake City, MN12.7 mi · 5,252 people · home $238,700
- Plainview, MN15.5 mi · 3,483 people · home $245,300
- Mondovi, WI23.2 mi · 2,845 people · home $174,500
- Goodview, MN26.6 mi · 4,158 people · home $254,200
- St. Charles, MN27.8 mi · 3,990 people · home $256,600
- Cascade, MN28.3 mi · 2,837 people · home $506,800
- Arcadia, WI28.7 mi · 3,737 people · home $169,500
- Winona, MN29.0 mi · 25,948 people · home $201,800
Wabasha questions
Is Wabasha, Minnesota a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Wabasha scores better for retirees than 80% of Minnesota towns and quieter than 55%. 36.6% of residents are 65 or older (median age 56.5).
How much does a house cost in Wabasha?
The median owner-occupied home in Wabasha is valued at $262,300 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $64,514, so homes cost about 4.1 times income. Median rent is $757 a month.
What is the weather like in Wabasha?
July highs average 80.9°F and January lows 8.1°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 37.2 inches of precipitation a year and 39.8 inches of snow.
Does Wabasha get tornadoes?
5 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Wabasha since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F1 on September 9, 1990. 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)