Lester Prairie, Minnesota

Population

Steady. Within 1% of 2020, every year since.

1,881

people, the 277th-largest of Minnesota's cities and towns.

Census Population Estimates, 2025. Rank among Minnesota's cities and towns computed by the Almanac. Sources: Census Population Estimates

The workday

9 in 10 jobs here go to people who live somewhere else.

93.6%

of 516 jobs located in Lester Prairie are filled by in-commuters.

Census LEHD LODES, 2023. Sources: Census LEHD LODES

Rent

Median rent is up 11% since the 2005–2009 survey, before inflation.

$688

a month. Minnesota's median is $1,280.

Census ACS 5-year, 2020-2024 (latest), with earlier 5-year windows. Survey estimates for a place this size carry wide margins of error. Sources: Census ACS 5-year

The seam

Cross one tract line and median rent jumps $341.

A $341 gap between neighbors, the sharpest rent edge between adjacent tracts in McLeod County.

• $764 Tract 9506
• $1,105 Tract 9507

Census ACS 5-year, 2020-2024, adjacent tracts compared by the Almanac. Tract estimates carry wide margins of error. Sources: Census ACS 5-year

Room to build

Local wages can carry more rent than the median charged today.

$1,221–$1,831

is the monthly rent range local workforce wages support.

• $688 median

Supportable rent computed by the Almanac from 2023 source wage data. Median rent: Census ACS 5-year, 2020-2024. Sources: Computed by the Almanac, Census ACS 5-year

Building

71% of the housing here was built before 2000.

• 15 homes permitted, 2022–2025
• 13% of those were in multifamily buildings
• 71% of all homes were built before 2000

Census Building Permits Survey, 2022–2025; Census ACS 5-year, 2020-2024. Survey estimates for a place this size carry wide margins of error. Sources: Census Building Permits Survey, Census ACS 5-year

Units needed

Closing the gap would add 0.1–0.7% to the 713 homes here.

1–5

is the estimated number of missing housing units, from the lowest to the highest of three estimates.

Range computed by the Almanac from 2023 jobs and household data, using three demand models: 1% of jobs located here, 1% of renter households, and a rate by town size applied to renters. The low end is the lowest of the three and the high end the highest. It is an estimate, not a count. Sources: Computed by the Almanac

Home value

A median home costs 28% less than Minnesota's.

$237,400

median home value in Lester Prairie.

• $237,400 Lester Prairie
• $329,300 Minnesota
• $332,700 U.S.

Census ACS 5-year, 2020-2024. Survey estimates for a place this size carry wide margins of error. Sources: Census ACS 5-year