Church of St. Joseph-Catholic · National Register of Historic Places
St. Joseph’s story
172 years in pictures
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1854St. Joseph is settled
St. JosephMN
A town of 7,021, settled in 1854. Healthier than 59% of U.S. towns.
5 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Skvader · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
7,021
+7.6% since 2010
Median home value
$238K
Census ACS
Household income
$75K
median
Median age
27.3
years
Jobs based here
2,728
Balanced
What makes St. Joseph stand out
The 3 things St. Joseph does most differently from other towns.
100 U.S. towns● St. Joseph
Health
Healthier than 59%
of U.S. towns on CDC estimates
Better than MN on 5 measures, worse on 11.
Outdoors
#89 most trails in MN
6.1 miles of trails across 4 parks and preserves
0.8% of the town is conserved land.
1colleges
College town
1 college
College of Saint Benedict
Students are part of everyday life here.
College town
29% of St. Joseph is in college
College Scorecard · IPEDS
St. Joseph’s report card
Now in St. Joseph
Be the first to start the conversation.
Residents weigh in
St. Joseph is #273 of 273 in MN for “Lowest depression”. Fair?
Your answer becomes a post in St. Joseph’s Town Square.
Start a conversation
Weather
Forecast →48°
Clear
H 63° · L 46°
Local news
All →- Weekend crash near St. Joseph injures two...alcohol use suspectedWillmar Radio · Sep 30
- Stearns County shuts down rural St. Joseph event venueWillmar Radio · Sep 18
- Woman hurt in crash near St. JosephWillmar Radio · Aug 14
Upcoming events
Nothing on the calendar.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in St. Joseph. Another town gets a different order.
Work & commute
About one in ten working residents works right in St. Joseph
Most working residents leave St. Joseph for work: only 10% work in town. The top destinations are St. Cloud (31%), Waite Park (7%) and Sartell (4%). Half commute less than 8 miles.
10%work in town
Where working residents work
In St. Joseph10%
St. Cloud31%
Waite Park7%
Sartell4%
Cold Spring3%
8 mi
median commute distance
2,728
jobs based in St. Joseph
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACSCommute map →
Housing
Homes in St. Joseph sell for about $305K
The median sale price was $305,000 in May 2026.
$305Kmedian sale price
Market temperature
16
days on market
100.2%
sale-to-list price
9
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →
Health
Healthier than 59% of U.S. towns
St. Joseph beats the Minnesota average on 5 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 11.
BHealth Grade
32 measures vs. Minnesota
5 better16 too close to call11 worse
| What stands out | St. Joseph | MN |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 6.6% | 8.5% |
| Fewer adults with high blood pressure | 25.7% | 31% |
| More adults without reliable transportation | 10.7% | 7.1% |
Centracare - St. Cloud Hospital
6.4 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
34th
percentile among MN towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →
Outdoors
0.8% of St. Joseph is conserved land
6.1 miles of trails across 4 parks and preserves.
#89for trails in MN
0.8%
conserved · 45 of 5,924 acres
6.1 mi
of trails · 0.7 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Klinefelter Park | 0.6 mi | 24 |
| 2. Northland Park | — | 9 |
| 3. Memorial Park | — | 9 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-USParks & trails →
Schools
St. Joseph’s public schools outperform 23% of Minnesota districts
The public schools St. Joseph’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, trail 77% of Minnesota’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the bottom.
C−School Grade
| School | Grades | Students | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kennedy Community School | PK–9 | 582 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MN on state tests and graduationAll 1 schools →
Natural hazards
Low risk, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 30% of U.S. communities.
30risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesCold waves
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →
Safety
Less crime per resident than 67% of U.S. towns
St. Joseph reports less crime per resident than 67% of the U.S. towns and cities we grade.
B+Safety Grade
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
St. Joseph2
Minnesota2.3
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
St. Joseph4.7
Minnesota14.3
U.S.15.5
67th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
54th
percentile among MN towns
14
violent crimes reported in 2025
33
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeFull safety report →
Climate
Snowy winters, pleasant summers
St. Joseph has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 3°, and about 57 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
57″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter7–24°
Spring33–54°
Summer58–79°
Fall36–55°
Oct 7
typical first frost
May 3
typical last frost
+1.6°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →
Landmarks
3 places in St. Joseph on the National Register of Historic Places.
About St. Joseph
City in Minnesota, United States
St. Joseph or Saint Joseph is a city in Stearns County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 7,029 at the 2020 census. It is home to the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University. St. Joseph is part of the St. Cloud metropolitan area. The unincorporated Florida community of St. Joseph, Florida, is named after the Minnesota city.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1854
- Population
- 7,029
- Area
- 3.9 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,096 ft
- ZIP code
- 56374
St. Joseph’s neighbors
5 towns share a border with St. Joseph.
St. JosephWaite ParkSt. WendelSt. CloudLe SaukSt. Joseph
More about St. Joseph
Still missing for St. Joseph:archive photosupcoming events