Foley Drug building, 2020
Foley’s story
143 years in pictures
Census counts: 172 in 1900, 2,711 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2005 and 3 maps from 1968 on.
- 1883Foley is settled
Population
2,650
2025 Census estimate · −2% since 2020
Typical home
$260K
+1.2% in a year
Household income
$59K
median
Median age
34.2
years
Jobs based here
1,874
A job hub
TownGrade
B+
#171 of 271 in MN
Is Foley a good place to live?
Foley is a solid, middle-of-the-road choice. It grades B+ overall, ranked 171st of 271 in Minnesota, with no subject far below average. Its best mark is schools: its public schools beat 81% of Minnesota towns on state tests and graduation. Its lowest everyday mark is in safety: it reports more crime per resident than 60% of U.S. towns, including 1 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025. A typical home there costs about $260K, 3.4 years of the St. Cloud metro’s $76K median household income. On walkability, just 57 of Minnesota’s 574 towns do better.
What makes Foley stand out
Where Foley beats most towns.
WalkabilityA
More walkable than 86% of U.S. towns
6.3% of workers walk, bike or ride transit
EPA National Walkability Index; Census ACS.
FOLEY PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Foley Elementary | PK–3 | 552 |
| St. Johns Area School | PK–5 | 99 |
| Foley Intermediate Elementary | 4–8 | 781 |
SchoolsA−
On state tests and graduation
NCES · EDFacts.
A job hub
Every workday, about 1,656 people come to Foley for work
Where Foley’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
1,874jobs based in Foley
19%of working residents work in town
16 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Foley grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Minnesota), ordered by how far Foley is from typical.
WalkabilityEPA walkability 8.6 of 20; 10.1% of households have no carAOpen →SchoolsA−Open →SafetyC+Open →HealthCentracare - St. Cloud Hospital 14 miles awayBOpen →Jobs & income$59K median household income; 1,874 jobs based hereC+Open →Cost of livingBOpen →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 43% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors2 miles of trailsCOpen →HistoryC+Open →Civic life4.1 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsBOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 34.2; 18% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Foley: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Foley, and how to reach them.
PowerXcel Energy17.1¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterFoley water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers99% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpThursdayHire your ownTown site
Register to voteOnlineIn Minnesota you can register online until 21 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (received 21 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereBenton County Auditor-Treasurer's OfficeBenton County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Oct 2022
ZIP code5632956329 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Foley.
Foley draws workers from St. Cloud and beyond, is healthier than towns with similar incomes and has seen reported crime fall by a fifth or more.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C+
About one in five working residents works right in Foley
1,874 jobs are based in Foley, 1.6 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in. The average commute takes 30 minutes, against 22.7 across Minnesota.
Most working residents leave Foley for work: only 19% work in town. At 30 minutes, Foley’s average trip to work is where Minnesota’s towns sit at 23 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. 14% of residents live below the poverty line in Foley.
19%work in town
| Foley | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 30 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 19% | 9.7% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 14% | 7% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $59,000 | $91,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Foley19%
St. Cloud23%
Sauk Rapids4%
Princeton3%
Sartell2%
16 mi
median commute distance
1,874
jobs based in Foley
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
A
Walkability grade: more walkable than 86% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
SchoolsA−
For schools, Foley earns an A−
Its public schools are run by the Foley Public School District. Three of its 5 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Foley Senior High, with 588 students.
81%of MN districts it outscoresA−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foley Intermediate ElementaryLargest public middle schoolGrades 4–8 | Grades 4–8 | 781 | B |
| Foley Senior HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 588 | C+ |
| Foley ElementaryTop results in townGrades PK–3 | Grades PK–3 | 552 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MN on state tests and graduation
OutdoorsC
Foley has set aside 0% of its land for conservation
1.6 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve.
#95for trails in MN
0%
conserved · 0 of 1,661 acres
1.6 mi
of trails · 0.6 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Lion's Park | — | 9 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
HousingCost of living grade B
For cost of living, Foley earns a B
The typical Foley home is worth about $260,000, up 1.2% in a year, 25% below the Minnesota typical home. 67% of households own their home in Foley, below both the Minnesota town median (75%) and the median of U.S. towns (73%). The median rent in Foley is $1,041 a month.
$260KZillow home value
| Foley | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 67% | 75% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,041 a month | $1,199 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Foley$260K
Minnesota$349K
+1.2%
value change, 1 year
2
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Climate
Snowy winters and pleasant summers in Foley
Foley has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. Foley’s July high is 81°F.
48″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter7–24°
Spring32–54°
Summer57–79°
Fall36–55°
Sep 30
typical first frost
May 7
typical last frost
+1.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
SafetyC+
For safety, Foley earns a C+
Reported crimes fell from 63 to 48 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
Foley reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 60% report less.
40%of U.S. towns report more crimeC+Safety Grade
| Foley | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 17.2 per 1,000 residents | 8.6 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.4 per 1,000 residents | 1.1 | 1.6 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Foley0.4
Minnesota2.3
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Foley17.2
Minnesota14.3
U.S.15.5
40th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
30th
percentile among MN towns
1
violent crimes reported in 2025
47
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
HealthB
Foley is healthier than 59% of U.S. towns
Against the 8,615 U.S. towns with household incomes like Foley’s, it is healthier than 86%, so its B isn’t only a matter of income. Within Minnesota it is less healthy than 74% of the 271 graded towns: Minnesota sets a high bar.
Foley beats the Minnesota average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 20% of Foley adults binge drink. Only 8 of the 271 Minnesota towns we compare have a higher share of adults who have obesity than Foley.
59%healthier than U.S. townsBHealth Grade
| Foley | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 18% | 16% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 30% | 36% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 73% | 75% | 79% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 35% | 35% |
32 measures vs. Minnesota
0 better31 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Foley | MN |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 13.2% | 8.9% |
Centracare - St. Cloud Hospital
14 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
26th
percentile among MN towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B−
Foley faces a moderate natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 57% of U.S. communities. Since 1997, 2 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Foley.
43risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesCold waves
2
paid flood claims since 1997
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Foley
19pages on Foley
The big questions
SchoolsA−Beat 81% of MN districts · 5 schoolsSafetyC+0.4 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthBBetter than MN on 0 of 32 CDC measuresCost of livingB$260K typical home · up 1.2% in a yearWork & commuteC+$59K median household income · 1,874 jobs hereNatural hazardsB−FEMA risk higher than 43% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
2 within 15 miles of the center of Foley
Saint Cloud State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Saint Cloud14 mi$10,245 in-state tuitionSt Cloud Technical and Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Saint Cloud14.1 mi$6,124 in-state tuition
About 3 of every 100 Foley residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Minnesota.
About Foley
City in Minnesota, United States
Foley ( FOH-lee) is a city and the county seat of Benton County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 2,711 at the 2020 census. Foley is part of the St. Cloud metropolitan area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 2.5 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,138 ft
- ZIP code
- 56329
- Area code
- 320
Foley’s neighbors
One town shares a border with Foley.
Gilmanton TownshipFoley
How the neighbors grade
| Town | MN rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Foley | #171 | B+ | B | C+ | A− | B |
| Gilmanton Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Gilmanton Township isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Foley with a neighbor →
Questions about Foley
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Foley, MN a good place to live?
By most measures, yes. Foley grades B+ overall, better than 67% of U.S. towns and #171 of 271 in Minnesota. It grades B for health, C+ for safety and A− for schools.
Is Foley, MN expensive?
Cloud, MN metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.