Prior TownshipMN
A town of 277.
Is Prior Township a good place to live?
The biggest park or preserve is WPA, at 374 acres. Prior Township has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
277 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Moving to Prior Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Prior Township, and how to reach them.
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 Prior Township.
Prior Township stands out in Minnesota and nationally: the median age there is higher
People 65 and older are 44% of residents (17% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 6% of residents (22% statewide). In Prior Township, 43% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more, above both the Minnesota town median (33%) and the median of U.S. towns (29%).
| Prior Township | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 61.1 years | 39.9 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 43% | 33% | 29% |
Ages · share of residents
Education · adults 25 and older
Women and men · all residents
Somewhere between 30% and 54% women
The Census survey reached too few of Prior Township’s residents to say more: its margin here is ±12.4 points. Across Minnesota, 49.9% of residents are women.
| Prior Township | MN | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 10.2% | 12.1% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 9.6% | 10.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 2.3% | 8.8% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 3.6% | 13% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 17.8% | 13.5% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 1.3% | 11.6% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 11.2% | 12.9% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 28.4% | 10.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 15.5% | 7% | 7% |
| No diploma | 10.6% | 6.1% | 10.4% |
| High school | 32.6% | 23.3% | 26% |
| Some college | 8.5% | 19.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 5.1% | 11.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 16.5% | 25.6% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 26.7% | 13.8% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 300, single groups can be off by several points
The schools Prior Township’s kids attend
The Clinton-Graceville-Beardsley school district runs its public schools. Its two schools are below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lismore Colony ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–8 | Grades K–8 | 24 | – |
| Lismore Colony Senior High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1 | – |
NCES · EDFacts
A larger share of residents live below the poverty line in Prior Township than in most of Minnesota or the rest of the country
The top destinations are Graceville (15%), Clinton (8%) and Milbank (8%). The typical household income for Prior Township comes to $71,000, where Minnesota’s towns sit at $90,000 and U.S. towns at $80,000. The average commute for Prior Township comes to 21 minutes. Half the trips to work are shorter than 18 miles.
| Prior Township | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 25% | 7% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $71,000 | $90,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Prior Township has four seasons and pleasant summers
A winter brings about 32 inches of snow, with January nights at 3° and July afternoons at 83°.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
How healthy Prior Township is
38% of adults have obesity in Prior Township. Of 32 CDC measures, Prior Township beats the Minnesota average on 1 and trails it on 12. Two figures for adults in the town: 29% sleep under 7 hours, 13% have diabetes.
| Prior Township | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 30% | 33% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 30% | 36% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 10% | 12% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 23% | 25% |
| What stands out | Prior Township | MN |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 81.2% | 76.1% |
| More adults with COPD | 7.6% | 5.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
In Prior Township, 8.6% of the land is conserved
Across 2 parks and preserves: 5.3 miles of trail. Prior Township’s trail density is 0.1 miles per square mile. Parks and preserves in the town: 2, covering 1,193 acres.
| Prior Township | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 8.6% | 4.7% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.5 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Big Stone Lake State Park - Meadowbrook Area | 4 mi | 819 |
| 2. WPA | — | 374 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
The biggest natural risk in Prior Township is inland flooding, at a moderate overall level
Compared with 56% of U.S. communities, expected storm and flood damage in Prior Township is lower. 28 flood insurance claims have been paid here since 1997. FEMA puts 43% of the town’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 33% to cold waves.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Everything we know about Prior Township
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Prior Township; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 Prior Township residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Minnesota.
100% of working residents leave Prior Township for work
Where Prior Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
About Prior Township
Township in Minnesota, United States
Prior Township is a township in Big Stone County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 223 as of the 2000 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 48 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,148 ft
Questions about Prior Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Prior Township, MN a good place to live?
Prior Township has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.