Main street, 1939
Rice’s story
137 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1939.
- 1889Rice is settled
RiceMN
A town of 2,212, settled in 1889.
3 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Vas Littlecrow Wojtanowicz · Public domain
Population
2,212
2025 Census estimate · +11.5% since 2020
Typical home
$354K
+2.1% in a year
Household income
$108K
median
Median age
33.2
years
Jobs based here
1,263
Balanced
Is Rice a good place to live?
The best of Rice’s subject grades are an A for incomes and an A− for health; the weakest is a C for hazard risk. Only 9 of the 170 Minnesota towns we compare have a lower violent crime rate than Rice. The biggest park or preserve is Michaelson Farm Wildlife Management Area, at 42 acres. Rice has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Rice stand out
Where Rice beats most towns.
A growing town
Rice has grown 73% since 2010
1,275 counted in 2010 and 1,975 in 2020; an estimated 2,212 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
How Rice grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Minnesota), ordered by how far Rice is from typical.
Jobs & income$108K median household incomeAOpen →HealthCentracare - St. Cloud Hospital 13.1 miles awayA−Open →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listCOpen →Cost of livingBOpen →SchoolsBOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 7 of 20; 0.5% of households have no car; 2.1% of workers walk, bike or ride transitB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors1 mile of trail; 1% conserved landC−Open →HistoryC−Open →Civic life2.9 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsB−Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
ClimateSnowy winters, 81° summer afternoons, 51″ of snow–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 33.2; 29% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Rice: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Rice, and how to reach them.
PowerMinnesota Power15.9¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterRice water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Rice’s trash rules yet
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 code5636756367 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 Rice.
HealthA−
A smaller share of adults in Rice have high blood pressure than in the typical Minnesota or U.S. town
23% of adults have high blood pressure in Rice, where Minnesota’s towns sit at 31% and U.S. towns at 35%. 6.4% of Rice adults have diabetes. Rice beats the Minnesota average on 10 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 4.
77%healthier than U.S. townsA−Health Grade
| Rice | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 18% | 16% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 31% | 35% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 70% | 75% | 79% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 6.4% | 10% | 12% |
32 measures vs. Minnesota
10 better18 too close to call4 worse
| What stands out | Rice | MN |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults with heart disease | 3.5% | 5.9% |
| Fewer adults who have had a stroke | 1.9% | 3.1% |
| More binge drinkers | 23.4% | 17.8% |
Centracare - St. Cloud Hospital
13.1 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
SchoolsB
Public schools in Rice beat 62% of Minnesota districts
Its public schools are run by the Sauk Rapids-Rice Public Schools. Its one school is below.
62%of MN districts it outscoresBSchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rice ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 357 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MN on state tests and graduation
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C
Inland flooding leads a high hazard risk in Rice
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 68% of U.S. communities.
68risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesCold waves
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
In Rice, expect snowy winters and pleasant summers
Rice has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. Rice’s July high is 81°F, near the Minnesota town median (82°F) and below the median of U.S. towns (85°F).
51″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter6–24°
Spring32–54°
Summer58–79°
Fall36–55°
Sep 29
typical first frost
May 10
typical last frost
+1.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A
About one in three of Rice’s working residents commute to St. Cloud
Most working residents leave Rice for work: only 8% work in town. Since 2013, Rice has added 607 jobs, to 1,263 in 2023. 3% of residents live below the poverty line in Rice.
8%work in town
| Rice | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 3% | 7% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $108,000 | $90,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 24 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Rice8%
St. Cloud30%
Sauk Rapids8%
Waite Park6%
Little Falls5%
14 mi
median commute distance
1,263
jobs based in Rice
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
B−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 52% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Safety
Crime reported in Rice
Rice's reported crime rate is well below Minnesota's. The property crime rate in Rice is 2.7 per 1,000 residents. Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts.
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Rice0
Minnesota2.6
U.S.3.6
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Rice2.7
Minnesota16.3
U.S.17.7
0
violent crimes reported in 2024
6
property crimes reported in 2024
FBI crime data, 2024 · crimes reported to police
HousingCost of living grade B
Homes in Rice are worth about $354K, by Zillow’s estimate
The typical Rice home is worth about $354,000, up 2.1% in a year, close to the Minnesota typical home.
$354KZillow home value
| Rice | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 89% | 75% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,144 a month | $1,196 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Rice$354K
Minnesota$349K
+2.1%
value change, 1 year
4
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
OutdoorsC−
Rice has set aside 1.1% of its land for conservation
0.7 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves. Rice’s trail density is 0.1 miles per square mile.
1.1%conserved
| Rice | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.5 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 1.1% | 4.7% | 4.3% |
1.1%
conserved · 42 of 3,650 acres
0.7 mi
of trails · 0.1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Michaelson Farm Wildlife Management Area | — | 42 |
| 2. Westside Park | 0.2 mi | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Rice
19pages on Rice
The big questions
SchoolsBBeat 62% of MN districts · 1 schoolSafety0 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2024)HealthA−Better than MN on 10 of 32 CDC measuresCost of livingB$354K typical home · up 2.1% in a yearWork & commuteA$108K median household income · 1,263 jobs hereNatural hazardsCFEMA risk higher than 68% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
5 within 15 miles of the center of Rice
St Cloud Technical and Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Saint Cloud12.8 mi$6,124 in-state tuitionCollege of Saint BenedictUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Saint Joseph14.1 mi$55,756 tuitionSaint Cloud State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Saint Cloud14.8 mi$10,245 in-state tuition
About 3 of every 100 Rice residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Minnesota.
About Rice
City in Minnesota, United States
Rice is a city in Benton County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 1,975 at the 2020 census. Its zip code also encompasses Graham, Langola, and Watab townships. Rice is part of the St. Cloud Metropolitan Statistical Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1890
- Area
- 5.7 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,063 ft
- ZIP code
- 56367
- Area code
- 320
Rice’s neighbors
3 towns share a border with Rice.
Langola TownshipBrockway TownshipWatab TownshipRice
How the neighbors grade
| Town | MN rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rice | — | — | B | — | B | A− |
| Langola Township | — | — | C+ | — | B | B+ |
| Brockway Township | #123 | A− | C | — | A | B+ |
| Watab Township | #172 | B+ | B | — | B | B+ |
Rice and Langola Township have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Rice, Langola Township, Brockway Township and Watab Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Rice with a neighbor →
Questions about Rice
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Rice, MN expensive?
That is 4.6 years of the area's median household income ($76,497 across the St. 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.