$255,287Average Value$137Average Price per Sq Ft2Homes For Sale
Willmar's access to the lakes and regional commercial amenities
Surrounded by lakes and prairies, Willmar is a quiet town in central Minnesota. While people come to the region for the lakeside and winter recreation, Willmar is also a commercial and educational hub for the rest of Kandiyohi County. “It’s a smaller community with pretty much everything you need,” says resident and real estate agent Jason Dowdey with Weichert Realtors. “You don’t need to go to a metropolitan area—it’s got all your basic needs from shopping to schools.” About 21,000 strong, Dowdey emphasizes that Willmar is still growing, drawing more people who want to be closer to daily amenities without sacrificing access to the lakes. Employment opportunities like the manufacturing facilities in Willmar Industrial Park and Jennie-O Turkey Store’s headquarters on the western side of the city support the area’s growing population.
Northern Willmar has a number of lakes noted for fishing and recreation.
Willmar's large industrial park is home to notable manufacturing like Land O'Lakes and Jennie-O.
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Diverse dining and grocery options throughout downtown Willmar
Downtown Willmar features most of the city’s local restaurants, mainly along Benson and Litchfield avenues. The dining selection here is pretty diverse, offering a mix of American, Mexican and Somali restaurants and small, locally owned grocery stores. “The community’s known as being a bit of a melting pot,” Dowdey says. “There’s a lot of different ethnicities.” Supermarkets and big box stores branch off 1st Street, which cuts down the city's center and offers popular chains like Target and Walmart.
Downtown Willmar is home to many different kinds of restaurants.
Target is one of many big-box shopping options in Willmar.
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Lake access and accessible playground equipment at Robbins Island Regional Park
Willmar cozies up to three lakes on its northern side — Willmar Lake, Foot Lake and Swan Lake. Robbins Island Regional Park sits right between Foot Lake and Willmar Lake, nestled along the shoreline and offering beaching, fishing and boating opportunities. As the city’s largest park, people can also come here to play on the disc golf course or soccer fields. The Destination Playground is the space’s newest addition, providing over 19,000 square feet of accessible playground equipment designed to look like castles and barns. Willmar also has two golf courses — Eagle Creek Golf Club is on the northern side of the city and Valley Golf Course is on the western side. Starting in Willmar, the Glacial Lakes State Trail is a 22-mile, paved, rail-to-trail pathway where people can walk, bike and ride horses through the region. In the winter, the trail is also popular for snowmobiling and cross-country skiing.
Willmar's Destination Playground offers over 19,000 square feet of fun playground equipment and activities.
Valley Golf lies within the city of Willmar and offers nine holes of challenging fairways and greens.
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Winter weather and recreation in Wilmar
In the winter months, Willmar can get significant snowfall. However, Dowdey assures that this doesn’t deter people from getting outside and that plenty of people come to the region for winter recreation, from ice fishing to snowmobiling. The city sends out plows to clear and salt the roads during storms. Dowdey also emphasizes that certain sides of the city might experience the winter months differently. “If you’re from Willmar North, you get more woods,” Dowdey says. "But if you go south, it’s more prairie. It’s more protected from the winds in Willmar North.”
Whether in an ice house or on a boat, Willmar's lakes attract anglers year-round.
With flat prairie land surrounding most of Willmar, snowmobiling is a favorite area pastime.
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Free concerts throughout the summer and the annual county fair
Robbins Island Regional Park hosts many of the city’s annual events, like Rockin’ Robbins, the free concert series on Tuesday evenings throughout the summers. The concerts include an opener and a headliner each night, and people can also explore the local craft market, food trucks and kids’ activities. From Thanksgiving to New Year’s Eve, the park lights up with over 800,000 lights for Celebrate the Light of the World. As the county seat, Willmar also hosts the Kandiyohi County Fair every August, where people come for carnival rides and games, live music, tractor pulls and livestock exhibits.
Robbins Island Regional Park in Willmar hosts annual events like the Rockin' Robbins concert series.
The Celebrate the Light of the World experience is held at Robbins Island Regional Park in Willmar.
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New Traditional, split-level and ranch-style homes in Willmar
Willmar’s median housing price is about $240,000. Most homes across the city are split-level and ranch-style houses, including some along Foot Lake that offer private beaches and water access. At the city's edges, developments feature new traditional homes built in the past 20 years. While property crime has been steadily decreasing in Willmar since 2020, violent crime has continually increased over the past 10 years.
Classic ranch-style homes can be found in older neighborhoods in Willmar.
New traditional homes are a popular house in new construction developments in Willmar.
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Ridgewater College's many technical and higher education programs
Willmar Public School District 347 earns a B from Niche and ranks as the state's 8th most diverse school district. The district reports that Somali, Spanish, Karen and English are the top languages students and their families speak at home. On the northern side of the city, Ridgewater College is a regional community and technical college serving over 5,500 students. It offers over 100 programs, including cosmetology, manufacturing, engineering, agriculture, veterinary sciences and education.
The public school district in Willmar earns an overall B grade from Niche and has a diverse student body.
Ridgewater College is Willmar's community and technical college with over 100 areas of study available.
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Driving and snowmobiling throughout Willmar
With limited public transit service provided by Centtral Community Transit system, Willmar residents generally need their own car to get around the city, though some enjoy getting around by snowmobile in the winter. Freight trains continue to come through town, serving the manufacturing and industrial businesses based here. While 1st Street connects residents and visitors with the city’s shopping, it becomes U.S. Route 71 as it goes north, linking Willmar with the rest of the region’s towns and lakes. When flying, residents will have to head to a bigger city. The closest metropolitan area is Saint Cloud, 62 miles away.
Written By
Caroline Ernst
Photography Contributed By
Jeff Karels
Video By
Francesco Basti
Interested in learning more about homes in this area?
Reach out to
Jeff Holmers,
an experienced agent in this area.
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On average, homes in Willmar, MN sell after 30 days on the market compared to the national average of 70 days. The median sale price for homes in Willmar, MN over the last 12 months is $280,000, up 55% from the median home sale price over the previous 12 months.
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