Willmar, MN Housing Market
AI-powered market intelligence for the Willmar, MN metro area.
PropertyIQ Scores
Willmar, MN Market Analysis
Market Overview
Willmar, MN has a PropertyIQ Score of 32 out of 100, positioning it as a relatively weak market compared with statewide benchmarks. The median home value is $284,823, well below the state average of $350,752, and the rent index is $925, about 28 percent lower than the state benchmark of $1,280. Median household income is $76,592, trailing the state median of $89,062, while the unemployment rate of 4.3 percent matches the state average. This is a lower-cost market without a clear income or employment advantage.
The score drivers help explain the 32/100 reading. The 12-month home value momentum is 5.62 percent, but the 3-month momentum is -2.26 percent, showing recent price softening despite annual gains. Median days on market is 51 days, and 22.9 percent of listings have had a price cut. With 170 homes for sale and no population growth data available, the market appears moderate-to-weak: housing costs are lower than the state, but short-term momentum and selling conditions are soft.
Key Trends
One trend is cooling price momentum. The 12-month home value momentum of 5.62 percent shows annual appreciation, but the 3-month momentum of -2.26 percent indicates recent declines. The listed year-over-year home value change of $8 is modest in dollar terms, reinforcing that near-term price growth has been limited.
A second trend is longer selling times and more discounting. Median days on market is 51 days, and 22.9 percent of listings have a price cut. That means nearly one in four homes for sale has reduced its asking price, signaling weaker seller leverage and a shift toward buyer-friendly conditions.
Another trend is the affordability gap relative to the state. Willmar’s median home value of $284,823 and rent index of $925 are lower than the state benchmarks of $350,752 and $1,280, which makes housing more affordable in dollar terms. However, the median household income of $76,592 is also below the state median of $89,062, so local affordability is mixed. The unemployment rate matches the state at 4.3 percent, offering no distinct labor market advantage.
Finally, inventory and population data shape the supply picture. Willmar has 170 homes for sale, but population growth data is not available. Combined with 51 days on market and a 22.9 percent price-cut share, supply appears adequate or slightly elevated relative to current demand.
Who Is This Market For
Willmar may suit budget-conscious first-time buyers because the median home value of $284,823 is below the state average of $350,752. Lower purchase prices can reduce entry costs, but local incomes are also lower at $76,592 versus $89,062 statewide, so affordability depends on local wages as much as price tags.
Investors may find lower acquisition costs attractive, but the rent index of $925 is well below the state benchmark of $1,280, which may limit rental income potential. Move-up buyers may find less appreciation support because the 3-month home value momentum is -2.26 percent and 22.9 percent of listings have price cuts. Sellers should expect a median 51 days on market and may need to price competitively.
Outlook
The near-term outlook for Willmar is cautious. The 12-month home value momentum of 5.62 percent shows annual gains, but the 3-month momentum of -2.26 percent, 51 days on market, and 22.9 percent price-cut share point to continued short-term softness. The PropertyIQ Score of 32 out of 100 reflects this weak-to-moderate setup. Unless short-term momentum reverses, sellers will likely face longer timelines and more price adjustments, while buyers and investors may find negotiating room. Population growth data is missing, and unemployment at 4.3 percent matches the state, offering no additional local tailwind. On balance, lower housing costs and relative affordability are the market’s main offsets to softer selling conditions.
AI-generated analysis based on current market data. Last updated October 1, 2026.
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Willmar, MN market data
Willmar, MN Housing Market Overview
Willmar, MN's median home value is $285K, up 5.6% over the past year. Homes here sell in a median 51 days. Its PropertyIQ Score of 32 sits below the state average of 50, marking a market positioned to lag its state over the next three years.
Understanding the Willmar, MN housing market requires looking beyond headline price figures. The PropertyIQ Score reads both sides of market strength: Zillow price momentum across 3- and 12-month windows, and Realtor.com flow signals — days on market and the share of listings with price cuts. Together they predict how this MN metro is set to perform relative to the rest of its state.
Midwestern housing markets are characterized by affordability and economic diversification. From manufacturing hubs undergoing tech-sector transitions to university towns with stable demand, the region offers value-oriented opportunities with lower entry costs than coastal markets. Within the Midwest, Willmar, MN's PropertyIQ Score of 32 runs below the Midwest norm.
The PropertyIQ Score for the Willmar, MN market is built from four inputs: Zillow home-value momentum over twelve months, Zillow home-value momentum over three months, the median days listings spend on the market (Realtor.com), and the share of listings with a price cut (Realtor.com). The score runs on a 1 to 99 scale computed across all metro markets nationally and calibrated so 50 equals the state average — a score above 50 means this market is positioned to outperform its state, and a score below 50 means it is set to lag. Momentum here has been positive, with home values up 5.6% over the past year.
Use PropertyIQ's interactive analytics to compare Willmar, MN against any other US metro on its PropertyIQ Score and underlying metrics. Generate a free AI market report, explore historical trends on the graphs page, or see how this market ranks on the scores dashboard.
Counties in the Willmar, MN metro area
ZIP codes in the Willmar, MN metro area
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Market data through August 2026. Sourced from Zillow, Realtor.com, Redfin, U.S. Census Bureau, FRED, BLS, and BEA. Per-statistic source and date shown above.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Willmar, MN a good place to buy real estate in 2026?
PropertyIQ doesn't label markets simply good or bad. Instead, the PropertyIQ Score measures a market's demand momentum against its own state, where 50 marks the state average. Willmar, MN currently scores 32, a weak-momentum reading that leaves it positioned to lag its state over the next three years. For buyers, cooling demand usually brings more inventory, longer sale times, and real leverage to negotiate on price. Backing that up, the median home value here is $285K, up 5.6% over the past year. So whether Willmar, MN is right for you comes down to your goals: a rising-momentum market can favor long-term appreciation but offers less room to negotiate, while a cooling one hands buyers more leverage. Treat the score as a timing signal to weigh alongside your budget, holding period, and plans for the property, not a verdict on the market's quality.
What is the PropertyIQ Score for Willmar, MN?
Willmar, MN's PropertyIQ Score is 32, indicating weak momentum on a 1-to-99 scale. The score distills four transparent inputs into a single number: Zillow home-value momentum over the past 12 months, Zillow home-value momentum over the past 3 months, the median days homes spend on the market from Realtor.com, and the share of listings with a price cut, also from Realtor.com. Rising values and faster sales push the score up, while slow sales and frequent price cuts pull it down. The scale is calibrated so 50 equals the state average, meaning a score above 50 predicts the market will outperform its state over the next three years and a score below 50 predicts underperformance. PropertyIQ computes the score across every US market nationally, then recenters it against each state, so 32 places Willmar, MN below its state benchmark.
Are home prices in Willmar, MN rising or falling?
Home prices in Willmar, MN are rising. Over the past year, the median home value increased 5.6%, reaching $285K. Over the latest three months, values slipped 2.3%, a sign near-term demand is softening. PropertyIQ derives these figures from Zillow's home-value index, which tracks the typical value across the market rather than only the homes that happened to sell, giving a steadier read than a raw median sale price. Both the 12-month and 3-month momentum readings feed directly into the PropertyIQ Score, so this price trend is one of the core signals behind Willmar, MN's current score. Keep in mind that appreciation can vary widely by neighborhood and price tier across the metro area, so treat these figures as the market-wide baseline rather than a guarantee for any single property.
How quickly do homes sell in Willmar, MN?
In Willmar, MN, homes sell in a median of 51 days from listing to pending sale, based on Realtor.com market data. Median days on market is one of the clearest real-time reads on local demand: when homes move quickly, buyers are competing and sellers hold the advantage, while lengthening timelines signal cooling interest and more room to negotiate. Alongside sale speed, about 23% of active listings here have taken at least one price cut — a complementary demand gauge, since a rising share of reductions often precedes slower sales and softer prices. Both median days on market and the price-cut share feed directly into the PropertyIQ Score, where faster sales and fewer cuts push the score higher. As a general guide, medians under about 30 days indicate a brisk, competitive market, while medians well beyond 60 days point to buyers regaining leverage. Actual time on market still varies by price band, property type, and season, so treat the median as a market-wide baseline.
How current is this metro area data?
This Willmar, MN market data is refreshed on a monthly cycle, with the latest figures current through August 2026. PropertyIQ ingests fresh data every month from a range of authoritative sources: home values and rents from Zillow, days on market and price-cut activity from Realtor.com, additional housing signals from Redfin, demographic and housing-stock data from the U.S. Census Bureau, mortgage and macroeconomic series from FRED, and employment figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Bureau of Economic Analysis. The PropertyIQ Score itself is recomputed every month once the new source data lands, so the score and its four underlying inputs always reflect the most recent complete reporting period rather than a static snapshot. Because official housing data is typically released with a short lag, the current-through date usually trails the present by a few weeks, which is normal across the industry and not a sign the data is out of date.