Prior is a township in Big Stone County, Minnesota, home to about 303 people across 45 square miles. It has no ZIP code of its own: it’s part of 56225, 56240 and 56278.
Homes sold for a median of $162 per square foot across 3 ZIP codes in the three months ending August 2026, and 1 of 3 were seller’s markets.
Mostly Clinton City; part is in Prior
Mostly Graceville City; part is in Prior
Mostly Ortonville; part is in Prior
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Prior. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
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| Nearest major airport | Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport / Wold–Chamberlain Field (MSP)161 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Watertown Regional Airport (ATY)51 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Minneapolis, MN157 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Chicago, IL503 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Prior; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
Prior had 276 residents in the 2020 census, up 24% since 2000.
It’s the 1468th largest of 2,727 towns in Minnesota by population.
Big Stone County grew from 8,731 residents in 1900 to 5,166 in 2020.
Big Stone County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 83°F in summer, and winter lows average 3°F. About 26.6 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 43 inches of snow.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Artichoke Lake 1 E, MN weather station (15 miles away).
1,372 jobs at 178 businesses in Big Stone County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
61 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Prior’s ZIP codes.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 12 |
|---|---|
| Specialist doctors | 1 |
| Dentists | 2 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 12 |
| Mental health providers | 5 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 24 |
| Optometrists | 3 |
| Chiropractors | 2 |
| Pharmacies | 5 |
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.
Museums (1 nearby)
Counts are within about 4.5 miles of the center of town.
Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.
Public schools here are run by Ortonville Public Schools, Clinton-Graceville-Beardsley, Big Stone City School District 25-1. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Knoll ElementaryOrtonville | Pre-K–6 | 282 | Public | 9.1 mi |
| Pre-K - 5th Grade BuildingClinton | Pre-K–5 | 152 | Public | 1.7 mi |
| Big Stone Colony ElementaryGraceville | K–8 | 19 | Public | 6.5 mi |
| Contract - 02Ortonville | K–12 | — | Public | 9.1 mi |
| Lismore Colony ElementaryClinton | K–8 | 24 | Public | 7.5 mi |
| 6-12th Grade BuildingGraceville | 6–12 | 133 | Public | 9.0 mi |
| Ortonville SecondaryOrtonville | 7–12 | 228 | Public | 9.1 mi |
| Big Stone Colony High SchoolClinton | 9–12 | 4 | Public | 6.5 mi |
| Lismore Colony Senior High SchoolClinton | 9–12 | 1 | Public | 7.5 mi |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.
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Shares ZIP codes with Ortonville, Graceville City, Clinton City, Big Stone, Otrey, Malta, Almond, Ortonville Township, Graceville Township, Foster Township (Big Stone County), Odessa Township, Yellow Bank, Tara Township (Traverse County), Leonardsville, Moonshine, Toqua, Parnell Township (Traverse County), Artichoke and Barry City.
Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.