Town guide

Waite Park, Minnesota

Waite Park is a city in Stearns County, Minnesota, home to about 8,399 people across 13 square miles. Its ZIP code is 56387, and parts of 56301 are in Waite Park too.

Homes sold for a median of $169 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a seller’s market.

Population8,399665 per sq mi
Median home value$219,400Census, as estimated by owners
Price per sq ft$169Sold homes, 3 months to August 2026
Sold over asking33%Latest 3 months

ZIP codes in Waite Park

2 ZIP codes, 1 shared with neighboring towns

Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Waite Park. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology

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  • History
  • What it’s like to live there
  • Getting around
  • Things to do

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Around Waite Park

Distances

Nearest major airportMinneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport / Wold–Chamberlain Field (MSP)67 miles away
Closer regional airportSaint Cloud Regional Airport (STC)7 miles away
Nearest city of 250,000+Minneapolis, MN61 miles away
Nearest city of 1 million+Chicago, IL415 miles away

Straight-line distances from the center of Waite Park; driving is longer.

Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Who represents Waite Park

Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.

Population over time

Waite Park had 8,341 residents in the 2020 census, up 27% since 2000.

It’s the 116th largest of 2,727 towns in Minnesota by population.

Stearns County grew from 44,464 residents in 1900 to 158,292 in 2020.

Waite Park population by census2000: 6,568, 2010: 6,715, 2020: 8,3416,56820006,71520108,3412020

Stearns County, 1900–2020

Stearns County population, 1900 to 20201900: 44,464, 1910: 47,733, 1920: 55,741, 1930: 62,121, 1940: 67,200, 1950: 70,681, 1960: 80,345, 1970: 95,400, 1980: 108,161, 1990: 118,791, 2000: 133,166, 2010: 150,642, 2020: 158,29244K’00’1056K’20’3067K’40’5080K’60’70108K’80’90133K’00’10158K’20

Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).

Weather by month

Average highs peak around 82°F in summer, and winter lows average 3°F. About 28.7 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 48 inches of snow.

Average high and low temperature and precipitation by month near Waite ParkJan: high 21°F, low 3°F, 0.7 in; Feb: high 26°F, low 7°F, 0.8 in; Mar: high 39°F, low 20°F, 1.6 in; Apr: high 54°F, low 32°F, 2.6 in; May: high 68°F, low 45°F, 3.7 in; Jun: high 77°F, low 55°F, 3.8 in; Jul: high 82°F, low 59°F, 3.6 in; Aug: high 79°F, low 56°F, 4 in; Sep: high 71°F, low 48°F, 3 in; Oct: high 56°F, low 36°F, 2.6 in; Nov: high 39°F, low 23°F, 1.4 in; Dec: high 26°F, low 10°F, 0.9 in21°3°Jan0.726°7°Feb0.839°20°Mar1.654°32°Apr2.668°45°May3.777°55°Jun3.882°59°Jul3.679°56°Aug4.071°48°Sep3.056°36°Oct2.639°23°Nov1.426°10°Dec0.9Rain and melted snow, inches

Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, St Cloud Rgnl Ap, MN weather station (8 miles away).

Jobs in Stearns County

84,123 jobs at 4,474 businesses in Stearns County. The biggest industries by employees:

Largest industries in Stearns CountyHealth care and social assistance: 17,077 jobs; Manufacturing: 11,671 jobs; Retail trade: 11,013 jobs; Construction: 7,054 jobs; Hotels and restaurants: 6,885 jobs; Transportation and warehousing: 4,344 jobs; Wholesale trade: 4,191 jobs; Company headquarters: 4,129 jobsHealth care and social assistance 20% Manufacturing 14% Retail trade 13% Construction 8% Hotels and restaurants 8% Transportation and warehousing 5% Wholesale trade 5% Company headquarters 5%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).

Health care

93 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Waite Park.

Nearest hospitals

  • St. Cloud Va Medical CenterVA hospital · no emergency room · St.. Cloud1.7 miles
  • Centracare - St.. Cloud HospitalGeneral hospital · emergency room · CMS rating 4 of 5 · Saint Cloud2.8 miles
  • Centracare Health - MonticelloCritical access hospital · emergency room · Monticello27.0 miles

Providers with an office here

Primary care doctors2
Dentists3
Nurse practitioners and physician assistants12
Mental health providers40
Physical and occupational therapists16
Optometrists8
Chiropractors12
Pharmacies2

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.

Places in and around Waite Park

Parks (24 nearby)

  • Heritage Park · 68 acres0.5 mi
  • Rivers Edge Park · 44 acres1.4 mi
  • Eastman Park · 28 acres2.4 mi
  • McKinley Park · 19 acres1.8 mi
  • Centennial Park · 12 acres2.2 mi
  • Lion's Park · 6 acres0.4 mi

Grocery stores (8 nearby)

  • Iftin Grocery Store0.2 mi
  • Fresh Thyme0.2 mi
  • Cash Wise Foods0.3 mi
  • ALDI0.4 mi

Pharmacies (4 nearby)

  • Walgreens0.5 mi
  • Walgreens1.2 mi
  • CVS Pharmacy1.3 mi
  • Coborn's Pharmacy1.8 mi

Libraries (2 nearby)

  • Waite Park Public Library1.0 mi
  • Saint Cloud Public Library2.3 mi

Museums (2 nearby)

  • Stearns History Museum0.4 mi
  • Rail Legacy Museum0.9 mi

Theaters and performance venues (3 nearby)

  • Great Theatre0.8 mi
  • lake George2.4 mi
  • Paramount Theater2.5 mi

Counts are within about 2.5 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.

Schools in Waite Park

Public schools here are run by St. Cloud Public School District. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.

Public schools (5)
SchoolGradesStudentsTypeDistance
Discovery Community ElementaryWaite ParkPre-K–5572Public0.8 mi
EC Sp Ed at Quarryview Ed CenterWaite ParkPre-K245Special Education0.9 mi
Special Education FacilitiesWaite ParkPre-K–12—Special Education1.1 mi
Central Minnesota Virtual AcademyWaite Park6–1253Public1.1 mi
St. Cloud Area Learning CenterWaite Park6–12237Alternative Education1.0 mi
Private schools (1)
SchoolGradesStudentsAffiliationDistance
Holy Innocents SchoolWaite ParkK–1212Roman Catholic1.5 mi

Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools; Private School Universe Survey (2023-2024) for private schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.

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Towns near Waite Park

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Shares ZIP codes with St. Cloud, St. Augusta, Rockville and St. Joseph Township (Stearns County).

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.