Lyon County

Lyon County is located in southwestern Minnesota along the state’s western prairie region, bordering South Dakota to the west. Established in 1862 during Minnesota’s early county-formation period, it developed as part of the agricultural settlement of the Upper Midwest. The county is mid-sized by Minnesota standards, with a population of roughly 25,000 people. Marshall is the county seat and the largest community, serving as the area’s primary center for government, education, health care, and retail services. Lyon County is predominantly rural, with a landscape of open farmland, prairie remnants, and small lakes and wetlands. Agriculture—especially corn and soybean production and livestock—remains a major economic base, alongside local manufacturing, public services, and higher education anchored by Southwest Minnesota State University in Marshall. Transportation corridors linking Marshall to other regional trade centers contribute to the county’s role as a service hub for surrounding towns and townships.

Lyon County is in southwestern Minnesota on the state’s prairie region, with Marshall as the county seat and regional service center. The county’s governmental hub and planning information are available via the Lyon County official website.

Population Size

According to the U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts for Lyon County, Minnesota, the county’s population (most recent Census Bureau release shown on that page) is reported there for both the decennial census and the latest available estimate.

Age & Gender

Age distribution and gender composition for Lyon County are published by the U.S. Census Bureau on the county’s QuickFacts profile, including:

• Key age shares (under 18, 65 and older)
• Median age
• Female and male percentages (gender ratio can be derived from these shares)

Racial & Ethnic Composition

County-level racial and ethnic composition (including major race categories and Hispanic/Latino ethnicity) is reported on the U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts page for Lyon County, which compiles the most recent available American Community Survey (ACS) and population estimate program figures used by QuickFacts.

Household & Housing Data

Household and housing indicators are provided on the Census Bureau’s QuickFacts for Lyon County, including commonly used planning metrics such as:

• Number of households and average household size
• Owner-occupied housing rate
• Median value of owner-occupied housing units
• Median gross rent
• Housing unit counts and related characteristics shown on the profile

Source Notes

All demographic statistics referenced above are drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau’s county profile: QuickFacts: Lyon County, Minnesota. The QuickFacts page provides the specific values and vintage dates for each metric in a single, citable table format.

Lyon County in southwestern Minnesota is anchored by the regional hub of Marshall, while surrounding low-density rural areas can increase last‑mile network costs and create uneven household connectivity, shaping reliance on email and other digital communication.

Direct county-level email-use rates are generally not published, so broadband and device access serve as proxies for likely email access and frequency. The most consistent local indicators are available through the U.S. Census Bureau data portal (American Community Survey tables on household computer ownership and broadband subscriptions).

Age structure influences email adoption because older adults tend to have lower broadband/device uptake than working-age residents. Lyon County’s age distribution can be referenced via ACS demographic profiles on data.census.gov, which provide county totals by age bands used in digital-equity planning.

Gender distribution is typically less predictive of email access than age, income, and education; county sex composition is available in the same ACS profiles.

Connectivity limitations are commonly tied to rural service footprints and provider availability; statewide broadband coverage, speed tiers, and unserved/underserved areas are documented by Minnesota’s Border-to-Border Broadband Development program, which informs local infrastructure constraints affecting email access.

Lyon County is in southwestern Minnesota, with Marshall as the county seat and largest city. The county is largely rural outside Marshall and along the U.S. Highway 59/23 corridors, with agricultural land use and relatively low population density compared with the Twin Cities region. This settlement pattern and distance between towns generally increases the cost per mile of building and upgrading cellular infrastructure, contributing to larger coverage variability between population centers and open countryside.

Data notes and scope (availability vs. adoption)

This overview separates network availability (where carriers report service) from adoption (whether residents/households subscribe to mobile voice/data service and the devices they use). Publicly accessible sources typically provide stronger availability detail than county-specific adoption detail. County-level adoption indicators are limited and, in many cases, only available at broader geographies (state, multi-county regions) or through proprietary datasets.

Network availability in Lyon County (reported coverage)

Primary public sources

• The most widely used federal source for provider-reported mobile broadband coverage is the FCC’s mobile broadband maps and associated data releases. See the FCC National Broadband Map for location-based reporting of 4G LTE and 5G coverage by provider.
• The FCC also publishes documentation on mobile data collection methodology, including known limitations (provider-reported polygons, modeled signal, update cadence). See FCC Mobile Broadband Maps information.

4G LTE

• 4G LTE service is generally the baseline mobile broadband layer used for both voice (VoLTE) and data across most of rural Minnesota, including areas with sparse population. In Lyon County, FCC map queries typically show broad 4G availability around Marshall and along major roads, with more variability in coverage quality and provider overlap in the most rural areas.
• FCC availability is best interpreted as “service is reported as available,” not that indoor coverage, speed, or congestion performance is uniform across the county.

5G (including sub-6 and mid-band where present)

• 5G availability in rural counties often concentrates in population centers and along major corridors first, with more limited geographic reach than 4G LTE. In Lyon County, reported 5G coverage typically appears strongest in/near Marshall, with less consistent presence in low-density areas.
• The FCC map distinguishes technology generations and can be filtered by provider, allowing county residents and institutions to compare reported 5G layers against 4G LTE.

Key limitation

• Provider-reported availability does not directly measure “usable service” at every location (especially indoors, in vehicles, or at cell-edge). County-level, independently measured drive-test datasets are not consistently public.

Household and individual adoption (mobile penetration/access indicators)

County-level adoption indicators

• The U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS) includes measures related to household internet subscriptions and devices, but the most commonly cited device detail is not consistently available at the county level in a way that cleanly isolates “mobile broadband only” versus “mobile plus fixed.” For baseline household internet subscription context, use Census.gov data tools and search ACS tables for Lyon County, MN.
• The ACS “internet subscription” concepts are household-based and do not equate to individual mobile phone ownership; they also do not directly measure 4G/5G usage.

State-level context (used when county estimates are not published)

• Minnesota broadband adoption and device access are often summarized by the state broadband office and statewide surveys/reports. These are useful for contextualizing Lyon County but do not replace county-specific adoption measurement. See the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) Broadband program pages for statewide broadband reporting and resources.

Clear distinction

• Availability: what networks are reported to cover locations in Lyon County (FCC map).
• Adoption: the share of households/people actually subscribing to mobile service or relying on mobile-only internet, which is not comprehensively published at the county level in a single public dataset.

Mobile internet usage patterns (4G vs. 5G use)

4G as the dominant fall-back layer

• In rural counties, mobile data sessions frequently remain anchored on 4G LTE due to wider geographic coverage and more consistent signal at distance from towers. Even where 5G is reported available, devices commonly revert to LTE based on signal strength, indoor penetration, and network loading.

5G usage concentrated in Marshall and denser areas

• Reported 5G layers are typically more contiguous in Marshall than in outlying townships, aligning with where carriers prioritize spectrum deployments and backhaul upgrades. This pattern is visible in FCC coverage layers when comparing Marshall to rural sections of the county.

Fixed vs. mobile substitution

• In lower-density areas, some households use mobile data plans (including hotspot or phone tethering) to supplement or replace fixed broadband, particularly where fixed service options are limited or costly. Publicly available county-level quantification of “mobile-only households” is limited; ACS tables may provide partial indicators via household internet subscription categories, but interpretation requires care. Use ACS tables on Census.gov for the most defensible public starting point.

Common device types (smartphones vs. other devices)

Smartphones

• Smartphones are the dominant end-user device for mobile connectivity nationally and statewide, and there is no public evidence suggesting Lyon County differs in kind from that baseline. County-specific smartphone ownership rates are not commonly published in an official, regularly updated dataset.

Hotspots and fixed-wireless gateways

• In rural settings, dedicated mobile hotspots and cellular-connected routers/gateways appear as practical alternatives for homes, farms, and small businesses where wired options are constrained. Public sources usually describe this qualitatively rather than providing county-level device counts.

IoT and agricultural/industrial connectivity

• Rural counties with agricultural activity often use cellular IoT (asset tracking, telemetry), but county-level prevalence data is typically proprietary. Public availability mapping (FCC) does not enumerate IoT adoption.

Demographic and geographic factors influencing mobile usage and connectivity

Population distribution

• Marshall functions as the county’s principal population and employment center. Higher density supports more tower capacity, more provider competition, and earlier adoption of network upgrades (including 5G), while sparsely populated townships generally see fewer sites per square mile.

Land use and terrain

• Southwestern Minnesota terrain is comparatively open, which can support longer propagation for low-band cellular signals, but distance between sites still leads to coverage gaps and weaker indoor penetration in some rural locations.

Travel corridors

• Coverage tends to be stronger and more consistent along major highways and in towns, reflecting carrier prioritization of commuter and freight routes. This is typically visible in reported coverage layers on the FCC National Broadband Map.

Income, age, and household composition (adoption-related)

• Adoption of mobile broadband and reliance on mobile-only internet correlates with income, age, and housing stability in national and statewide research, but county-specific breakdowns for these relationships are not consistently published for Lyon County in a single official source. The most appropriate public mechanism for local demographic context is the U.S. Census Bureau (ACS) on Census.gov, paired with statewide broadband reporting from Minnesota DEED Broadband.

Local and state reference points

• County geographic and civic context: Lyon County, Minnesota official website
• Federal availability mapping (mobile 4G/5G): FCC National Broadband Map
• Federal household internet subscription/device indicators (where available via ACS): Census.gov (ACS data)
• State broadband context and reporting: Minnesota DEED Broadband

Summary (availability vs. adoption)

• Availability: 4G LTE is generally the most geographically extensive mobile network layer in Lyon County; reported 5G coverage is more concentrated in Marshall and other denser or corridor areas, with reduced reach in sparsely populated sections. The authoritative public reference is the FCC coverage map layers.
• Adoption: County-specific mobile phone ownership, smartphone share, and mobile-only household internet reliance are not comprehensively published in a single, regularly updated public dataset for Lyon County. The ACS provides partial household internet subscription indicators, and state broadband reporting provides broader context, but neither fully substitutes for direct county-level mobile adoption measurement.

Lyon County is in southwestern Minnesota and includes Marshall (the county seat) along with smaller communities in a largely rural/agricultural region. The presence of a regional hub (Marshall) with higher education and service-sector employment alongside dispersed rural townships tends to produce mixed connectivity and platform preferences: broad adoption of mainstream social networks, with heavier reliance on mobile-first and community-oriented channels for local news, events, and school activities.

User statistics (penetration and estimated active use)

• County-specific social media penetration is not published in a standardized way by major national survey programs. The most reliable approach is to use national and state-level benchmarks for adults and note local structural factors (rurality, age mix) that typically moderate usage.
• Nationally, about 7 in 10 U.S. adults use social media (a common benchmark for “any social media” use). Source: Pew Research Center social media fact sheet.
• For connectivity context that influences social media activity (especially video and short-form platforms), rural areas have lower household broadband availability/adoption than urban areas in many regions. See: Pew Research Center internet and broadband fact sheet.
• Practical implication for Lyon County: overall adult social media use is generally expected to track the national “~70%” range, with lower intensity among older rural residents and higher intensity among students/working-age adults in and around Marshall.

Age group trends

National age patterns are consistent and are the most reliable proxy for Lyon County:

• 18–29: highest usage and highest multi-platform adoption; strongest concentration of Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and heavy video consumption. Source: Pew Research Center social media fact sheet.
• 30–49: high overall usage; strong presence on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and growing use of TikTok.
• 50–64: moderate-to-high usage; Facebook and YouTube dominate, with lower adoption of Snapchat/TikTok.
• 65+: lowest usage overall but substantial use of Facebook and YouTube relative to other platforms; usage is more “stay connected” and local-community oriented than trend-driven.

Gender breakdown

County-level gender splits are not routinely published, but consistent national patterns indicate:

• Women are more likely than men to use certain platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and to use social platforms for maintaining social ties.
• Men are often more concentrated in some interest-driven or discussion-heavy spaces, and platform differences can be smaller on broad-reach services like YouTube. Source: Pew Research Center social media fact sheet.

Most-used platforms (percentages from national benchmarks)

The following figures are widely cited national adult-use benchmarks and are commonly used to approximate local mixes in counties without direct measurement:

• YouTube: used by a large majority of U.S. adults (often reported around ~80%+ in recent Pew reporting).
• Facebook: used by a majority of U.S. adults (often reported around ~60%+).
• Instagram: used by roughly ~40% of U.S. adults.
• Pinterest: used by roughly ~30% of U.S. adults.
• TikTok: used by roughly ~30% of U.S. adults, skewing younger.
• Snapchat: used by roughly ~25–30% of U.S. adults, heavily concentrated under 30.
• X (formerly Twitter): used by roughly ~20% of U.S. adults. Source for platform shares: Pew Research Center social media fact sheet.

Local expectation for Lyon County (based on rural + regional-center structure):

• Facebook and YouTube typically function as the broadest-reach platforms across age groups.
• Instagram/Snapchat/TikTok concentrate among teens and young adults, including students and early-career residents in Marshall.

Behavioral trends (engagement and preferences)

• Community information behavior: In rural and micropolitan areas, social media use often emphasizes local events, school/sports updates, weather closures, community notices, and marketplace activity, which aligns strongly with Facebook usage patterns.
• Video-first consumption: YouTube tends to be a universal platform for “how-to,” entertainment, music, and news clips across age groups; short-form video growth (notably TikTok) is strongest among younger cohorts. Reference: Pew Research Center social media fact sheet.
• Messaging and private sharing: A meaningful share of social engagement occurs in private messages and small groups rather than public posting, reflecting broader U.S. shifts toward private, relationship-centered communication. Background research: Pew Research Center Internet & Technology research.
• Device and access effects: Areas with lower broadband adoption or higher reliance on mobile connectivity tend to show greater dependence on mobile-friendly apps and more variability in high-bandwidth behaviors (long-form streaming, high-resolution uploads). Reference: Pew Research Center internet and broadband fact sheet.

Lyon County, Minnesota maintains “family” vital records such as birth and death certificates through Minnesota’s statewide vital records system rather than as county-issued public databases. Certified birth and death records are generally issued by the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) Vital Records Office and, for eligible requesters, by local vital records offices. Minnesota also maintains marriage records via the county recorder; Lyon County marriage certificates are handled through the Recorder’s Office. Adoption records are administered through Minnesota state courts and agencies and are not maintained as open public records.

Public-facing databases most commonly available at the county level relate to associates and households through property and court records. Lyon County provides online access points for land and property information via the Lyon County Recorder and Lyon County Assessor, and court case access is provided through the Minnesota Judicial Branch’s Minnesota Court Records Online (MCRO).

Residents access county-recorded documents in person during business hours at the relevant county department, or online where the county provides portals and document request procedures. State vital records are requested through MDH Vital Records.

Privacy restrictions apply to nonpublic vital records, many adoption records, and certain court case types; access to certified copies and protected case details is limited by statute and court rules.

Types of records available

• Marriage licenses (and related marriage records)
  • Marriage licenses are issued at the county level and form the county’s primary civil record of a marriage event.
  • County files commonly include the marriage license application and the marriage certificate/return (the portion completed and returned after the ceremony).
• Divorce decrees (dissolutions of marriage)
  • Divorce records are maintained as district court case records. The decree/judgment is part of the court file.
• Annulments (declarations of invalidity)
  • Annulments are maintained as district court case records, typically filed and indexed similarly to other family court matters.

Where records are filed and how they can be accessed

• Marriage records (county-level)

  • Filed and maintained by the Lyon County Recorder’s Office as the local custodian of marriage records created in Lyon County.
  • Access is typically available by request through the Recorder’s Office (in person, by mail, or via any county-supported request methods).
  • Minnesota also maintains marriage records at the state level through the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), Office of Vital Records; state-certified copies are requested from MDH.
    • Minnesota Department of Health – Vital Records

• Divorce and annulment records (court-level)

  • Filed and maintained by the Minnesota District Court for Lyon County (court administration maintains the official case file and public access functions).
  • Many case register entries and certain documents may be viewable through the Minnesota Judicial Branch’s online records access tools, with limits for nonpublic content.
    • Minnesota Judicial Branch – Access Case Records
  • Obtaining certified copies of divorce judgments/decrees is handled through the district court (court administration/clerk), not the county recorder.

Typical information included in these records

• Marriage license / marriage record

  • Full legal names of the parties
  • Date and place (city/county) of marriage
  • Date of license issuance and license number (where applicable)
  • Officiant information and certification/return details
  • Identifying information collected on the application (commonly includes birth information and residence addresses; specific fields vary by form and time period)

• Divorce decree / judgment and decree (court record)

  • Case caption (party names) and case number
  • Filing venue (judicial district/county) and key dates (filing, hearing, entry of judgment)
  • Legal dissolution findings and orders, commonly including:
    • Property and debt division
    • Spousal maintenance (if ordered)
    • Child custody/parenting time and child support terms (when applicable)
    • Name change provisions (when granted)
  • Ancillary documents may exist in the case file (pleadings, affidavits, financial statements, exhibits), subject to access rules

• Annulment (court record)

  • Case caption and case number
  • Findings and conclusions supporting invalidity of the marriage under applicable law
  • Orders addressing legal status, name changes, and related matters (including custody/support determinations when relevant)

Privacy and legal restrictions

• Marriage records

  • Minnesota treats marriage records as vital records. Public inspection and copying are governed by state vital records statutes and related rules.
  • Certified copies are generally issued by the legally authorized custodian (county recorder for county-held records; MDH for state-held records). Some data elements collected on applications may be restricted from broad release.

• Divorce and annulment court records

  • Court records are governed by Minnesota Rules of Public Access to Records of the Judicial Branch and related statutes.
  • Some information and documents in family court files may be nonpublic, confidential, or sealed (for example, certain identifying information, child-related records, protected addresses, financial account details, and documents sealed by court order).
  • Public access commonly includes the existence of a case and basic register-of-actions information, while access to specific documents may be limited based on classification or a court order.

Lyon County is in southwest Minnesota along the U.S. Highway 59 corridor, with Marshall as the county seat and largest population center. The county combines a regional “micropolitan” hub (Marshall) with surrounding small towns and extensive agricultural land. Population and housing patterns reflect a mix of college-related households (Southwest Minnesota State University in Marshall), long-term owner occupancy in town neighborhoods, and rural farmsteads.

Education Indicators

Public school footprint (counts and names)

Public K–12 education in Lyon County is provided through multiple independent school districts that operate elementary, middle, and high schools serving Marshall and the surrounding towns. A consolidated “single list” of all public schools by name is not consistently published in one county-level source; the most reliable way to confirm the current school roster and grade configurations is through the Minnesota Department of Education’s public directory. Reference: Minnesota Department of Education Data Center and directories.

Commonly referenced district systems serving Lyon County communities include:

• Marshall Public Schools (ISD 413) (Marshall)
• Minneota Public Schools (Minneota)
• Tracy Area Public Schools (Tracy)
• Lakeview Public Schools (Cottonwood)
• Russell-Tyler-Ruthton Public Schools (serving communities that include Russell in Lyon County)

Because school buildings and attendance boundaries can change over time (including shared services across county lines), district-level sources and MDE directories are treated as the authoritative roster.

Student–teacher ratios and graduation rates

• Student–teacher ratios: District-level student–teacher ratios in rural southwest Minnesota typically fall near the mid-teens to high-teens (students per teacher). A single countywide ratio is not an official metric; it varies by district, school size, and grade level. The most recent ratios are reported at district/school level in MDE staffing and enrollment publications (see the MDE Data Center above).
• Graduation rates: Minnesota reports 4-year cohort graduation rates by district and high school. In Lyon County, graduation rates are generally reported at the district/school level rather than as a county aggregate. The most recent graduation rate tables are available via the MDE Data Center.

Adult educational attainment

Countywide adult attainment is most consistently available from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS). Key measures typically used for county profiles are:

• High school diploma or higher (age 25+)
• Bachelor’s degree or higher (age 25+)

The most recent 5-year ACS estimates for Lyon County can be accessed through the Census Bureau’s county profile tools (tables commonly referenced include DP02/DP03 and detailed education tables). Reference: U.S. Census Bureau data.census.gov (Lyon County, MN).
Note: The ACS is the standard proxy for county-level attainment; Minnesota’s education administrative data are primarily school/district-based rather than adult-attainment based.

Notable programs (STEM, vocational training, AP)

• Advanced Placement / college-credit coursework: Minnesota districts commonly offer AP and/or concurrent enrollment (dual credit) through Minnesota colleges and universities. District course offerings and participation are reported locally and in some MDE program summaries rather than as a single countywide roll-up.
• Career and Technical Education (CTE): Rural and micropolitan districts in southwest Minnesota generally provide CTE pathways (e.g., agriculture, manufacturing, health sciences, business, trades), often supported by regional partnerships. The most consistent statewide program definitions and accountability reporting are maintained by MDE and the Minnesota State system.
• Higher education presence: Marshall is home to Southwest Minnesota State University (SMSU), which influences local educational programming, student employment, and adult continuing education opportunities. Reference: Southwest Minnesota State University.

Because “county-level cataloging” of STEM/CTE/AP participation is not typically published as a single table for all districts in the county, district profiles and MDE program reports are used as the primary sources.

School safety measures and counseling resources

Minnesota public schools follow statewide requirements and guidance related to:

• Emergency operations planning and drills
• Student support services (school counselors, social workers, psychologists), typically scaled by district size and funding
• Anti-bullying requirements under Minnesota law

Specific staffing levels (e.g., counselor-to-student ratios) and safety programming details are generally documented in district reports and policies rather than in a standardized county summary. MDE provides statewide guidance and reporting entry points through its Data Center and program pages (see MDE link above).

Employment and Economic Conditions

Unemployment rate (most recent year available)

The official local benchmark is the annual average unemployment rate from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS). County annual averages and recent monthly estimates can be retrieved through:

• BLS LAUS (county unemployment)
• Minnesota’s labor market information portals (DEED), which republish LAUS in state-friendly formats: Minnesota DEED labor market data

A single numeric value is not provided here because the “most recent year available” changes during the calendar year; LAUS annual averages are updated on a set schedule. The sources above are the authoritative releases.

Major industries and employment sectors

Lyon County’s economy reflects a regional service hub plus surrounding agricultural production. Major sector groupings commonly represented in county employment include:

• Educational services and health care/social assistance (anchored by the micropolitan center and regional service demand)
• Manufacturing (regional manufacturing and food/ag-related processing are common in southwest Minnesota)
• Retail trade and accommodation/food services (serving Marshall and nearby towns)
• Public administration
• Agriculture and agribusiness-related activity (more visible in land use and proprietorships than in wage-and-salary counts)

For the most consistent county-by-industry breakdowns, use:

• ACS industry and occupation tables (Lyon County, MN)
• Minnesota DEED industry/occupation and QCEW-based summaries (where available)

Common occupations and workforce breakdown

County occupational structure is most commonly summarized through ACS occupation groups:

• Management, business, science, and arts
• Service
• Sales and office
• Natural resources, construction, and maintenance
• Production, transportation, and material moving

These are available in ACS county tables on data.census.gov (see link above). DEED may also provide regional occupational projections that include the county.

Commuting patterns and mean commute times

ACS provides:

• Mean travel time to work
• Mode of commute (drive alone, carpool, work from home, etc.)
• Place of work vs. place of residence indicators (including county-to-county commuting flows in certain datasets)

For Lyon County, commuting is generally characterized by shorter in-county commutes for Marshall-area jobs plus cross-county travel to other southwest Minnesota employment centers for specialized manufacturing, healthcare, and education roles. The official mean commute time and mode shares are available via ACS commuting tables on data.census.gov.

Local employment vs. out-of-county work

The most data-driven approach uses:

• ACS “county of work”/commuting characteristics for residents (residence-based)
• LEHD Origin-Destination Employment Statistics (LODES) for workplace/residence flows (where available)

Primary access points:

• ACS commuting tables on data.census.gov
• Census LEHD / LODES commuting flow data

A single countywide percentage working outside the county varies by year and is not consistently summarized in a single official county fact sheet; the sources above provide the defensible estimates.

Housing and Real Estate

Homeownership rate and rental share

Homeownership and rental shares are most consistently provided by the ACS (occupied housing units by tenure). In counties like Lyon with a regional hub and rural surroundings, tenure typically shows:

• Higher owner-occupancy in small towns and rural areas
• Higher rental concentrations in Marshall, influenced by university-related demand and multi-family stock

Official county tenure shares are available via ACS housing tables on data.census.gov.

Median property values and recent trends

• Median value of owner-occupied housing units (ACS) is the standard county-level statistic.
• Recent trends: County-level value trends are often inferred by comparing multi-year ACS periods and/or using regional market reports; ACS is the most consistent source for a time series at the county level.

For Lyon County’s median value and changes over time, use ACS median home value tables on data.census.gov.
Note: MLS-based “median sale price” is a different metric (transaction-based) and is not uniformly available as an official county time series without relying on proprietary market reports.

Typical rent prices

ACS provides:

• Median gross rent
• Rent as a percentage of household income These are the most consistent countywide figures and can be retrieved via data.census.gov. In Lyon County, typical rents are generally lower than major Minnesota metros but higher in Marshall than in surrounding smaller communities, reflecting local demand near employment and higher education.

Types of housing

Housing stock in Lyon County typically includes:

• Single-family detached homes (dominant in most small-town neighborhoods and rural residential parcels)
• Apartments and multi-unit buildings (more concentrated in Marshall)
• Manufactured homes (present in some areas, varying by community)
• Farmsteads and rural lots (outside city limits, reflecting agricultural land use patterns)

ACS provides the county distribution by structure type (units in structure) on data.census.gov.

Neighborhood characteristics (proximity to schools/amenities)

Countywide housing patterns are shaped by:

• Marshall: more walkable access to schools, university facilities, retail, and healthcare; more rental and multi-family options
• Smaller towns (e.g., Minneota, Tracy, Cottonwood, Russell): predominantly owner-occupied neighborhoods with schools and basic civic amenities concentrated near town centers
• Rural areas: larger lots and farm-related properties, longer travel distances to schools and services

These characteristics are based on the county’s settlement pattern (one principal city plus dispersed small towns) rather than a formal “neighborhood index” published at the county level.

Property tax overview (average rate and typical homeowner cost)

Minnesota property taxes are determined by a combination of tax capacity rates, local levies, and property classifications, so a single “county tax rate” is not a uniform figure across all parcels. The most defensible county-level overview uses:

• Median real estate taxes paid (ACS) for owner-occupied homes
• State and county assessor/treasurer information for levy and classification context

For median taxes paid and distribution, use ACS housing cost and property tax tables on data.census.gov.
For Minnesota’s property tax structure and county-level administration, reference: Minnesota Department of Revenue property tax overview.

Note: A precise “average rate” (as a percent of value) varies widely by location (city vs. township), school district levies, and property type; ACS-based taxes-paid metrics serve as the standard proxy for a county profile.