Southwest Minnesota

With rolling prairies, the historic Minnesota River Valley and some of the richest farmland in the world, southwest Minnesota is unique. Our 18 counties and two Native Nations border South Dakota and Iowa.

We’re home to incredible people. There are 280,000 of us representing dozens of ethnic backgrounds. We’re known for our strong work ethic, spirit of innovation and sense of community. Communities range in size from 50 to 20,000, and immigrants are contributing to our region’s vibrancy and growth.

Tackling the Issues

Shortages of skilled workers, affordable housing and childcare are huge issues facing our region. We’re helping local communities and businesses find solutions through our economic development work.

Like much of the U.S., youth poverty is a growing problem here. One in six southwest Minnesota kids lives in poverty. We launched Grow Our Own to reverse the trend.