Watkins MHC Watkins, Minnesota
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Your own yard in lake country.

Own your home and rent the lot under it for $400 a month. A 520-acre lake is three miles down the road, the town pool is heated, and St. Cloud is 30 to 40 minutes away.

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Or call or text 1-800-209-1533. Tom manages the community.

Illustration Lake country around Watkins, not a view from the community.

Watkins · Meeker County · Minnesota

A town of 991 with a heated pool, a winter rink and a 520-acre lake three miles south.

Population: U.S. Census 2020, via Wikipedia (opens in a new tab) (accessed Sept 2026)

Your yard, your home

You own the house. You rent the ground.

Every home here belongs to the household living in it. The park doesn’t rent out houses. You rent the lot under yours, with its own yard and parking, for $400 a month.

  1. Your home. You own it, insure it and decide what it looks like inside.
  2. Your yard. Individual yards on each lot.
  3. Two parking spaces per home, off the street.
  4. Wide, paved, curbed streets through the community.
  5. The lot you rent. $400 a month as of September 2026.

Source: MHVillage community listing (opens in a new tab) (accessed Sept 2026)

Drawing of a typical lot seen from above: the home (A), the yard (B), two parking spaces (C), the paved street (D) and the rented lot boundary (E). A B C D E
Illustration A typical lot, not a specific site. Lot sizes and layouts vary.

A Minnesota bonus for owners Homeowners who pay lot rent may qualify for the state’s Homestead Credit Refund on Form M1PR. How it works: MN Department of Revenue, Homestead Credit Refund (opens in a new tab) (accessed Sept 2026)

Four seasons in Watkins

Pool in July. Rink in January.

Watkins is 991 people in 0.69 square miles, so the town’s pool, rink and ballparks are never far from the lot you rent. Source: U.S. Census 2020, via Wikipedia (opens in a new tab) (accessed Sept 2026)

  1. Summer

    A heated town pool

    Heated, Junior Olympic-size outdoor pool with lifeguards and swim lessons, run by the City of Watkins. Then Kraut N’ Wurst Days takes the first Saturday of August, with a parade and a street dance in McCarthy Park.

    Source: City of Watkins, City services (archived) (opens in a new tab) (accessed Sept 2026)
    Source: City of Watkins, Kraut N' Wurst Days (archived) (opens in a new tab) (accessed Sept 2026)

  2. Lake days

    Clear Lake, three miles south

    A 520-acre lake with Meeker County’s Clear Lake Park on its shore: 34.4 acres with a fishing pier, boat landing, picnic shelters and hiking trails.

    Source: City of Watkins, Clear Lake County Park (archived) (opens in a new tab) (accessed Sept 2026)

  3. Fall

    School’s in town

    Watkins Elementary is in town and serves early childhood through kindergarten. Eden Valley-Watkins’ high school, about 10 minutes away in Eden Valley, has a 92% graduation rate (U.S. News).

    Source: City of Watkins, School system (archived) (opens in a new tab) (accessed Sept 2026)
    Source: U.S. News, Eden Valley Secondary (opens in a new tab) (accessed Sept 2026)

  4. Winter

    The town rink

    The City of Watkins runs a winter rink for open skating, hockey and broomball, with the Lions Club meeting there too.

    Source: City of Watkins, Skating rink (archived) (opens in a new tab) (accessed Sept 2026)

Illustrations These drawings show the town’s features. They are not photos of the community.

The drive

Small-town address. St. Cloud paycheck.

St. Cloud Hospital is about 27 miles from Watkins, a 30 to 40 minute drive, and it’s run by CentraCare.

CentraCare is St. Cloud’s largest employer, with about 7,540 workers. Source: St. Cloud Area Chamber, via KNSI (Aug 12, 2025) (opens in a new tab) (Aug 2025)

Closer to home, employers in Watkins include Centra Sota Cooperative, Ag Venture Feeds, Mies Outland and Hilltop Healthcare Center. Source: Meeker County EDA largest employers (opens in a new tab) (accessed Sept 2026)

Approximate distance and drive time from Watkins
From Watkins toMilesDrive
Clear Lake County Park 3 a few minutes
Kimball 6 about 10 min
Eden Valley 7 about 10 min
Richmond, Horseshoe Chain of Lakes 16 about 25 min
Paynesville, Lake Koronis Regional Park 17 about 26 min
St. Cloud Hospital and downtown 27 30 to 40 min
Minneapolis 73 about 1.5 hr

Miles and times are estimates from route planners (OSRM, Travelmath), September 2026. Traffic and weather change them.

Map of the Watkins area Watkins sits between Eden Valley to the west and Kimball to the east. Clear Lake and its county park are just south. The drive to St. Cloud runs east to Kimball, then north. The Horseshoe Chain of Lakes is near Richmond and Cold Spring, Lake Koronis is near Paynesville, and Litchfield is to the south. KIMBALL EDEN VALLEY PAYNESVILLE RICHMOND COLD SPRING LITCHFIELD ST. CLOUD CENTRACARE HOSPITAL CLEAR LAKE PARK MINNEAPOLIS, ABOUT 1.5 HR → Lake Koronis Horseshoe Chain Clear Lake Watkins 05 MI N
Map Lakes and roads drawn from OpenStreetMap data (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL); route geometry from OSRM. Simplified for orientation.

What a month costs

Lot rent here vs. rent in St. Cloud.

Lot rent is only part of what owning a home costs. It’s still the biggest difference you’ll notice, so here it is next to what St. Cloud renters pay.

Lot rent at Watkins MHC September 2026

$400

Median rent in St. Cloud Apartment List, St. Cloud rent report (opens in a new tab) (Sept 2026)

$1,118

Average 3-bedroom rent in St. Cloud Zumper, St. Cloud rent research (opens in a new tab) (July 2026)

$1,590

The apartment figures are area averages and may include some utilities. The lot rent doesn’t include your home, its insurance, your utilities or upkeep. Add your own numbers below to see a fuller picture. For how the St. Cloud figures compare across sources and bedroom sizes, see average rent in St. Cloud, source by source.

Add up your month here

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Lot rent $400
From your own lender’s quote. Leave empty if you’ll own the home outright.
Electric, heat, water, internet. Ask us how water and sewer are handled.
Compare with

Your estimated month here

$400

Compared with

$1,118

Add your own costs to compare.

Estimate only, built from the numbers you enter. This is not a loan offer, a quote or an approval, and Watkins MHC does not make loans. Your actual loan payment, annual percentage rate, down payment and term depend on your lender, your credit and the home. Lot rent can change with 60 days’ written notice under Minnesota law. Apartment figures come from the sources cited above.

How it works

From first visit to moving day.

Moving a home here and buying one here follow the same road. The only fork is where the home comes from.

  1. Step 1: Come see it

    Call, text or send the visit form. Walk the streets, look at the lots and ask about rules for homes, pets and parking before you commit to anything.

  2. Step 2: Pick your path to a home

    Move a home you already own, buy one from a resident who’s selling here, or buy one from a manufactured-home retailer and have it delivered.

  3. Step 3: Line up the money, if you need a loan

    A home loan comes from a lender, not from us. Lenders that finance homes on rented lots are a specific group, so start early.

    How home loans work here

  4. Step 4: Apply to live here

    This is the residency application, separate from any loan. Minnesota requires the park to give you its written screening criteria and a state notice about your rights.

    Read the notice and apply

  5. Step 5: Sign the lot lease

    Read the lease and park rules, and keep a copy. Minnesota caps a park’s security deposit at two months’ rent and bans entrance fees.

  6. Step 6: Set the home

    In Minnesota, a licensed manufactured-home installer sets the home. Book the move and setup with us before the installer’s date.

  7. Step 7: Move in

    Then, at tax time, check whether you qualify for Minnesota’s Homestead Credit Refund on Form M1PR.

    How the refund works for lot renters

Approval one

To live here

Comes from Watkins MHC. It’s the residency application, judged on written screening criteria that are the same for everyone.

Residency application

Approval two

For a home loan

Comes from a lender, only if you’re borrowing to buy the home. We don’t make loans or decide them.

Home loans, explained

Minnesota puts it in writing

The rules that protect you are state law.

Own your home and pay lot rent? You may qualify for Minnesota’s Homestead Credit Refund, filed on Form M1PR. Each year the park gives residents a Certificate of Rent Paid. Source: MN Department of Revenue, Homestead Credit Refund (opens in a new tab) (accessed Sept 2026)

Straight answers

Questions people ask first.

All questions and sources

Who can live at Watkins MHC?

It’s an all-ages community. Every applicant is screened with the same written criteria, which you receive with the residency application.

What does lot rent cost, and what do I own?

Lot rent is $400 a month as of September 2026. You own your home and rent the land under it. The park doesn’t rent out homes.

Can I move my own home here?

Yes, if the home meets park rules and state requirements. In Minnesota a licensed manufactured-home installer sets the home (Minn. Stat. 327B.041). Call or text before you book a mover, so we can go over the home’s size, age and condition with you. Here’s what renting a lot here includes and costs.

I don’t have a home yet. How do I get one?

You can buy a home from a resident who’s selling here, or buy a new or pre-owned home from a manufactured-home retailer and have it set on a lot. Our guide to getting a home here walks through both, including how home loans work on rented land.

How far is St. Cloud?

About 27 miles, or 30 to 40 minutes by car. Kimball and Eden Valley are each about 10 minutes away, and Minneapolis is about an hour and a half. See lots for rent near St. Cloud for the full drive table and map, and what renting in St. Cloud costs for the rent figures. To weigh parks closer to St. Cloud, see mobile home parks near St. Cloud, compared.

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Come see Watkins

Walk the streets. Pick your lot.

A visit is the easiest first step, and it doesn’t commit you to anything. We’ll show you the community and answer questions about moving a home here or buying one.

Call 1-800-209-1533Text 1-800-209-1533

Ready now? Read the Minnesota notice and apply.

Request a visit

Tell us how to reach you and we’ll set a time to show you around. Prefer to talk? Call or text 1-800-209-1533.

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