Loading listings
Winona, Minnesota is a river town wedged between 500-foot limestone bluffs and the Mississippi, and it wears that geography proudly. Home to Winona State University, the city runs on a student crowd that spills out of campus into walkable downtown streets and the lakeside parks nearby. Lake Winona sits right in the middle of town with a paved loop students bike, run, and skate year-round, and you can climb Garvin Heights or Sugar Loaf for the postcard river view. Downtown holds the county history center and the Minnesota Marine Art Museum, plus summer concerts at the lake bandshell. It's small, walkable, and a little artsy, with a steady rhythm of campus events, farmers markets, and river festivals that keep things lively without ever feeling crowded.
The blocks right around campus, sometimes called College Hill, are the default for first-timers who want a sub-three-block walk to lecture.
Downtown puts you steps from the transit hub, the riverfront, and the social strip, ideal if you want nightlife and coffee near your door.
Midtown sits quieter, with older single-family houses carved into multi-unit homes and more elbow room for roommate groups.
Here's what you need to know about getting around Winona.
Winona Transit Service runs four lift-equipped bus routes connecting campus, downtown, and the residential neighborhoods if the weather turns or you're hauling groceries. Most student housing sits close to Winona State, so transit is a backup rather than a daily necessity for many. The four routes cover the main parts of town. Check schedules if you plan to rely on the bus regularly.
Winona is the rare college town where you genuinely don't need a car. Most student housing sits three blocks or less from Winona State, so walking handles the daily commute, and the downtown Walk Score lands around 80. Biking is the local favorite once the snow melts: the flat grid and the paved loop around Lake Winona make two wheels faster than parking. Winter is real here, so layer up and give yourself extra minutes when sidewalks ice over.
If you bring a car, street and lot parking exists, but it's overkill for getting to class. Driving is most useful for trips out of town rather than daily errands. Parking is generally easy and available compared with a bigger city. Most students skip a car and rely on walking and biking.
Common questions from students searching for housing.
Most students share houses or split larger units, which keeps things manageable. Expect roughly $350-$600 per person per month in a 3-4 bedroom shared house, while a private 1-bedroom near campus runs closer to $600-$900 per month. Studios sit on the lower end. Splitting a house with roommates is almost always the cheapest path here.
Browse student housing near each Winona-area university.