Sales tax in Stearns County, Minnesota
There is no single sales tax rate in Stearns County. It runs from 7.5% to 8.5% depending on the exact address, because cities and special districts inside the county levy their own on top of the 6.875% state rate. The 6.875% state rate applies everywhere in the county; everything above that depends on where you are standing. These rates were read from Minnesota's own published schedule and checked on September 9, 2026. The rate in each of the 30 cities is in the table below.
What is the sales tax rate in Stearns County?
| Minnesota state rate | 6.875% |
|---|---|
| Stearns County rate | 0.625% |
| Lowest combined rate in the county | 7.5% |
| Highest combined rate in the county | 8.5% |
The combined figures are the lowest and highest totals anywhere in Stearns County, so the rows above do not add up to them.
What is the sales tax rate in each city in Stearns County?
Minnesota publishes the rate for every city it taxes. These are the combined rates, state and local together, as listed in Minnesota's own rate file.
| City | October 1 to December 31, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Albany | 7.5% |
| Avon | 8% |
| Belgrade | 7.5% |
| BrootenThe Department marks Brooten as a place that may fall within more than one taxing area; this is the rate it prints for Brooten under Stearns County. | 7.5% |
| Cold Spring | 7.5% |
| Eden ValleyThe Department marks Eden Valley as a place that may fall within more than one taxing area; this is the rate it prints for Eden Valley under Stearns County. | 7.5% |
| Elrosa | 7.5% |
| Freeport | 7.5% |
| Greenwald | 7.5% |
| Holdingford | 7.5% |
| Kimball | 7.5% |
| Lake Henry | 7.5% |
| Meire Grove | 7.5% |
| Melrose | 7.5% |
| New Munich | 7.5% |
| Paynesville | 7.5% |
| Richmond | 7.5% |
| Rockville | 7.5% |
| Roscoe | 7.5% |
| SartellThe Department marks Sartell as a place that may fall within more than one taxing area; this is the rate it prints for Sartell under Stearns County. | 8% |
| Sauk Centre | 8% |
| Spring Hill | 7.5% |
| St. Anthony | 7.5% |
| St. Augusta | 8% |
| St. CloudThe Department marks St. Cloud as a place that may fall within more than one taxing area; this is the rate it prints for St. Cloud under Stearns County. | 8% |
| St. Joseph | 8% |
| St. Martin | 7.5% |
| St. Rosa | 7.5% |
| St. Stephen | 7.5% |
| Waite Park | 8.5% |
| Unincorporated Stearns County | 7.5% |
Source: Minnesota rate file for October 1 to December 31, 2026, from Minnesota's official rate page.
How much sales tax is that on a purchase in Stearns County?
At 7.5%, a $100 purchase carries $7.50 in sales tax and a $1,000 purchase $75.00, at the lowest rate in the county. At the highest, 8.5%, the same purchases carry $8.50 and $85.00. That is general merchandise; Minnesota taxes some categories, often groceries, differently, as the note below explains.
Among Minnesota's 87 counties, Stearns County's lowest rate ranks 14th highest. See every Minnesota county.
Sales tax in counties next to Stearns County
Stearns County borders 9 counties. The lowest rate next door is 6.875% in Pope County, MN, which is $6.25 less on a $1,000 purchase than the lowest rate in Stearns County.
| County | Combined sales tax |
|---|---|
| Stearns County, MN (this county) | 7.5% to 8.5% |
| Benton County, MN | 7.375% to 7.875% |
| Douglas County, MN | 7.375% |
| Kandiyohi County, MN | 7.375% to 7.875% |
| Meeker County, MN | 7.375% to 7.875% |
| Morrison County, MN | 7.375% |
| Sherburne County, MN | 7.375% to 7.875% |
| Todd County, MN | 7.375% to 7.875% |
| Wright County, MN | 7.375% to 7.875% |
| Pope County, MN | 6.875% to 7.375% |
Why the rate here is not the whole story
Minnesota's state rate is 6.875 percent and local sales taxes are not automatic. A city or a county has to get specific authority from the Legislature and then win a local referendum, so the local layer is assembled one jurisdiction at a time and the county line is frequently not the tax boundary. Stearns County itself levies a 0.375 percent Stearns County sales tax and a 0.25 percent Stearns Transit sales tax, both of which reach every address in the county. A 0.5 percent St. Cloud Area tax covers St. Augusta, St. Cloud, St. Joseph, Sartell, Sauk Rapids and Waite Park, which straddle county lines, so it is a third layer belonging to neither the state nor the county. Avon, Sauk Centre and Waite Park each add a city tax of their own on top, and the highest combined rate in the county is 8.5 percent in Waite Park. Clothing is exempt from Minnesota sales tax at every rate shown here, which is unusual among states and changes none of the rates. Use the department's Sales Tax Rate Calculator for a specific address rather than a single county figure.
How do I find the exact rate for an address in Stearns County?
Use Minnesota's own address lookup. In Stearns County the rate depends on the address, anywhere from 7.5% to 8.5%.
Who has to collect sales tax in Stearns County?
Any seller with a physical presence in Minnesota collects at the rate for the address of the sale; a remote seller does once it passes Minnesota's economic nexus threshold. Minnesota sales tax covers the statewide rules and what is exempt.
Work out your own numbers
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Sales tax calculator
Tax on a specific purchase at this county's rate, and the total you will actually pay.
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Do you have to collect?
Whether your sales into Minnesota cross its economic nexus threshold. A different question from the rate.
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Property tax in Stearns County
The other local tax: effective rate and median bill for this county.
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Sales tax by county
Every US county, and how Minnesota compares with the rest of the country.
Sources
- Stearns County rates: Minnesota Department of Revenue, Local Sales and Use Tax Rate Guide, effective October 1, 2026 through December 31, 2026, https://www.revenue.state.mn.us/sites/default/files/2026-08/local-sales-and-use-tax-rate-guide-2026-q4.pdf
- Collected and verified September 9, 2026. Confidence: P on the rate components, P on the range (P read on a primary agency page, S strong but indirect, U unverified).