Winona is a medium-sized city located in the state of Minnesota. With a population of 26,029 people and seven associated neighborhoods, Winona is the 40th largest community in Minnesota. Much of the housing stock in Winona was built prior to World War II, making it one of the older and more historic cities in the country.

Telecommuters are a relatively large percentage of the workforce: 8.90% of people work from home. While this number may seem small overall, as a fraction of the total workforce it is high relative to the nation. These workers are often telecommuters who work in knowledge-based, white-collar professions. For example, Silicon Valley has large numbers of people who telecommute. Other at-home workers may be self-employed people who operate small businesses out of their homes.

Because Winona has a very large number of students who are 18 years or older and in college, it is thought of as a college town. This has a major influence on local Winona lifestyle, entertainment, and culture in general. Life in Winona is very much tied to the academic calendar: when students return from the summer break in the fall, one will notice them out and about, buying groceries, out with friends, and generally getting re-acquainted with each other. In Winona people study hard and play hard, and there is ample opportunity to do both.

Compared to the rest of the country, citizens of Winona spend much less time in their cars: on average, their commute to work is only 15.29 minutes. This also means that noise and pollution levels in the city are less than they would otherwise be.

The citizens of Winona are very well educated compared to the average community in the nation: 34.77% of adults in Winona have a bachelor's degree or even advanced degree.

The per capita income in Winona in 2022 was $34,197, which is lower middle income relative to Minnesota, and middle income relative to the rest of the US. This equates to an annual income of $136,788 for a family of four. However, Winona contains both very wealthy and poor people as well.

Winona is a somewhat ethnically-diverse city. The people who call Winona home describe themselves as belonging to a variety of racial and ethnic groups. The greatest number of Winona residents report their race to be White, followed by Black or African-American. Important ancestries of people in Winona include German, Norwegian, Irish, Polish, and English.

The most common language spoken in Winona is English. Other important languages spoken here include Spanish and Miao/Hmong.