River Hills Mall is the premier shopping center serving Southern Minnesota and Northern Iowa. The center features strong anchor stores such as barnes & Noble Book Sellers, JCPenney, Scheels, and Target alongside an impressive lineup of retailers including H&M, American Eagle Outfitters, Buckle, Kay Jewelers, Dry Goods, and Aerie. An eight-screen Cinemark movie complex, a turn-of-the-century carousel, the food court and the Mayo Clinic Health System Play Area helps make this an ideal-family-friendly destination for the community.

Mankato is also home to Minnesota State University and a robust economy made up of agriculture, large regional healthcare, manufacturing, retail and education industry employees.

Mankato-North Mankato MSA includes Blue Earth and Nicollet counties. The 2020 census shares the MSA has a population of 103,566, yet there is a bigger draw to Greater Mankato. The regional area of Greater Mankato is the hub for 287,175 people. Through retail and healthcare employment 163,591 people ages 16 and older have a 45-minute drive time to Mankato.