Brainerd Water Tower · National Register of Historic Places
Brainerd’s story
156 years in pictures
7 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1870Brainerd is settled
BrainerdMN
A town of 14,468, settled in 1870. A typical home worth about $315K.
4 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Elkman · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
14,468
+5.9% since 2010
Typical home
$315K
+3.6% in a year
Household income
$56K
median
Median age
35.1
years
Jobs based here
9,688
A job hub
What makes Brainerd stand out
The 3 things Brainerd does most differently from other towns.
$315Ktypical home
Housing
$315K typical home
10% below the MN typical home
Up 3.6% in a year.
9,688jobs here
Work
9,688 jobs
based in Brainerd, a regional job hub
29% of working residents work in town.
Outdoors
#104 most conserved land in MN
6.0 miles of trails across 10 parks and preserves
6.1% of the town is conserved land.
College town
Central Lakes College-Brainerd calls Brainerd home
College Scorecard · IPEDS
Brainerd’s report card
Housing$315K10% below the MN typical homeCommute6 miHalf of commuters travel lessOutdoors6 miof trails · 6.1% conservedSchoolsB+Beats 72% of MN districtsHealthB−Healthier than 47% of U.S. townsSafetyC−Less crime than 21% of U.S. townsClimate80°/1°Summer high · winter low · 48″ snowHazards37/100Low risk of storm & flood damage
Now in Brainerd
Be the first to start the conversation.
Residents weigh in
Brainerd is #260 of 273 in MN for “Fewest smokers”. Fair?
Your answer becomes a post in Brainerd’s Town Square.
Start a conversation
Weather
Forecast →61°
Clear
H 0° · L 38°
Local news
All →- VFW Auxiliary announces Illustrating America Patriotic Art ContestBrainerd Dispatch · Sep 30
- Josh McClain - Brainerd Warriors Football (Brainerd, MN)Sports Illustrated · Sep 8
- Parrion Taylor - Brainerd Warriors Football (Brainerd, MN)Sports Illustrated · Sep 8
Upcoming events
Nothing on the calendar.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Brainerd. Another town gets a different order.
Housing
A typical Brainerd home is worth about $315K
The typical Brainerd home is worth about $315,000, up 3.6% in a year, 10% below the Minnesota typical home.
$315KZillow home value
Typical home value
Brainerd$315K
Minnesota$351K
Market temperature
23
days on market
98.7%
sale-to-list price
+3.6%
value change, 1 year
26
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →
Work & commute
About one in three working residents works right in Brainerd
About one in 3 of Brainerd’s working residents works in town. The top destinations are Baxter (17%), Nisswa (3%) and St. Cloud (2%). Half commute less than 6 miles.
29%work in town
Where working residents work
In Brainerd29%
Baxter17%
Nisswa3%
St. Cloud2%
Minneapolis2%
6 mi
median commute distance
9,688
jobs based in Brainerd
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACSCommute map →
Outdoors
6.1% of Brainerd is conserved land
6.0 miles of trails across 10 parks and preserves.
6.1%conserved
6.1%
conserved · 497 of 8,149 acres
6.0 mi
of trails · 0.5 per sq mi
#104
most conserved land in MN
#109
most walkable in MN
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Northland Arboretum | 1.9 mi | 214 |
| 2. Gregory Park | 0.7 mi | 14 |
| 3. Kiwanis Park | 0.6 mi | 32 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-USParks & trails →
Schools
Brainerd’s public schools outperform 72% of Minnesota districts
The public schools Brainerd’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, outperform 72% of Minnesota’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the top.
B+School Grade
| School | Grades | Students | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Riverside Elementary | PK–4 | 407 | B+ |
| Lowell Elementary | K–4 | 355 | A |
| Garfield Elementary | PK–4 | 250 | B− |
| Harrison Elementary | PK–4 | 230 | B+ |
| Discovery Woods | PK–6 | 101 | C |
| St. Francis of the Lakes Catholic School Private | PK–8 | 238 |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MN on state tests and graduationAll 13 schools →
Health
Healthier than 47% of U.S. towns
Brainerd beats the Minnesota average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 17.
B−Health Grade
32 measures vs. Minnesota
0 better15 too close to call17 worse
| What stands out | Brainerd | MN |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 15.2% | 8.9% |
| More smokers | 17.7% | 13.1% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 7.5% | 5.7% |
Essentia Health St. Joseph's Medical Center
0.5 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: dental, mental health
17th
percentile among MN towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →
Safety
Less crime per resident than 21% of U.S. towns
Brainerd reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 79% report less.
C−Safety Grade
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Brainerd2.5
Minnesota2.3
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Brainerd15.7
Minnesota14.3
U.S.15.5
21st
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
9th
percentile among MN towns
36
violent crimes reported in 2025
226
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeFull safety report →
Climate
Snowy winters, pleasant summers
Brainerd has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to 1°, and about 48 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
48″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter5–23°
Spring31–53°
Summer56–78°
Fall35–54°
Sep 29
typical first frost
May 8
typical last frost
+1.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →
Natural hazards
Low risk, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 37% of U.S. communities.
37risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes
1
paid flood claims since 2001
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →
A job hub
Every workday, about 7,873 people come to Brainerd for work
Where Brainerd’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
9,688jobs based in Brainerd
29%of working residents work in town
6 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Landmarks
7 places in Brainerd on the National Register of Historic Places.
About Brainerd
City in Minnesota, United States
Brainerd ( BRAY-nərd) is a city in and the county seat of Crow Wing County, Minnesota, United States. Its population was 14,395 at the 2020 census. Brainerd straddles the Mississippi River several miles upstream from its confluence with the Crow Wing River, having been founded as a site for a railroad crossing above the confluence. The Brainerd micropolitan area includes Cass and Crow Wing counties and had a population of 96,189 at the 2020 census. The city is well known for being the partial setting of the 1996 film Fargo.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1870
- Population
- 14,395
- Area
- 13 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,217 ft
- ZIP code
- 56401
- Area code
- 218
Brainerd’s neighbors
4 towns share a border with Brainerd.
Oak LawnBaxterCrow WingLong LakeBrainerd
More about Brainerd
Still missing for Brainerd:archive photosupcoming events