45% of Perham’s working residents work right in town. The top destinations are Detroit Lakes (8%), Gorman (6%) and New York Mills (5%). Half commute less than 6 miles.

45%work in town

Where working residents work

In Perham45%

Detroit Lakes8%

Gorman6%

New York Mills5%

Wadena3%

6 mi

median commute distance

4,347

jobs based in Perham

A job hub

jobs vs. working residents

Census LEHD 2023 · ACSCommute map →

Housing

Homes in Perham sell for about $230K

The median sale price was $230,000 in May 2026.

$230Kmedian sale price

homes sold in May

Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →

Outdoors

4.2% of Perham is conserved land

3.8 miles of trails across 3 parks and preserves.

#45for trails in MN

Map of Perham: conserved land, trails and the top places to walk — Green: conserved land · dashed: trails · numbers: the places below

4.2%

conserved · 95 of 2,273 acres

3.8 mi

of trails · 1.1 per sq mi

#84

most walkable in MN

Biggest places to walk	Trails	Acres
1. Fair Grounds	—	26
2. Krauss Park	—	5
3. Country Pines Park	—	2

Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-USParks & trails →

Health

Healthier than 47% of U.S. towns

Perham beats the Minnesota average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 15.

B−Health Grade

32 measures vs. Minnesota

1 better16 too close to call15 worse

What stands out	Perham	MN
More adults treating high blood pressure	79.1%	76.1%
More older adults who have lost all their teeth	13%	8.9%

Perham Health

0.9 mi away · emergency room

2 of 3

care shortages: dental, mental health

16th

percentile among MN towns

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →

Schools

Perham’s public schools outperform 67% of Minnesota districts

The public schools Perham’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, outperform 67% 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
Heart of the Lake Elementary	PK–4	578	B+
St. Henrys Area School Private	PK–6	149
St. Paul's Lutheran School Private	PK–8	82
Prairie Wind Middle	5–8	526	B+
Perham Senior High	9–12	529	B
Perham Area Learning Center	7–12	38	D

NCES · EDFacts · graded within MN on state tests and graduationAll 6 schools →

Natural hazards

Very low risk, with inland flooding at the top

Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 15% of U.S. communities.

15risk score of 100

FEMA risk score

Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes

FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →

Climate

Snowy winters, pleasant summers

Perham has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, a January night drops to -1°, and about 46 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

46″snow a winter

Typical low → high °F

Winter3–22°

Spring30–52°

Summer56–77°

Fall34–53°

Sep 29

typical first frost

May 10

typical last frost

+1.4°

vs. the 20th-century average

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →

Safety

Crime reported in Perham

Perham's reported crime rate is well below Minnesota's. Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts. No violent crimes were reported in 2024.