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Pine River Depot

Pine RiverMN

A town of 906. A regional job hub with 729 jobs.

5 bordering townsMap →
Photo: McGhiever · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
906
−3.5% since 2010
Median home value
$180K
Census ACS
Household income
$43K
median
Median age
38.8
years
Jobs based here
729
A job hub

What makes Pine River stand out

The 3 things Pine River does most differently from other towns.

Picked automatically from the data
Small town

906 people, and everyone knows the way

In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.

Nearby towns
BarclayWilsonPine RiverWaldenChickamaw BeachBarclayWilsonPine RiverWaldenChickamaw BeachPine River

Pine River’s report card

See the data ↓

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The data

Ordered by what stands out in Pine River. Another town gets a different order.

Work & commute

About one in nine working residents works right in Pine River

Most working residents leave Pine River for work: only 11% work in town. The top destinations are Brainerd (8%), Pequot Lakes (7%) and Baxter (6%). Half commute less than 24 miles.

11%work in town

Where working residents work

In Pine River11%
Brainerd8%
Pequot Lakes7%
Baxter6%
Nisswa5%
24 mi
median commute distance
729
jobs based in Pine River
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACSCommute map →
Schools

Pine River’s public schools outperform 30% of Minnesota districts

The public schools Pine River’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, trail 70% of Minnesota’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the bottom.

CSchool Grade
SchoolGradesStudentsGrade
Pine River-Backus ElementaryPK–6478C+
Pine River-Backus High School7–12371C
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MN on state tests and graduationAll 2 schools →
Health

Healthier than 33% of U.S. towns

Pine River beats the Minnesota average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 14.

CHealth Grade
32 measures vs. Minnesota
1 better17 too close to call14 worse
What stands outPine RiverMN
More adults treating high blood pressure81.1%76.1%
More adults with COPD8.9%5.4%
Essentia Health St. Joseph's Medical Center
26.6 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
5th
percentile among MN towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →
Climate

Four seasons, pleasant summers

Pine River has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to 0°, and about 39 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

39″snow a winter

Typical low → high °F

Winter4–22°
Spring30–52°
Summer56–77°
Fall35–53°
Oct 7
typical first frost
May 6
typical last frost
+2.0°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →
Safety

Crime reported in Pine River

12 crimes were reported in Pine River in 2024: 10 property and 2 violent. In a town this small, a few incidents move the numbers a lot, so rates aren't shown.

Pine River is small, so we show counts rather than rates.

2
violent crimes reported in 2024
10
property crimes reported in 2024
FBI crime data, 2024 · crimes reported to policeFull safety report →
Natural hazards

Moderate risk, with inland flooding at the top

Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 43% of U.S. communities.

43risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
43Moderate riskLowerHigher
Inland floodingCold wavesStrong wind
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →
Housing

Homes in Pine River sell for about $224K

The median sale price was $224,000 in May 2026.

$224Kmedian sale price
4
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →
A job hub

Every workday, about 691 people come to Pine River for work

Where Pine River’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.

8% → Brainerd Brainerd 8% 7% → Pequot Lakes Pequot Lakes 7% 6% → Baxter Baxter 6% 5% → Nisswa Nisswa 5% 4% → Jenkins Jenkins 4% 3% → Wilson Wilson 3% Pine River · 11% stay
729jobs based in Pine River
11%of working residents work in town
24 mimedian commute distance

Census LEHD 2023

Paul Bunyan Scenic Byway - Pine River Float
1995 · Paul Bunyan Scenic Byway - Pine River Float · Wikimedia Commons
Pine River’s story

Pine River in pictures

7 postcards, papers and photographs from public archives, and 1 places on the National Register.

Paul Bunyan Scenic Byway - Pine River Information CenterPaul Bunyan Scenic Byway - Pine River ParadePaul Bunyan Scenic Byway - Resting Cyclists
Explore the history →

About Pine River

City in Minnesota, United States

Official town website ↗

Pine River is a city in Cass County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 911 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Brainerd Micropolitan Statistical Area.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

Population
911
Area
1.2 sq mi
Elevation
1,293 ft
ZIP code
56474
Area code
218

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Photo of Pine River

Pine River, MN · Photo: McGhiever · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source ↗