Crow Wing State Park · National Register of Historic Places
Sylvan’s story
Sylvan in pictures
1 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Explore the history →SylvanMN
A town of 2,982. Nearly 9% of it is conserved land.
Population
2,982
+6.9% since 2010
Median home value
$298K
Census ACS
Household income
$95K
median
Median age
44.4
years
Jobs based here
282
A commuter town
What makes Sylvan stand out
The 3 things Sylvan does most differently from other towns.
Outdoors
#69 most conserved land in MN
3.7 miles of trails across 2 parks and preserves
9% of the town is conserved land.
100 U.S. towns● Sylvan
Health
Healthier than 66%
of U.S. towns on CDC estimates
Better than MN on 0 measures, worse on 4.
BSchool Grade
Schools
Better than 64%
of MN districts
School Grade B.
A commuter town
97% of working residents leave Sylvan for work
Where Sylvan’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
282jobs based in Sylvan
3%of working residents work in town
12 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Sylvan’s report card
Now in Sylvan
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Residents weigh in
Sylvan is #7 of 275 in MN for “Vacation-home towns”. Fair?
Your answer becomes a post in Sylvan’s Town Square.
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The data
Ordered by what stands out in Sylvan. Another town gets a different order.
Outdoors
9% of Sylvan is conserved land
3.7 miles of trails across 2 parks and preserves.
9%conserved
9%
conserved · 1,982 of 21,898 acres
3.7 mi
of trails · 0.1 per sq mi
#69
most conserved land in MN
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Pillsbury State Forest | 1.8 mi | 601 |
| 2. Crow Wing State Park | — | 406 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-USParks & trails →
Health
Healthier than 66% of U.S. towns
Sylvan beats the Minnesota average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 4.
B+Health Grade
32 measures vs. Minnesota
0 better28 too close to call4 worse
| What stands out | Sylvan | MN |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 6.4% | 5.4% |
| More smokers | 15.5% | 13.1% |
| More adults with heart disease | 6.8% | 5.9% |
Essentia Health St. Joseph's Medical Center
9.4 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
46th
percentile among MN towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →
Schools
Sylvan’s public schools outperform 64% of Minnesota districts
The public schools Sylvan’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, outperform 64% of Minnesota’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they sit near the middle.
BSchool Grade
| School | Grades | Students | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central Lakes Adventure School | 7–12 | 36 | C− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MN on state tests and graduationAll 1 schools →
Work & commute
Most working residents commute out of Sylvan
Most working residents leave Sylvan for work: only 3% work in town. The top destinations are Brainerd (22%), Baxter (15%) and East Gull Lake (5%). Half commute less than 12 miles.
3%work in town
Where working residents work
In Sylvan3%
Brainerd22%
Baxter15%
East Gull Lake5%
Staples4%
12 mi
median commute distance
282
jobs based in Sylvan
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACSCommute map →
Climate
Snowy winters, pleasant summers
Sylvan 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°
Summer57–78°
Fall36–54°
Oct 6
typical first frost
May 2
typical last frost
+1.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →
Natural hazards
Moderate risk, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 47% of U.S. communities.
47risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →
About Sylvan
Unincorporated community in Minnesota, US
Sylvan is an unincorporated community in Sylvan Township, Cass County, Minnesota, United States. It is located between Pillager and Baxter along State Highway 210 (MN 210), near 24th Avenue SW.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Elevation
- 1,207 ft
Sylvan’s neighbors
8 towns share a border with Sylvan.
RosingPillagerFort RipleyScandia ValleyFairviewBaxterMayEast Gull LakeSylvan