Census place 2707300

Brainerd

A Census profile of the people, homes, and daily patterns that shape this place.

Official Census name: Brainerd city

Relocation snapshot

What stands out in Brainerd.

According to the 2025 estimate, Brainerd has a population of 14,428 and 1,189 residents per square mile. Of the six relocation measures evaluated, the three largest relative differences from the median among 103 covered Minnesota places are: median home value is $192,500, below the comparison median of $331,800; median gross rent is $827, below the comparison median of $1,393; and population density is 1,189/sq mi, below the comparison median of 1,941/sq mi. These unweighted medians compare covered Census places and are not statewide estimates.

median home value
$192,500
Below the comparison median of $331,800
median gross rent
$827
Below the comparison median of $1,393
population density
1,189/sq mi
Below the comparison median of 1,941/sq mi

National context

Follow the metrics.

Compare Brainerd's values with other covered Census places. Rankings are descriptive, not recommendations.

At a glance

A city in numbers.

Population
14,428
2025 estimate
Annual change
+0.1%
Population estimate
Density
1,189/sq mi
12.1 sq mi land area
Median age
35.1 years
ACS 5-year estimate

Living here

The everyday equation.

Households, homes, education, and the time it takes to get around.

Median household income
$56,111
Median home value
$192,500
Median gross rent
$827
Bachelor’s degree or higher
20.3%
Typical commute
19.8 min
Drive-alone commute
72.5%
Public transit commute
1%
Walked to work
2.7%

Housing

Who rents, and what it takes.

Renter share and rent burden help describe the housing choices visible in this place.

Renter-occupied homes
43.5%
Renters paying 30%+ of income
39%

Work

How the workday lands.

Employment status and working-from-home share add context to income and commuting patterns.

Employed residents 16+
58.8%
Unemployed residents 16+
5.8%
Working from home
7.5%

Community

The everyday infrastructure.

Access, mobility, housing growth, and household composition add another layer to a place's day-to-day picture.

Households with broadband
87.3%
Homes built 2020+
1.9%
Households without a vehicle
12.6%
Households with children
26.5%
Residents with a disability
21.3%
Residents without insurance
5.8%

Environmental context

A record of declared events.

FEMA declarations for Crow Wing County provide historical context, not a forecast or a property-level risk assessment.

Environmental declarations since 2000
5
Severe Storm declarations
2
Fire declarations
1
Flood declarations
1

Climate normals

The long view of weather.

Thirty-year averages, not a forecast. Temperature and precipitation describe the typical conditions recorded from 1991 through 2020.

Representative station: BRAINERD CROW WING CO AP (5 mi from place center)
Average high
53.3°F
Average low
31°F
Annual rainfall
24.5"
Annual snowfall
0"

Month by month

A year in Brainerd.

Typical high and low °F
-20°F0°F20°F40°F60°F80°F100°F
JFMAMJJASOND
Typical precipitation inches

Data vintage

Population is from the 2025 Population Estimates Program. Household, housing, education, and commute data are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-year release. Disaster declarations are from FEMA's OpenFEMA dataset and are refreshed with this edition.

Similar places

More places to consider.

Selected by the closest mix of population, density, median home value, and average annual high.

Jamestown, ND

Population, housing, work, and travel data for this Census place.

Population
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Median home
$199,800

New Ulm, MN

Population, housing, work, and travel data for this Census place.

Population
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Median home
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Fergus Falls, MN

Population, housing, work, and travel data for this Census place.

Population
14,246
Median home
$194,000

Keep exploring

Compare Brainerd with Jamestown