Population 24,797 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Brainerd
Household size in Brainerd
| Period | Brainerd | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.25 | 2.52 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.37 | 2.54 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.36 | 2.55 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.33 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.08 | +0.00 | −0.03 |
Brainerd is a place of small households, averaging 2.33 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Since 2006–10, household size has crept up from 2.25, even as the national average fell. The biggest households, usually families with children, are concentrated in the north.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Brainerd
| Period | Brainerd | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 37.6 | 37.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 37.5 | 38.9 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 39.9 | 39.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 42.0 | 40.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | +4.5 | +2.1 | +2.3 |
Brainerd skews a little older than the country: its median age is 42.0, against 40.1 nationally. The median age has climbed from 37.6 in 2006–10, mirroring the country. Residents skew youngest in the center and oldest in the northwest.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Brainerd
| Period | Brainerd | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.4% | 9.9% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 13.6% | 10.2% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 11.9% | 9.7% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 9.1% | 9.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | −4.3 pts | −0.3 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are less common in Brainerd than nationally: 9.1%, against 11.6%. Minnesota as a whole looks much the same. The single-parent share is down 4.3 points from 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Brainerd
Renters in Brainerd
| Period | Brainerd | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 34.9% | 25.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 34.7% | 27.9% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 33.3% | 28.4% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 30.7% | 27.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | −4.2 pts | +2.0 pts | +1.5 pts |
About three in ten households in Brainerd rent their homes (30.7%), a little below the national share of 34.8%; the rest own. Among homeowners, 37.1% have no mortgage at all, about the same as nationally. The renter share has fallen 4.2 points since 2006–10, even as the national share rose.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Brainerd
| Period | Brainerd | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.7% | 9.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 11.5% | 9.0% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 12.8% | 8.7% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 11.5% | 8.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | +0.9 pts | −0.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy runs a little high in Brainerd: 11.5% of homes are empty, against 9.6% nationally. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones. Since 2006–10, vacancy has edged up 0.9 points, even as the national rate fell.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Brainerd
| Period | Brainerd | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1973 | 1973 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1975 | 1974 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1978 | 1975 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1979 | 1978 | 1980 |
| Change | +6 | +5 | +6 |
Homes in Brainerd are about the same age as the nation's housing: the median home was built in 1979, versus 1980 nationally. The median year built has moved up from 1973 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the northwest, while the center has the oldest housing.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Brainerd
| Period | Brainerd | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $681 | $882 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $766 | $953 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $805 | $1,099 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,011 | $1,404 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$330 | +$522 | +$606 |
The median renter in Brainerd pays $1,011 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $330 a month from 2006–10, a 48% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 28.6% of the typical renter's income, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. The priciest rents are in the northwest; the most affordable are in the center.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Brainerd
Bachelor's degrees in Brainerd
| Period | Brainerd | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 20.5% | 32.1% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 21.5% | 33.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 19.8% | 36.2% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 24.2% | 39.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +3.6 pts | +7.4 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Brainerd: 24.2% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's or higher, well below the national share of 35.6%. The share with a degree has risen 3.6 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country. College graduates are most concentrated in the northwest and least in the south.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Brainerd
| Period | Brainerd | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 89.8% | 91.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 91.6% | 92.2% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 92.8% | 93.0% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 94.0% | 93.7% | 89.3% |
| Change | +4.1 pts | +2.3 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Brainerd is above the national rate: 94.0% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3%. The picture is much the same across Minnesota. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 4.1 points, mirroring the country.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Brainerd
| Period | Brainerd | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.4% | 6.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 8.3% | 6.5% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 2.7% | 3.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.3% | 4.1% | 5.4% |
| Change | −2.1 pts | −2.4 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been a little harder to find in Brainerd than nationally: unemployment was 6.3%, against 5.4%. Of the 188 Minnesota cities with 5,000+ people, only nine have higher unemployment. Since 2006–10, unemployment has fallen 2.1 points, in line with the national trend.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Brainerd compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brainerd | 2.33 | 42.0 | 9.1% | 30.7% | 11.5% | 1979 | $1,011 | 24.2% | 94.0% | 6.3% |
| Baxter | 2.32 | 41.2 | 12.1% | 33.0% | 7.0% | 1994 | $1,097 | 36.9% | 96.3% | 3.1% |
| Riverton | 2.39 | 46.9 | 4.5% | 7.6% | 26.1% | 1984 | $1,254 | 27.5% | 95.8% | 5.5% |
| Lake Hubert | 2.29 | 51.7 | 5.9% | 12.6% | 32.7% | 1992 | $1,399 | 36.9% | 92.7% | 2.9% |
| Crow Wing | 2.49 | 45.7 | 6.7% | 5.8% | 20.1% | 1994 | $1,180 | 21.1% | 95.8% | 2.9% |
| East Gull Lake | 2.56 | 47.3 | 3.6% | 7.7% | 41.5% | 1993 | $1,378 | 41.9% | 96.4% | 2.7% |
| Sylvan | 2.66 | 45.3 | 4.4% | 6.3% | 16.9% | 1996 | $1,280 | 36.5% | 97.1% | 2.8% |
| Nisswa | 2.26 | 54.2 | 5.9% | 6.2% | 43.8% | 1992 | $993 | 45.1% | 96.1% | 3.8% |
| Fort Ripley | 2.58 | 43.9 | 6.3% | 4.0% | 15.4% | 1991 | $951 | 19.4% | 93.1% | 3.4% |
| Merrifield | 2.30 | 54.3 | 4.8% | 4.7% | 43.5% | 1990 | $1,195 | 31.9% | 93.4% | 10.3% |
| Ironton | 2.39 | 42.0 | 11.3% | 19.2% | 19.5% | 1974 | $1,001 | 19.0% | 93.0% | 10.8% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Glassboro, NJ · Princeton, TX · Ponte Vedra, FL · Piqua, OH · Parlin, NJ · Palomas, PR · Palestine, TX · Owosso, MI · Onalaska, WI · Oakland, CT
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Brainerd. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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