Housing data for Brainerd, MN
Brainerd, MN has an estimated 14,468 residents and 6,760 homes (US Census Bureau, 2020–2024 American Community Survey).
It is a city in Crow Wing County.
43.5% of households rent.
The median gross rent is $827 a month.
Its population grew measurably since 2015–2019 (+8.2%).
Figures last updated on .
- Residents
- 14,468 (±25)
- Housing units
- 6,760 (±281)
- Households that rent
- 43.5%
- Median gross rent
- $827
- Residents since 2015–2019
- +8.2%
What stands out in Brainerd
Homes in buildings of 5 or more units: 24.2% (±4.9 points) in Brainerd, higher than in Crow Wing County (9.6%).
Households that rent: 43.5% (±4.6 points) in Brainerd, higher than in Crow Wing County (23.0%).
Households without a vehicle: 12.6% (±3.2 points) in Brainerd, higher than in Crow Wing County (4.9%).
Median home value: $192,500 (±$13,543) in Brainerd, lower than in Crow Wing County ($306,800).
- Types of homes in Brainerd
- Renters and owners in Brainerd
- Commute and cars in Brainerd
- Home values in Brainerd
Housing in Brainerd at a glance
- Median rent: $827 median gross rent a month
- Rent by bedrooms: $971 median gross rent, 2 bedrooms
- Rent burden: 39.0% of renters pay 30% or more of income
- Renters and owners: 43.5% of households rent
- Income and affordability: $56,111 median household income
- Home values: $192,500 median home value
- Homeowner costs: $1,420 median monthly cost with a mortgage
- Property taxes: $2,082 median real estate taxes a year
- Types of homes: 24.2% of homes are in buildings of 5 or more units
- Bedrooms: 47.6% of homes have 3 or more bedrooms
- Age of homes: 60.6% of homes were built before 1980
- Vacancy rate: 1.8% rental vacancy rate
- Heating fuel: 70.2% heat with utility gas
- Commute and cars: 19.8 minutes average trip to work
- Crime reported to police: 250 violent crimes per 100,000 residents
- Growth: +8.2% residents since 2015–2019
- How long people stay: 29.4% moved in since 2020
- Crowding and facilities: 1.3% of homes have more than 1 person per room
Brainerd against Crow Wing County, its state and the nation
| Brainerd | Crow Wing County | Minnesota | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 14,468 (±25) | 67,686 (exact) | 5,739,445 (exact) | 334,922,499 |
| Housing units | 6,760 (±281) | 42,683 (±72) | 2,545,030 (±1,535) | 143,775,355 |
| Households that rent | 43.5% (±4.6 points) | 23.0% (±1.3 points) | 27.8% (±0.2 points) | 34.8% |
| Median gross rent | $827 (±$57) | $971 (±$50) | $1,280 (±$7) | $1,413 |
| Median household income | $56,111 (±$6,610) | $72,589 (±$2,891) | $89,062 (±$409) | $80,734 |
| Median home value | $192,500 (±$13,543) | $306,800 (±$9,287) | $329,300 (±$903) | $332,700 |
| Median real estate taxes (a year) | $2,082 (±$218) | $2,283 (±$55) | $3,357 (±$10) | $3,119 |
| Built before 1980 | 60.6% (±6.9 points) | 39.2% (±1.7 points) | 52.1% (±0.3 points) | 49.7% |
| Average commute | 19.8 minutes (±1.9) | 23.1 minutes (±1.0) | 22.7 minutes (±0.1) | 26.4 minutes |
| Households with broadband | 87.3% (±3.6 points) | 89.9% (±1.2 points) | 91.6% (±0.1 points) | 91.0% |
| Median age of residents | 35.1 years (±2.2) | 45.7 years (±0.3) | 38.8 years (±0.1) | 38.9 years |
Brainerd covers 12.1 square miles of land, about 1,193 residents per square mile (Census Bureau Gazetteer).
How Brainerd has changed since 2015–2019
| 2015–2019 | 2020–2024 | Amount of change | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 13,373 (±27) | 14,468 (±25) | +8.2% | Measurable increase |
| Housing units | 6,551 (±291) | 6,760 (±281) | +3.2% | Not a measurable change |
| Median gross rent | $733 (±$24) | $827 (±$57) | +12.8% | Down after inflation |
| Median home value | $117,900 (±$5,870) | $192,500 (±$13,543) | +63.3% | Up after inflation |
| Median household income | $34,371 (±$3,407) | $56,111 (±$6,610) | +63.3% | Up after inflation |
| Median owner cost with a mortgage | $968 (±$34) | $1,420 (±$93) | +46.7% | Up after inflation |
| Median real estate taxes | $1,158 (±$68) | $2,082 (±$218) | +79.8% | Up after inflation |
| Households that rent | 49.8% (±4.1 points) | 43.5% (±4.6 points) | −6.3 percentage points | Measurable decrease |
| Rental vacancy rate | 5.4% (±3.2 points) | 1.8% (±2.1 points) | −3.6 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
The Census Bureau publishes 2015–2019 dollars in 2019 dollars and 2020–2024 dollars in 2024 dollars.
Prices (the CPI-U, US Bureau of Labor Statistics) rose 22.7% between 2019 and 2024, so a dollar figure’s verdict compares the two after raising the earlier one by that much, using the Census Bureau’s test for a difference.
The two periods do not overlap, as the Census Bureau recommends for 5-year estimates.
Crime reported to police in Brainerd
In 2025, the Brainerd Police Department reported 250 violent and 1,583 property crimes per 100,000 residents to the FBI.
Across Crow Wing County, the departments that report recorded 127 violent and 715 property crimes per 100,000 residents that year.
Places near Brainerd
| Place | Distance | Median gross rent | Median home value | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oak Lawn Township | 3.5 mi | $844 | $263,200 | 11.7% |
| Baxter | 3.8 mi | $1,154 | $324,100 | 37.4% |
| Crow Wing Township | 5.7 mi | $1,393 | $293,600 | 10.9% |
| Long Lake Township (Crow Wing County) | 6.2 mi | $1,330 | $321,500 | 8.5% |
| East Gull Lake | 8.4 mi | $1,438 | $553,700 | 7.6% |
| Sylvan Township | 9.6 mi | $1,188 | $298,200 | 5.4% |
| Lake Edward Township | 9.6 mi | — | $386,400 | 3.0% |
| Maple Grove Township (Crow Wing County) | 9.7 mi | — | $337,900 | 2.8% |
Places in Minnesota most like Brainerd
| Place | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gaylord | $860 | $171,600 | $57,243 | 42.1% |
| New York Mills | $727 | $166,300 | $56,875 | 41.4% |
| Crookston | $848 | $185,600 | $57,315 | 43.4% |
| Litchfield | $987 | $187,600 | $54,875 | 39.3% |
| Hinckley | $956 | $182,800 | $50,714 | 43.8% |
| Benson | $982 | $156,000 | $52,821 | 38.2% |
Matched on rent, home value, income, the share who rent, the age of the homes, the share in apartment buildings and the commute, each measured against the spread across Minnesota.
HUD Fair Market Rent for Brainerd, fiscal year 2027
| Studio | 1 bedroom | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms | 4 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $816 | $899 | $1,172 | $1,407 | $1,609 |
HUD income limits for Brainerd, fiscal year 2026
| Household size | Extremely low (30%) | Very low (50%) | Low (80%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $20,600 | $34,300 | $54,900 |
| 2 people | $23,550 | $39,200 | $62,750 |
| 3 people | $27,320 | $44,100 | $70,600 |
| 4 people | $33,000 | $49,000 | $78,400 |
| 5 people | $38,680 | $52,950 | $84,700 |
| 6 people | $44,360 | $56,850 | $90,950 |
| 7 people | $50,040 | $60,800 | $97,250 |
| 8 people | $55,720 | $64,700 | $103,500 |
These are the limits HUD sets for its housing programs in the Crow Wing County, MN, where HUD’s median family income for fiscal year 2026 is $96,700.
A program can use its own limits; tax-credit and local programs often do.
Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.
Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.
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Questions about Brainerd
What is the average rent in Brainerd, MN?
The Census Bureau publishes the median rather than the average: the median gross rent in Brainerd is $827 (±$57) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey), so half of renting households pay less and half pay more.
How much is a one-bedroom apartment in Brainerd?
The median gross rent for a one-bedroom home in Brainerd, MN is $653 (±$43) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Are renters in Brainerd rent-burdened?
39.0% of renting households in Brainerd pay 30% or more of their income in gross rent, the share housing researchers usually call rent-burdened (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
How many renters are there in Brainerd?
Brainerd has an estimated 2,760 (±343) renting households, 43.5% of its occupied homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the median household income in Brainerd?
The median household income in Brainerd is $56,111 (±$6,610) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average home value in Brainerd, MN?
The Census Bureau publishes the median: $192,500 (±$13,543) for owner-occupied homes in Brainerd (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Is Brainerd growing?
In Brainerd, the number of residents went from 13,373 in 2015–2019 to 14,468 in 2020–2024 (+8.2%), a measurable increase.
Sources
- Demographic and Housing Estimates (DP05), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Brainerd city, Minnesota
- Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Brainerd city, Minnesota
- Selected Economic Characteristics (DP03), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Brainerd city, Minnesota
- Median Real Estate Taxes Paid by Mortgage Status (B25103), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Brainerd city, Minnesota
- Selected Social Characteristics (DP02), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Brainerd city, Minnesota
- Total Population (B01003), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Brainerd city, Minnesota
- Median Gross Rent (B25064), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Brainerd city, Minnesota
- HUD Fair Market Rents, fiscal year 2027: Crow Wing County, MN
- HUD Income Limits, fiscal year 2026: Crow Wing County, MN
- FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Crime Data Explorer: Brainerd Police Department (ORI MN0180100)
- FBI: Uniform Crime Reporting statistics and their proper use
- Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, all items, US Bureau of Labor Statistics: annual averages 2019 and 2024
- US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files
To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for Brainerd city, Minnesota (place:07300, in state:27).
Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).
The 2015–2019 figures are B01003_001E, B01003_001M, B25064_001E, B25064_001M from the 2019 release.
The API needs a free key.
DP05_0001E, DP05_0001M, DP04_0001E, DP04_0001M, DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, DP04_0134E, DP04_0134M, DP03_0062E, DP03_0062M, DP04_0089E, DP04_0089M
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.
Figures last updated on .