Detroit Lakes, MN vs Brainerd, MN

Side-by-side comparison from the latest government data.

MetricDetroit Lakes, MNBrainerd, MN
Population10,02514,468
Median Household Income$62,958$56,111
Median Rent$954/mo$827/mo
Median Home Value$265,800$192,500
Cost of Living (US = 100)——
Renters Paying 30%+ of Income45.2%36.5%
Poverty Rate16.6%15%
Unemployment Rate4.5% (county)4.8% (county)
Violent Crime Rate /100k189250
Property Crime Rate /100k1,6451,583
Median AQI3837
Good AQI Days /yr233284
Summer Highs77°F78°F
Winter Lows1°F2°F
Snowfall48 in/yr48 in/yr
Avg Commute14.2 min19.8 min
Hospitals11
Avg Hospital Rating4.0 / 53.0 / 5
Students per Teacher14.714.9
College Degree Rate32.8%20.3%
Foreign-Born %1.1%1%
Population Growth (2020–2025)0.0%+0.4%

Green = clearly better (more than 5% apart). Population, growth, weather, hospital count and foreign-born share aren’t scored.