Aerial Photo, 2008
Bagley’s story
128 years in pictures
Census counts: 248 in 1900, 1,285 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 2005 and 3 maps from 1943 on.
- 1898Bagley is settled
BagleyMN
A town of 1,310, settled in 1898. A regional job hub with 1,376 jobs.
1 bordering townMap →
Photo: HuschlePropertyImaging.com · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
1,310
2025 Census estimate · +2.6% since 2020
Typical home
$245K
+10.8% in a year
Household income
$45K
median
Median age
45.4
years
Jobs based here
1,376
A job hub
Is Bagley a good place to live?
The best of Bagley’s subject grades are an A for safety and an A− for cost of living; the weakest is a D for incomes. 33% of working residents work locally in Bagley, above both Minnesota’s towns (9.8%) and U.S. towns (8%). On incomes, just 8 of Minnesota’s 574 towns do worse. Bagley has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Bagley stand out
Where Bagley beats most towns.
Jobs vs. working residents
Jobs here1,376
Residents who work573
Work
2.4 jobs for every working resident
A regional job hub: more jobs per worker than 96% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023.
Natural hazardsA
Lower risk than 90% of U.S. communities
Very low risk of storm and flood damage
FEMA National Risk Index.
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Bagley0.8
Minnesota2.3
U.S.3.3
SafetyA
65% less violent crime than MN
FBI data, 2025. Crimes reported to police.
Small town
1,310 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Copley TownshipBagley
How Bagley grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Minnesota), ordered by how far Bagley is from typical.
Jobs & incomeDOpen →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listAOpen →SafetyAOpen →Cost of livingA−Open →SchoolsC−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 7.5 of 20; 16.6% of households have no car; 2.3% of workers walk, bike or ride transitBOpen →HealthSanford Bagley Medical Center 0.1 miles awayB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors2 miles of trails; 6% conserved landB+Open →History1 notable person born hereC+Open →Civic life8.6 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsB+Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Bagley: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Bagley, and how to reach them.
PowerBagley Public Utilities CommEIAHIFLD · EIA
WaterBagley water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Bagley’s trash rules yet
Register to voteOnlineIn Minnesota you can register online until 21 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (received 21 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereClearwater County Auditor-TreasurerClearwater County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP code5662156621 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Bagley.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D
Bagley stands out in Minnesota and nationally: the median household income there is lower
At $45,000, Bagley’s median household income is against $90,000 in Minnesota’s towns and $80,000 across U.S. towns. 18% of Bagley residents live below the poverty line. About one in 3 of Bagley’s working residents works in town.
33%work in town
| Bagley | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 18% | 7% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $45,000 | $90,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 20 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Bagley33%
Bemidji17%
Fosston3%
Thief River Falls3%
Clearbrook2%
23 mi
median commute distance
1,376
jobs based in Bagley
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
B
Walkability grade: more walkable than 58% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
SchoolsC−
On state tests, Bagley’s schools trail 77% of Minnesota districts
Its public schools are run by the Bagley Public School District. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Bagley Secondary, with 388 students.
23%of MN districts it outscoresC−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bagley ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 482 | C− |
| Bagley SecondaryLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 388 | C |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MN on state tests and graduation
SafetyA
Bagley reports less crime per resident than 90% of U.S. towns
The property crime rate in Bagley is 0.8 per 1,000 residents.
90%of U.S. towns report more crimeASafety Grade
| Bagley | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.8 per 1,000 residents | 8.7 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.8 per 1,000 residents | 1.1 | 1.6 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Bagley0.8
Minnesota2.3
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Bagley0.8
Minnesota14.3
U.S.15.5
90th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
1
violent crimes reported in 2025
1
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade A
The FEMA risk score in Bagley is lower than in the typical Minnesota or U.S. town
Bagley’s FEMA risk score is 10 of 100.
10risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes
3
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
HousingCost of living grade A−
The typical home in Bagley is valued at about $245K
The typical Bagley home is worth about $245,000, up 10.8% in a year, 30% below the Minnesota typical home. 55% of households own their home in Bagley.
$245KZillow home value
| Bagley | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 55% | 75% | 73% |
| Median rent | $750 a month | $1,196 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Bagley$245K
Minnesota$349K
+10.8%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Climate
Snowy winters and pleasant summers in Bagley
Bagley has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 78°, January nights drop to -3° and about 52 inches of snow falls in a winter.
52″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter1–20°
Spring28–50°
Summer54–76°
Fall33–51°
Sep 26
typical first frost
May 15
typical last frost
+1.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
5.8%conserved
| Bagley | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.7 miles per square mile | 0.5 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 5.8% | 4.7% | 4.3% |
5.8%
conserved · 82 of 1,405 acres
1.5 mi
of trails · 0.7 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Bagley City Park | 0.1 mi | 15 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
HealthB−
On CDC estimates, Bagley is less healthy than 54% of U.S. towns
Bagley beats the Minnesota average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 12. Only 9 of the 272 Minnesota towns we compare have a higher share of adults who report frequent physical distress than Bagley.
46%healthier than U.S. townsB−Health Grade
| Bagley | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 23% | 25% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 12% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 16% | 19% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 10% | 12% |
32 measures vs. Minnesota
1 better19 too close to call12 worse
| What stands out | Bagley | MN |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 81.3% | 76.1% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 14.5% | 8.9% |
Sanford Bagley Medical Center
0.1 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Bagley
20pages on Bagley
The big questions
SchoolsC−Behind 77% of MN districts · 3 schoolsSafetyA0.8 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthB−Better than MN on 1 of 32 CDC measuresCost of livingA−$245K typical home · up 10.8% in a yearWork & commuteD$45K median household income · 1,376 jobs hereNatural hazardsAFEMA risk higher than 10% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Bagley; the nearest are
Oak Hills Christian CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Bemidji24.4 mi$19,440 tuitionBemidji State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Bemidji24.8 mi$10,237 in-state tuitionNorthwest Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · Bemidji26.1 mi$6,254 in-state tuition
About 3 of every 100 Bagley residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Minnesota.
A job hub
Every workday, about 1,189 people come to Bagley for work
Where Bagley’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
1,376jobs based in Bagley
33%of working residents work in town
23 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Bagley
City in Minnesota, United States
Bagley ( BAYG-lee) is a city in Clearwater County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 1,285 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Clearwater County.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 2.0 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,450 ft
- ZIP code
- 56621
- Area code
- 218
Questions about Bagley
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Bagley, MN expensive?
Not for the area. That is 3.8 years of the area's median household income ($64,475 across the county).