Bruce Mine Headframe · National Register of Historic Places
Balkan Township’s story
Balkan Township in pictures
The archive holds 4 maps from 1955 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Explore the history →Bruce Mine Headframe · Photo: McGhiever · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
808
2025 Census estimate · −0.4% since 2020
Median home value
$219K
Census ACS
Household income
$80K
median
Median age
48.9
years
Jobs based here
51
A commuter town
Is Balkan Township a good place to live?
Among 275 Minnesota towns, just 6 have a lower July high than Balkan Township. 26% of the land in Balkan Township is conserved, above both Minnesota’s towns (4.7%) and U.S. towns (4.3%). The biggest place to walk is Superior National Forest, 8,526 acres with 6.6 miles of trail. Balkan Township has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
808 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
ChisholmGreat Scott TownshipHibbingBalkan Township
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Balkan Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Balkan Township, and how to reach them.
PowerMinnesota Power15.9¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterChisholm water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers90% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpFrom the town’s siteTrash and recycling rulesTown site
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 hereSt. Louis County AuditorSt. Louis County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2017
ZIP codes55719, 5574655719 98% · 55746 2%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 Balkan Township.
Outdoors
Nearly a quarter of Balkan Township is conserved land
31 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves.
26.2%conserved
26.2%
conserved · 11,014 of 42,065 acres
31 mi
of trails · 0.5 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Superior National Forest | 6.6 mi | 8,526 |
| 2. Redhead Mountain Bike Park | 0.4 mi | 74 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Schools
The schools Balkan Township’s kids attend
Its public schools are run by the Chisholm Public School District. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vaughan-Steffensrud ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–3 | Grades PK–3 | 207 | B |
NCES · EDFacts
Work & commute
Balkan Township has 0.1 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
Most working residents leave Balkan Township for work: only 2% work in town. Jobs based in Balkan Township fell to 51 in 2023, 969 fewer than in 2013. 3.9% of Balkan Township residents live below the poverty line, below both the Minnesota town median (7%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%).
2%work in town
| Balkan Township | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 1.6% | 9.8% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 3.9% | 7% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 27 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Balkan Township2%
Hibbing26%
Virginia10%
Cook8%
Chisholm7%
15 mi
median commute distance
51
jobs based in Balkan Township
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
In Balkan Township, expect four seasons and pleasant summers
Balkan Township has cold winters and pleasant summers. Balkan Township’s January low is -2°F.
78°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter1–21°
Spring27–51°
Summer52–76°
Fall32–51°
Sep 8
typical first frost
Jun 5
typical last frost
+2.3°
vs. the 20th-century average
78°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
A larger share of adults in Balkan Township smoke cigarettes than in the typical Minnesota or U.S. town
20% of Balkan Township adults smoke cigarettes. Only 7 of the 272 Minnesota towns we compare have a higher share of adults who sleep under 7 hours than Balkan Township. 28% of Balkan Township adults get no exercise outside work.
| Balkan Township | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 14% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 12% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 10% | 12% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 16% | 19% |
32 measures vs. Minnesota
0 better13 too close to call19 worse
| What stands out | Balkan Township | MN |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 17% | 8.9% |
| More adults with COPD | 8.5% | 5.4% |
| More smokers | 19.8% | 13.1% |
Cook Hospital
23.2 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazards
Balkan Township faces a moderate natural-hazard risk, led by cold waves
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 53% of U.S. communities.
53risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Cold wavesInland flooding
3
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Nearby attractions
All 7 attractions →Lake Vermilion-Soudan Underground Mine State Park and 4 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Balkan Township. Close and well known come first.
35 mi State parkLake Vermilion-Soudan Underground Mine State Park
8 mi MuseumGreyhound Bus Museum
5 mi MuseumMinnesota Discovery Center
39 mi MuseumForest History Center
15 mi GardenOlcott ParkSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Lake Vermilion-Soudan Underground Mine State Park: McGhiever, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Greyhound Bus Museum: McGhiever, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Minnesota Discovery Center: McGhiever, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Forest History Center: Laupeck, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Olcott Park: McGhiever, CC BY-SA 4.0
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Balkan Township
18pages on Balkan Township
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Balkan Township
About 4 of every 100 Balkan Township residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Minnesota.
A commuter town
98% of working residents leave Balkan Township for work
Where Balkan Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
51jobs based in Balkan Township
2%of working residents work in town
15 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Balkan Township
Township in Minnesota, United States
Balkan Township is a township in Saint Louis County, Minnesota, United States. The township was named after the Balkan Mountains. The population was 808 at the 2020 census. U.S. Highway 169 and State Highway 73 (MN 73) are two of the main routes in the township. The city of Chisholm is located within the south–central portion of Balkan Township geographically but is a separate entity.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 65 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,499 ft
Questions about Balkan Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Balkan Township, MN a good place to live?
Balkan Township has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.