Big Louis, 2017
Barnum Township’s story
Barnum Township in pictures
Census counts: 49 in 1880, a low of 49 in 1880, 620 in 2020. The archive holds 9 old photos and papers going back to 2017 and 2 maps from 1962 on.
Explore the history →Barnum TownshipMN
A town of 1,127.
Population
1,127
2025 Census estimate · +2.8% since 2020
Median home value
$244K
Census ACS
Household income
$88K
median
Median age
51.3
years
Jobs based here
85
A commuter town
Is Barnum Township a good place to live?
Barnum Township’s best subject grades are a B+ for schools and a B for cost of living; its weakest is a D for walkability. 32% of residents are 65 or older in Barnum Township, where Minnesota’s towns sit at 18% and U.S. towns at 18%. Only 15 of Minnesota’s 574 towns score lower on walkability. Only 29 of Minnesota’s 572 towns score lower on civic life. The biggest park or preserve is Dye Wildlife Management Area, at 156 acres. Barnum Township has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
WeakestDWalkability
Small town
1,127 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Moose Lake TownshipBarnumMahtowa TownshipBlackhoof TownshipBarnum Township
How Barnum Township grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Minnesota), ordered by how far Barnum Township is from typical.
WalkabilityEPA walkability 4.8 of 20; 0.6% of households have no car; 0% of workers walk, bike or ride transitDOpen →SchoolsBeat 70% of Minnesota districts on tests and graduationB+Open →Cost of livingTypical home $244K, 3.4 years of the Duluth metro’s $72K median household incomeBOpen →Jobs & income$88K median household incomeC+Open →HealthEssentia Health Moose Lake 7 miles awayC+Open →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 47% of U.S. communities; cold waves tops the listB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors10 miles of trails; 2% conserved landDOpen →HistoryC+Open →Civic life2.3 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsDOpen →
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 Barnum Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Barnum Township, and how to reach them.
PowerMinnesota Power15.9¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterBarnum water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers66% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Barnum Township’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 hereCarlton County AuditorCarlton County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2024
ZIP codes55707, 5576755707 77% · 55767 23%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 Barnum Township.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C+
Fewer of Barnum Township’s working residents work locally than in the typical Minnesota or U.S. town
1% of working residents work locally in Barnum Township, below both Minnesota’s towns (9.8%) and U.S. towns (8%). Since 2013, Barnum Township has added 58 jobs, to 85 in 2023. 13% of residents live below the poverty line in Barnum Township.
1%work in town
| Barnum Township | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 1% | 9.8% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 13% | 7% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 27 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 9.7% | 14% | 11% |
Where working residents work
In Barnum Township1%
Duluth19%
Cloquet18%
Moose Lake11%
Barnum4%
25 mi
median commute distance
85
jobs based in Barnum Township
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
D
Walkability grade: more walkable than 6% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Barnum Township has snowy winters and pleasant summers
Barnum Township has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. The July high in Barnum Township is 79°F.
64″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter4–23°
Spring28–52°
Summer53–77°
Fall34–53°
Oct 2
typical first frost
May 12
typical last frost
+1.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HealthC+
On CDC estimates, Barnum Township is less healthy than 56% of U.S. towns
Barnum Township beats the Minnesota average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 16. 40% of Barnum Township adults have obesity. Among 272 Minnesota towns, just 9 have a higher share of adults who sleep under 7 hours than Barnum Township.
44%healthier than U.S. townsC+Health Grade
| Barnum Township | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 35% | 35% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 25% | 23% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 18% | 16% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 74% | 75% | 79% |
32 measures vs. Minnesota
0 better16 too close to call16 worse
| What stands out | Barnum Township | MN |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 12.6% | 8.9% |
| More smokers | 17.5% | 13.1% |
| More adults with COPD | 7.1% | 5.4% |
Essentia Health Moose Lake
7 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B−
Barnum Township faces a moderate natural-hazard risk, led by cold waves
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 53% of U.S. communities. Since 2016, 2 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Barnum Township.
47risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Cold wavesInland flooding
2
paid flood claims since 2016
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
1.7%conserved
| Barnum Township | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 1.7% | 4.7% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.2 miles per square mile | 0.5 | 0.4 |
1.7%
conserved · 513 of 29,408 acres
9.7 mi
of trails · 0.2 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Dye Wildlife Management Area | — | 156 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Barnum Township
18pages on Barnum Township
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Barnum Township; the nearest are
Fond du Lac Tribal and Community CollegeUniversity or college · Public · Cloquet16.2 mi$6,006 in-state tuitionLake Superior CollegeCommunity college · Public · Duluth30.6 mi$5,785 in-state tuition
About 2 of every 100 Barnum Township residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Minnesota.
A commuter town
99% of working residents leave Barnum Township for work
Where Barnum Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
85jobs based in Barnum Township
1%of working residents work in town
25 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Barnum Township
City in Minnesota, United States
Barnum is a city in Carlton County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 620 at the 2020 census. Interstate Highway 35, Carlton County Road 6 (Main Street), and Carlton County Road 61 (Front Street) are three of the main routes in Barnum.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.0 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,106 ft
- ZIP code
- 55707
- Area code
- 218
Questions about Barnum Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Barnum Township, MN expensive?
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.