Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 170, settled in 1906.
44% of the land in Big Falls is conserved, above both Minnesota’s towns (4.7%) and U.S. towns (4.3%). The biggest place to walk is Pine Island State Forest, 1,689 acres with 2.3 miles of trail. Big Falls has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Census counts: 325 in 1910, a peak of 534 in 1970, 175 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1937 and 2 maps from 1919 on.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Big Falls, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Big Falls.
The trail density in Big Falls is 0.9 miles per square mile. There are 5.6 miles of trail across 2 parks and preserves.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Pine Island State Forest | 2.3 mi | 1,689 |
| 2. Big Falls City Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
In Big Falls, 11% of residents live below the poverty line. Just 5% of the town’s working residents have a job in town. The top destinations are International Falls (29%), Bemidji (11%) and Littlefork (7%). For half of commuters, work is under 34 miles away.
| Big Falls | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $29,000 | $90,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 11% | 7% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 5.5% | 9.8% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 23 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The FEMA risk score for Big Falls comes to 75 of 100, above both the Minnesota town median (40 of 100) and the median of U.S. towns (44 of 100). FEMA puts 67% of the town’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 21% to cold waves.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Among 275 Minnesota towns, just 9 have a lower midsummer high than Big Falls. July afternoons reach 78°, January nights drop to -5° and about 55 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
For adults in Big Falls, the share who had a checkup this year is 82%. Of the 272 Minnesota towns we compare, none has a higher share of adults who have high blood pressure than Big Falls. The town beats the Minnesota average on 5 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 12.
| Big Falls | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 46% | 31% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 10% | 12% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 18% | 16% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 30% | 33% |
| What stands out | Big Falls | MN |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 13.2% | 17.8% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 7.3% | 9.3% |
| More adults with COPD | 9.7% | 5.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
None within 15 miles of Big Falls; the nearest are
About 0 of every 100 Big Falls residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Minnesota.
Where Big Falls’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
City in Minnesota, United States
Big Falls is a city in Koochiching County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 175 at the 2020 census. U.S. Highway 71 and Minnesota State Highway 6 are two of the main routes in Big Falls.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Big Falls has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.