For about half of its working residents, Black River Township is a commute to Thief River Falls
Commuters spend 8 minutes getting to work on average; Minnesota averages 23, the U.S. 26. 33% of workers work from home, where Minnesota as a whole has 18%. Only 6% stay in Black River Township for work; outside it, Thief River Falls is the main destination (50%, 10 miles).
Census ACS 2020–24, Census LEHD 2023, EPA Smart Location Database. How the two grades are made
Who commutes out of Black River Township, and who commutes in
On a workday 32 residents head out to work, 2 work right here, and 9 people come in from elsewhere.
About 39 people are in Black River Township on a workday afternoon, 37% fewer than live here.
0.32 jobs for every working resident, so most people commute out.
Workday population = residents − those who work elsewhere + those who come in (the Census “commuter-adjusted” method). Residents: Census survey; commuters: LEHD 2023, primary jobs.
Where the trip to work from Black River Township ends
Where Black River Township clocks in
Lines run between town centers. The top 10 towns each way; “Everywhere else” is the rest, including other states.
A thicker line means more commuters. Switch between where residents work and where the people who work here live.
Goods jobs make up 100% of work in Black River Township
11 jobs are based in Black River Township.
What kind of work
What it pays
Who does it
Jobs based in Black River Township, 2013 → 2023: 14 → 11. Big swings can come from how a large employer reports its locations, not only from real openings or closings.
Primary jobs covered by unemployment insurance (not the self-employed). Pay is monthly earnings. LEHD 2023.
Here is what they are, next to the jobs Black River Township’s own residents hold wherever they work.
About 8 minutes each way for Black River Township’s commuters
Round trip, about 230 workdays a year: roughly 2.6 full days in the car, bus or train.
Average commute minutes, one way
of Black River Township workers work from home, vs 18% across Minnesota. Their commute is the hallway.
Share of the 8 commuters (the 33% who work from home are left out). Across Minnesota: 84% drive alone, 2% take transit; U.S.: 81% and 4%. Census ACS 2020–24.
From the Census survey of workers who don’t work from home.
How far Black River Township goes to work
About 24% show a job over 50 miles away. Some of that is real, and some is employers that report every worker at a head office, so a few long commutes are on paper only.
Straight-line distance from each worker’s home block to their main job’s block. LEHD 2023.
Every working resident’s trip, home to work, as the crow flies. Roads add to it, so real drives run longer.
Next door to Black River Township
Average commute minutes, one way
Jobs & commute next door
| Town | Black River Township workers there | Jobs & income | Walkability | Commute | Household income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black River Township | – | — | — | 8 min | $71,250 |
| Sanders Township | under 3% | — | — | 18 min | — |
| Browns Creek Township | under 3% | — | — | 21 min | — |
| River Falls Township | under 3% | — | — | 17 min | — |
| Polk Centre Township | under 3% | — | — | 28 min | — |
| St. Hilaire | under 3% | — | — | 16 min | — |
| Rocksbury Township | under 3% | B | C− | 12 min | $112,548 |
Same-state neighbors only. Sanders Township, Browns Creek Township, River Falls Township, Polk Centre Township and St. Hilaire: fewer than 1,000 residents, not graded. Commute: average minutes each way, Census ACS 2020–24.
Darker towns draw more of Black River Township’s workers. Tap a town to see its commute.
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Two sources, two years. Trips, distances and jobs based here: Census LEHD 2023, primary jobs, where the employer reports them. Income, poverty, unemployment, commute time and how people travel: Census ACS 2020–24 averages.
- Straight lines, older transit. Miles are as the crow flies. EPA’s walkability and transit files use 2017–20 inputs.
Jobs and commuting in Black River Township: questions
What is the median household income in Black River Township?
$71,250 (±$25,323) (Census ACS 2020–24), against $89,062 across Minnesota and $80,734 nationally.
What is the poverty rate in Black River Township?
3.4%, against 9.3% across Minnesota and 12.5% nationally (Census ACS 2020–24).
How long is the commute from Black River Township?
8 minutes each way on average, against 23 across Minnesota and 26 nationally. 33% of workers work from home.
Where do people who live in Black River Township work?
6% work in town.
Can you get around Black River Township without a car?
0% of commuters take transit and 0% of households have no car. EPA has no transit data for this county.
Commuter talk
Getting to work from Black River Township, from the people who make the trip.
More of Black River Township
Flows, distances and jobs: U.S. Census Bureau, LEHD Origin-Destination Employment Statistics (LODES 8), 2023, primary jobs. Commute time, working from home and working out of state: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates. Distances are straight lines between home and work; real drives run longer.