Photo: Elkman · CC BY-SA 3.0216 homes sold in Brainerd in the last year, at a typical $248K
Almost every sale is a house. Below: what each kind of home sells for, what your budget buys, the best months to buy, how hard you’ll have to bid, and a shortcut to every site where Brainerd homes are listed.
Every place Brainerd homes are listed, in one stop
We don’t copy listings: the agents’ sites have the photos and the latest price changes. Set what you want once and we open each site already filtered to Brainerd.
For sale
Rent
New, land & open houses
Links open the listing sites; TownRatings isn’t paid for them and doesn’t rank one above another. Rentals and government-owned homes come from sources outside the MLS.
Houses are 94% of Brainerd’s sales, at a typical $246K
216 homes sold in the year to May 2026.
typical sale · 202 sold in 12 months
- Per square foot
- $163MN $191
- Days to sell
- 34
- Sold over asking
- 37%
- Listings with a price cut
- 25%
Multi-family (2–4 units): 5 sold, typical $239K
Townhouses: 9 sold, typical $268K
Too few sales in 12 months for reliable figures.
Fewer homes sell than before 2022, at twice the 2016 price
216 sales in the last year, against 338 in 2021 and a low of 205 in 2024. The typical sale went from $116K in 2016 to $248K.
Source: Redfin Data Center, MLS sales. Typical price and $/sq ft are the monthly medians, weighted by sales.
What $250K buys in Brainerd
Check a listing against what Brainerd homes sold for
Against the town’s median price per square foot over the last 12 months. A rough check: condition, lot and location within town move a price more than this can see.
Bidding wars in Brainerd are back to pre-pandemic levels, but a quarter fewer homes come up for sale
We read every month of Brainerd’s home sales since 2012 so you don’t have to. Each figure covers 12 months, because a single month in a town is too few sales to mean much. Latest: the year to May 2026, 216 sales.
If you’re buying in Brainerd
- Shop in July. It brings about 36 new listings a month, close to the busiest month, with fewer bidding wars (37% over asking).
- You can negotiate. 26% of listings have cut their price, against 22% before the pandemic.
- Bid near asking. Buyers paid 99.3% of the list price on average; 36% paid over.
- You’ll usually have time. Only 43% of homes go under contract within two weeks; the typical one takes 35 days.
Summer brings the homes; fall brings the bidding wars
August has the most new listings (about 37 a month), but October is the most competitive: 44% of October sales close over asking. January has the least competition (31%) but only about 17 new listings.
Averages for each calendar month, 2015 on.
Calmer than the 2021 frenzy, and about like Minnesota as a whole
| Brainerd now | 2017–19 | 2021 peak | MN now | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sold over askingShare of sales that closed above the list price | 36% | 34% | 56% | 33% |
| Gone within two weeksShare of homes under contract within 14 days | 43% | 43% | 59% | 42% |
| Listings with a price cutShare of homes for sale that cut their price | 26% | 22% | 23% | 28% |
| Price paid vs. askingAverage sale price ÷ list price | 99.3% | 99.2% | 101.7% | 99.2% |
| Days to sellMedian days from listing to contract | 35 | 33 | 16 | 35 |
54 homes for sale on a typical day
That’s twice the 2022 low (26), 23% fewer than in 2017–19 and well under 2012’s 151.
1 in 4 listings has cut its price
26% in the last year, against 22% in 2017–19 and 28% across Minnesota.
Brainerd ranks 52nd of 144 busy Minnesota markets for bidding wars
Share of sales over asking in the last year, among towns with 60 or more sales. Brainerd is in the middle of the pack.
Source: Redfin Data Center, city market tracker, January 2012 to May 2026 (MLS sales, not seasonally adjusted). Ratios are weighted by homes sold; price cuts by homes for sale.
Owning the typical Brainerd home costs about $1,517 a month
Price: Brainerd’s typical sale, last 12 months. Property tax at Brainerd’s 1.1% (median bill ÷ median value, Census ACS); insurance at 0.35% of price a year. Before PMI, HOA dues, upkeep and the tax deduction. Whether Brainerd is affordable on local pay is on Cost of living.
Six things worth knowing
New listings in August
The month with the most choice. December has the fewest, about 13.
Best time to buyProperty tax, a year
Of a home’s value: the median bill over the median home value. On a $248K home, about $2,680 a year.
Taxes vs. neighborsSchools
The schools grade for Brainerd, from test results, graduation and how much students grow.
Schools in BrainerdTypical commute
The average one-way trip to work for people who live in Brainerd.
Work & commuteCheck the flood map
Flood insurance isn’t in a standard policy, and lenders require it in FEMA flood zones. Check the address before you make an offer.
Natural hazardsLook up any property
Assessed value, lot size and every past sale of a home you’re eyeing are public, at the town or county assessor and the registry of deeds.
No busy market nearby sells for less a square foot; East Gull Lake, Nisswa, Lake Shore and Pequot Lakes for far more
The busier markets within 25 miles of Brainerd, by what sold. Prices, taxes and how far a paycheck goes next door are on Cost of living.
| Sold | Typical sale | $/sq ft | Over asking | Days to sell | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brainerd | 216 | $248K | $160 | 36% | 35 |
| Baxter | 141 | $367K | $178 | 24% | 36 |
| Nisswa | 62 | $629K | $320 | 24% | 54 |
| Pequot Lakes | 53 | $423K | $271 | 25% | 57 |
| Lake Shore | 39 | $968K | $389 | 23% | 68 |
| Crosby | 34 | $248K | $179 | 26% | 54 |
| East Gull Lake | 25 | $1.1M | $436 | 16% | 47 |
Redfin Data Center, June 2025 to May 2026. Towns with fewer than 20 sales are left out, and Redfin doesn’t report every town separately.
Post your home to Brainerd, free
Selling it yourself, renting out an apartment or looking for a roommate? Post it to Brainerd. People who follow the town see it, and so do people comparing Brainerd with their own town. No commission, no listing fee.
Questions about buying a home in Brainerd
What do homes sell for in Brainerd, MN?
216 homes sold in the year to May 2026 at a typical $248K, $160 a square foot.
Is Brainerd a buyer’s or seller’s market?
A seller’s market: 60 homes were for sale in May 2026 and 26 sold, about 2.3 months of supply. Buyers paid 99.3% of asking on average, and 26% of listings cut their price.
When is the best time to buy in Brainerd?
August brings the most new listings. The sales history shows which months have fewer bidding wars.
How much are property taxes in Brainerd?
About 1.1% of a home’s value a year. On a $248K home that’s near $2,680.
Where can I see homes for sale in Brainerd?
Zillow, Redfin, Realtor.com and Homes.com all carry Brainerd’s MLS listings; the search links above open each one filtered to Brainerd.
Sales, prices, days on market and listings: Redfin Data Center (MLS, monthly, not seasonally adjusted). Property tax rate: Census American Community Survey. Two-bedroom rent: HUD Fair Market Rent. Typical home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Schools grade: TownRatings (how grades work).