Untitled photo, 1910
Brookston’s story
127 years in pictures
Census counts: 160 in 1910, 118 in 2020. The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 1910 and a map from 1953 on.
- 1899Brookston is settled
BrookstonMN
A town of 113, settled in 1899.
Photo: Lorie Shaull · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
113
2025 Census estimate · −0.9% since 2020
Typical home
$204K
+3.3% in a year
Household income
$53K
median
Median age
54.9
years
Land area
1 sq mi
Is Brookston a good place to live?
Brookston has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
113 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Brookston: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Brookston, and how to reach them.
PowerMinnesota Power15.9¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterRegional Drinking Water SystemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet2 providers92% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Brookston’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 hereSt. Louis County AuditorSt. Louis County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2017
ZIP code5571155711 100%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 Brookston.
Housing
The typical home in Brookston: about $204K
Home values are up 3.3% over the year to September 2026. Among households in Brookston, 91% own their home.
$204KZillow home value
Typical home value
Brookston$204K
Minnesota$349K
+3.3%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Climate
Brookston has snowy winters and pleasant summers
July afternoons reach 78°, January nights drop to -2° and about 71 inches of snow falls in a winter.
71″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter2–22°
Spring27–51°
Summer51–76°
Fall32–52°
Sep 23
typical first frost
May 26
typical last frost
+2.0°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazards
Brookston faces a high natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Federal aid has come to Brookston households in 3 declared disasters; the latest was in 2024. On expected storm and flood damage, Brookston sits above two thirds of U.S. communities. FEMA puts 89% of the town’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding.
67risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland flooding
3
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Health
More of Brookston’s adults smoke cigarettes than in the typical Minnesota or U.S. town
18% of Brookston adults worry about having enough food. Among 272 Minnesota towns, just 2 have a higher share of adults who sleep under 7 hours than Brookston. Also worth knowing: the town beats the Minnesota average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 20. Two figures for adults here: 16% have diabetes, 17% report frequent physical distress.
| Brookston | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 14% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 10% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 12% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 16% | 19% |
32 measures vs. Minnesota
1 better11 too close to call20 worse
| What stands out | Brookston | MN |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 80.2% | 76.1% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 20.9% | 8.9% |
Community Memorial Hospital
11.4 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Brookston
16pages on Brookston
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Brookston
About 0 of every 100 Brookston residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Minnesota.
About Brookston
City in Minnesota, United States
Brookston is a city in Saint Louis County, Minnesota, United States; located along the Saint Louis River, opposite the mouth of the Artichoke River. The population was 118 at the 2020 census. Brookston is located 27 miles west of the city of Duluth and 17 miles northwest of the city of Cloquet. U.S. Highway 2 and Saint Louis County Road 31 (CR 31) are two of the main routes in Brookston. The city of Brookston is located within Culver Township geographically but is a separate entity. Brookston is politically independent of the township. Brookston is located on the northern edge of the Fond du Lac Indian Reservation. It is one of three administrative centers of the reservation.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.5 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,227 ft
- ZIP code
- 55711
- Area code
- 218
Questions about Brookston
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Brookston, MN a good place to live?
Brookston has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.