City Hall, 2025
Deer River’s story
133 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2025.
- 1893Deer River is settled
Deer RiverMN
A town of 926, settled in 1893.
3 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Myotus · CC BY 4.0
Population
926
2025 Census estimate · +1.6% since 2020
Typical home
$250K
−0.9% in a year
Household income
$39K
median
Median age
40.3
years
Jobs based here
736
A job hub
Is Deer River a good place to live?
Deer River has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What makes Deer River stand out
Where Deer River beats most towns.
Small town
926 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Deer River TownshipMorse TownshipZempleDeer River
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Deer River: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Deer River, and how to reach them.
PowerMinnesota Power15.9¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterDeer River water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet3 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Deer River’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 hereItasca County CourthouseItasca County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP code5663656636 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 Deer River.
Work & commute
Compared with most of Minnesota and the rest of the country, more of Deer River’s residents live below the poverty line
For half of commuters, work is under 16 miles away. Of the 274 Minnesota towns we compare, none has a lower income of the median household than Deer River. A fifth of working residents work locally here, above both Minnesota’s towns (9.8%) and U.S. towns (8%). Jobs based in Deer River grew to 736 in 2023, 420 more than in 2013.
20%work in town
| Deer River | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 31% | 7% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $39,000 | $90,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 20% | 9.8% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 24 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Deer River20%
Grand Rapids18%
Cohasset4%
Cass Lake4%
Morse Township4%
16 mi
median commute distance
736
jobs based in Deer River
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Schools
The schools Deer River’s kids attend
Of its 4 schools, two are listed below, each with the reason. Public schools: the Deer River Public School District. The largest public high school is Deer River Secondary, with 425 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| King ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 390 | B− |
| Deer River SecondaryLargest public high schoolGrades 6–12 | Grades 6–12 | 425 | C− |
NCES · EDFacts
Housing
The typical home in Deer River is valued at about $250K
68% of households own their home in Deer River, where Minnesota’s towns sit at 75% and U.S. towns at 73%. In Deer River, the rent at the middle of the market is $816 a month.
$250KZillow home value
| Deer River | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $816 a month | $1,196 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 68% | 75% | 73% |
Typical home value
Deer River$250K
Minnesota$349K
−0.9%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in March
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Natural hazards
Deer River has a low natural-hazard risk, chiefly from inland flooding
The natural-hazard score from FEMA in Deer River is 26 of 100. Federal aid has come to Deer River households in 3 declared disasters; the latest was in 2024. Expected losses in Deer River break down as 44% from inland flooding and 42% from cold waves.
26risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold waves
3
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Snowy winters and pleasant summers in Deer River
July afternoons reach 79°, January nights drop to -2° and about 60 inches of snow falls in a winter.
60″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter2–22°
Spring28–52°
Summer54–76°
Fall34–52°
Oct 1
typical first frost
May 16
typical last frost
+2.2°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Safety
Crime reported in Deer River
In a town this small, a few incidents move the numbers a lot, so rates aren't shown. 16 crimes were reported in Deer River in 2025: 14 property and 2 violent.
Deer River is small, so we show counts rather than rates.
2
violent crimes reported in 2025
14
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Health
A larger share of adults in Deer River have diabetes than in the typical Minnesota or U.S. town
Among adults in Deer River, 30% feel lonely. No town among the 272 in Minnesota we compare has a higher share of adults who have high blood pressure than Deer River. The town beats the Minnesota average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 17. Also worth knowing: only 6 of the 272 Minnesota towns we compare have a lower share of adults who binge drink than Deer River.
| Deer River | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 10% | 12% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 31% | 35% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 14% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 12% | 14% |
32 measures vs. Minnesota
1 better14 too close to call17 worse
| What stands out | Deer River | MN |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 80% | 76.1% |
| More adults with heart disease | 10.1% | 5.9% |
Essentia Health Deer River
0.3 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Outdoors
Conserved land covers 5.7% of Deer River
Across 3 parks and preserves: 0.8 miles of trail. Parks and preserves in Deer River: 3, covering 22 acres. For Deer River, the concentration of trails is 0.5 miles per square mile.
5.7%conserved
| Deer River | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 5.7% | 4.7% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.5 miles per square mile | 0.5 | 0.4 |
5.7%
conserved · 55 of 965 acres
0.8 mi
of trails · 0.5 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Chippewa National Forest | — | 17 |
| 2. Deer River Wayside Park | — | 4 |
| 3. Deer River Lions Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Deer River
20pages on Deer River
The big questions
Schools4 schoolsSafety2.1 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthBetter than MN on 1 of 32 CDC measuresCost of living$250K typical home · down 0.9% in a yearWork & commute$39K median household income · 736 jobs hereNatural hazardsFEMA risk higher than 26% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Deer River; the nearest are
Leech Lake Tribal CollegeCommunity college · Public · Cass Lake40.4 mi$4,850 in-state tuitionBemidji State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Bemidji51.5 mi$10,237 in-state tuition
About 4 of every 100 Deer River residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Minnesota.
A job hub
Every workday, about 660 people come to Deer River for work
Where Deer River’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
736jobs based in Deer River
20%of working residents work in town
16 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Famous people from Deer River
3 notable people were born in Deer River.
About Deer River
City in Minnesota, United States
Deer River is a city in Itasca County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 909 at the 2020 census. U.S. Highway 2 and Minnesota State Highways 6 and 46 are three of the main routes in the community.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.3 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,293 ft
- ZIP code
- 56636
- Area code
- 218
Questions about Deer River
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Deer River, MN a good place to live?
Deer River has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What is Deer River, MN known for?
3 notable people were born here, including John Linder and Charles Honorton.