Garnes, Minnesota, 2005
Garnes Township’s story
130 years in pictures
The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 2005 and 3 maps from 1919 on.
- 1896Garnes Township is settled
Garnes TownshipMN
A town of 184, settled in 1896.
5 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Andrew Filer from Seattle (ex-Minneapolis) · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
184
2025 Census estimate · +0.5% since 2020
Median home value
$262K
Census ACS
Household income
$133K
median
Median age
41.0
years
Jobs based here
2
A commuter town
Is Garnes Township a good place to live?
Only 1 of the 274 Minnesota towns we compare have a higher share of households owning their home than Garnes Township. Garnes Township has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
184 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Emardville TownshipEquality TownshipLambert TownshipMayfield TownshipWyandotte TownshipGarnes Township
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Garnes Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Garnes Township, and how to reach them.
PowerRed Lake Electric CoopEIAHIFLD · EIA
Internet2 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Garnes Township’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 hereRed Lake County AuditorRed Lake County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2023
ZIP codes56742, 5674856742 72% · 56748 27%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 Garnes Township.
Natural hazards
Garnes Township faces a very high natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 80% of U.S. communities.
80risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingDroughtCold waves
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commute
Most of Garnes Township’s workers commute out: the town has 0.0 jobs for each of them
At $133,000, Garnes Township’s median household income is above both Minnesota’s towns ($90,000) and U.S. towns ($80,000). 3% of residents live below the poverty line in Garnes Township. The top destinations are Thief River Falls (35%), Oklee (10%) and Red Lake Falls (8%).
0%work in town
| Garnes Township | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $133,000 | $90,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 3% | 7% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 25 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Garnes Township0%
Thief River Falls35%
Oklee10%
Red Lake Falls8%
Crookston5%
19 mi
median commute distance
2
jobs based in Garnes Township
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Who lives here
Fewer young adults than Minnesota overall
Adults 18 to 34 are 9% of residents (22% statewide); children under 18 are 34% of residents (23% statewide). 31% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 39% across Minnesota.
41median age · MN 38.8
| Garnes Township | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 41 years | 39.9 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 31% | 33% | 29% |
Garnes TownshipMinnesotaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
22%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma1%
High school32%
Some college19%
Associate’s17%
Bachelor’s28%
Graduate3%
Women and men · all residents
42% women, 58% men
About 136 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±4.8 points). Across Minnesota, 49.9% of residents are women.
| Garnes Township | MN | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 12.6% | 12.1% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 21.7% | 10.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 2.5% | 8.8% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 6.1% | 13% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 16.2% | 13.5% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 11.6% | 11.6% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 17.2% | 12.9% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 5.1% | 10.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 7.1% | 7% | 7% |
| No diploma | 0.8% | 6.1% | 10.4% |
| High school | 32% | 23.3% | 26% |
| Some college | 19.2% | 19.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 16.8% | 11.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 28% | 25.6% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 3.2% | 13.8% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 200, single groups can be off by several points
Climate
In Garnes Township, expect snowy winters and pleasant summers
Garnes Township has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with very little rain. At 79°F, Garnes Township’s July high is below both the Minnesota town median (82°F) and the median of U.S. towns (85°F).
50″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter1–19°
Spring29–51°
Summer54–78°
Fall33–52°
Sep 30
typical first frost
May 9
typical last frost
+1.5°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Garnes Township is
Garnes Township beats the Minnesota average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 11. 39% of Garnes Township adults have obesity.
| Garnes Township | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 35% | 35% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 14% | 14% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 30% | 36% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 23% | 25% |
32 measures vs. Minnesota
0 better21 too close to call11 worse
| What stands out | Garnes Township | MN |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 11.7% | 8.9% |
| More adults with COPD | 6.9% | 5.4% |
| More adults with heart disease | 7.4% | 5.9% |
Sanford Thief River Falls Medical Center
20 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Outdoors
Conserved land covers 0.4% of Garnes Township
5.3 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve. Garnes Township’s trail density is 0.1 miles per square mile.
0.4%conserved
| Garnes Township | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 0.4% | 4.7% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.5 | 0.4 |
0.4%
conserved · 126 of 30,702 acres
5.3 mi
of trails · 0.1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Emardville Wildlife Management Area | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Garnes Township
16pages on Garnes Township
The big questions
Out and about
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Garnes Township; the nearest are
Northland Community and Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · Thief River Falls19.3 mi$6,289 in-state tuitionUniversity of Minnesota-CrookstonUniversity or college · Public · Crookston33.4 mi$13,288 in-state tuition
About 1 of every 100 Garnes Township residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Minnesota.
A commuter town
100% of working residents leave Garnes Township for work
Where Garnes Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
2jobs based in Garnes Township
0%of working residents work in town
19 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Garnes Township
Township in Minnesota, United States
Garnes Township is a township in Red Lake County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 174 at the 2000 census. Garnes Township was named for the phonetic version of the last name of Ellef K. Gjernes, a Norwegian settler from Ål in Hallingdal, Norway, who was the township's first postmaster in 1897.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 48 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,152 ft
Questions about Garnes Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Garnes Township, MN a good place to live?
Garnes Township has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.