Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 5,481, settled in 1902.
International Falls gives you more for your money than most places: a typical home costs about $159K, 2.4 years of the county’s $67K median household income. It grades B overall, ranked 207th of 271 in Minnesota. The low prices come with trade-offs. The median household income is $58K, and 13% of residents live below the poverty line, and FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 83% of U.S. communities, with inland flooding at the top. On the plus side, it is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 86% of U.S. towns. International Falls’ average trip to work is 9 minutes, below both Minnesota’s towns (23 minutes) and U.S. towns (25 minutes). On civic life, just 28 of Minnesota’s 572 towns do better. International Falls has 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Koochiching County Courthouse.
Where International Falls beats most towns.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Minnesota), ordered by how far International Falls is from typical.
Its grades run from A+ for cost of living (better than 99% of comparable towns) to D for jobs and income (better than 10%), so the B overall blends very different results.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,487 in 1910, a peak of 8,324 in 1990, 5,802 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1900 and 4 maps from 1919 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in International Falls, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in International Falls.
International Falls has a shorter frost-free season than nearly all U.S. towns, but it carries more natural-hazard risk than most of Minnesota (mostly inland flooding) and is a long drive from an emergency room.
At 2.4 years of the county’s $67K median household income, the typical home (about $159K) costs less against local pay than in 97% of Minnesota towns; that ratio is one input to its A+ for cost of living. Home values rose 30% in five years, to about $159K, against 14% across Minnesota.
The typical home value in International Falls is about $159,000, up 5.3% in a year, 54% below the Minnesota typical home. 71% of households live in a home they own locally.
| International Falls | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $645 a month | $1,199 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 71% | 75% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
The largest public high school is Falls Secondary, with 489 students. The public schools here belong to the International Falls School District. Below: Two of its 5 schools, each with why it was picked.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Falls ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 425 | B |
| Falls SecondaryLargest public high schoolGrades 6–12 | Grades 6–12 | 489 | C |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MN on state tests and graduation
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 99% of Minnesota towns, with expected losses of about $677 per resident a year; that rating is what its D for hazard risk is built on.
Expected losses in International Falls break down as 74% from inland flooding and 22% from cold waves. Federal aid has come to International Falls households in 3 declared disasters; the latest was in 2022.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Trails total 3.4 miles in 8 parks and preserves. Parks and preserves in International Falls: 8, covering 64 acres.
| International Falls | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 1.5% | 4.7% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.5 miles per square mile | 0.5 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Kerry Park | 0.7 mi | 16 |
| 2. Smokey Bear Park | 0.5 mi | 6 |
| 3. International Falls Recreation | 0.2 mi | 18 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
At 26.2 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports more crime than 78% of Minnesota’s graded towns. Reported crimes fell from 86 to 36 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
For International Falls, the level of property crime is 3.5 per 1,000 residents. In International Falls, the violent offense rate is 3.1 per 1,000 residents.
| International Falls | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 3.1 per 1,000 residents | 1.1 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 3.5 per 1,000 residents | 8.7 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
The Intl Falls Intl Ap weather station records that the frost-free season runs about 109 days, shorter than in 98% of U.S. towns. The Intl Falls Intl Ap weather station records that about 2 days a year reach 90°, fewer than in 95% of U.S. towns.
A winter brings about 73 inches of snow, with January nights at -5° and July afternoons at 78°.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Jobs based here fell from 3,921 in 2013 to 3,030. The average commute for its 2,430 working residents takes 8.6 minutes, against 22.7 across Minnesota.
Since 2013, International Falls has lost 891 jobs, to 3,030 in 2023. The top destinations are Littlefork (2%), Bemidji (2%) and Duluth (2%).
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The nearest emergency room, Rainy Lake Medical Center, is 22.2 miles away in a straight line. Against the 8,215 U.S. towns with household incomes like International Falls’s, it is healthier than 74%, so its B− isn’t only a matter of income.
International Falls: 32% of adults sleep under 7 hours. In International Falls, 28% of adults get no exercise outside work, and 37% have high blood pressure.
| International Falls | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 14% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 23% | 25% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 31% | 35% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 30% | 36% |
| What stands out | International Falls | MN |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 79.3% | 76.1% |
| More adults with COPD | 7.6% | 5.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
None within 15 miles of International Falls; the nearest are
About 5 of every 100 International Falls residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Minnesota.
2 places in International Falls on the National Register of Historic Places.
16 notable people were born in International Falls.
City in Minnesota, United States
International Falls (sometimes referred to as I-Falls) is a city in and the county seat of Koochiching County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 5,802 at the time of the 2020 census. International Falls is located on the Rainy River directly across from Fort Frances, Ontario, Canada. The two cities are connected by the Fort Frances–International Falls International Bridge. Voyageurs National Park is located 11 miles east of International Falls. There is a major U.S. Customs and Border Protection Port of Entry on the International Falls side of the toll bridge and a Canadian Customs entry point on the north side of the bridge. International Falls is nicknamed the "Icebox of the Na…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
One town shares a border with International Falls.
| Town | MN rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| International Falls | #207 | B | A+ | C | B | B− |
| Ranier | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Ranier isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare International Falls with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
By most measures, yes. International Falls grades B overall, better than 56% of U.S. towns and #207 of 271 in Minnesota. It grades B− for health, C for safety and B for schools. Jobs & income is its weak spot, with a D.
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A+.
16 notable people were born here, including Tammy Faye Messner and Mike Curran.
