Work and commuting in Karlstad
Working residents average 25 minutes each way, next to 23 for Minnesota and 26 for the U.S. For 3% of workers, the job is at home; Minnesota has 18%. About one in five stay in Karlstad for work; outside it, Thief River Falls is the main destination (14%, 36 miles).
Census ACS 2020–24, Census LEHD 2023, EPA Smart Location Database. How the two grades are made
The work figures that set Karlstad apart
Karlstad’s biggest commute is a long one
The top workplace outside Karlstad is Thief River Falls, 36 miles away as the crow flies. 14% of working residents (40) make that trip; no town closer to home draws more of them. How far ↓
Few Karlstad workers work from home
Only 3% of workers work from home, against 18% across Minnesota. Almost everyone here travels to a job. Time on the road ↓
Written from the Census figures on this page. Commute flows, distances and jobs are Census LEHD 2023, primary jobs only (the self-employed aren’t counted); commute time and working from home are from the Census American Community Survey; with 283 working residents, small shifts move the shares.
Half of Karlstad commutes less than 24 miles
About 20% show a job over 50 miles away. Some of that is real, and some is employers that report every worker at a head office, so a few long commutes are on paper only.
Straight-line distance from each worker’s home block to their main job’s block. LEHD 2023.
Every working resident’s trip, home to work, as the crow flies. Roads add to it, so real drives run longer.
The daily trip from Karlstad: about 25 minutes
Round trip, about 230 workdays a year: roughly 7.9 full days in the car, bus or train.
Average commute minutes, one way
of Karlstad workers work from home, vs 18% across Minnesota. Their commute is the hallway.
Share of the 283 commuters (the 3% who work from home are left out). Across Minnesota: 84% drive alone, 2% take transit; U.S.: 81% and 4%. Census ACS 2020–24.
From the Census survey of workers who don’t work from home.
How a workday changes Karlstad
On a workday 227 residents head out to work, 56 work right here, and 236 people come in from elsewhere.
About as many people by day as by night: the people who leave are replaced by the people who come in.
About as many jobs as working residents (1.03 per resident).
Workday population = residents − those who work elsewhere + those who come in (the Census “commuter-adjusted” method). Residents: Census survey; commuters: LEHD 2023, primary jobs.
Where the trip to work from Karlstad ends
Where Karlstad clocks in
12% of workers
12% of workersLines run between town centers. The top 10 towns each way; “Everywhere else” is the rest, including other states.
A thicker line means more commuters. Switch between where residents work and where the people who work here live.
The 292 jobs based in Karlstad
292 jobs are based in Karlstad.
What kind of work
What it pays
Who does it
Jobs based in Karlstad, 2013 → 2023: 365 → 292. Big swings can come from how a large employer reports its locations, not only from real openings or closings.
Primary jobs covered by unemployment insurance (not the self-employed). Pay is monthly earnings. LEHD 2023.
Here is what they are, next to the jobs Karlstad’s own residents hold wherever they work.
The towns around Karlstad
The biggest share goes to Deerwood Township (2%).
Average commute minutes, one way
Jobs & commute next door
| Town | Karlstad workers there | Jobs & income | Walkability | Commute | Household income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Karlstad | – | — | — | 25 min | $64,000 |
| Deerwood Township | 2% | — | — | 22 min | — |
| Arveson Township | under 2% | — | — | 34 min | — |
Same-state neighbors only. Deerwood Township and Arveson Township: fewer than 1,000 residents, not graded. Commute: average minutes each way, Census ACS 2020–24.
Darker towns draw more of Karlstad’s workers. Tap a town to see its commute.
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Two sources, two years. Trips, distances and jobs based here: Census LEHD 2023, primary jobs, where the employer reports them. Income, poverty, unemployment, commute time and how people travel: Census ACS 2020–24 averages.
- Straight lines, older transit. Miles are as the crow flies. EPA’s walkability and transit files use 2017–20 inputs.
Jobs and commuting in Karlstad: questions
What is the median household income in Karlstad?
$64,000 (±$14,374) (Census ACS 2020–24), against $89,062 across Minnesota and $80,734 nationally.
What is the poverty rate in Karlstad?
11.9%, against 9.3% across Minnesota and 12.5% nationally (Census ACS 2020–24).
How long is the commute from Karlstad?
25 minutes each way on average, against 23 across Minnesota and 26 nationally. 3% of workers work from home.
Where do people who live in Karlstad work?
20% work in town. The top destinations elsewhere are Thief River Falls (14%, 36 mi), Hallock (12%, 23 mi), Lancaster (12%, 23 mi) (Census LEHD 2023).
Can you get around Karlstad without a car?
0% of commuters take transit and 6% of households have no car. EPA has no transit data for this county.
Commuter talk
Getting to work from Karlstad, from the people who make the trip.
More of Karlstad
Flows, distances and jobs: U.S. Census Bureau, LEHD Origin-Destination Employment Statistics (LODES 8), 2023, primary jobs. Commute time, working from home and working out of state: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates. Distances are straight lines between home and work; real drives run longer.