Marcell Ranger Station · National Register of Historic Places
Marcell Township’s story
124 years in pictures
The archive holds 3 maps from 1919 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1902Marcell Township is settled
Marcell TownshipMN
A town of 474, settled in 1902.
3 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Unknown authorUnknown author or not provided · Public domain
Population
474
2025 Census estimate · +1.5% since 2020
Typical home
$268K
−1.2% in a year
Household income
$66K
median
Median age
61.7
years
Jobs based here
80
A commuter town
Is Marcell Township a good place to live?
55% of the land in Marcell Township is conserved, against 4.7% in Minnesota’s towns and 4.3% across U.S. towns. The biggest place to walk is Chippewa National Forest, 16,844 acres with 4.8 miles of trail. Marcell Township has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
474 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Lake Jessie TownshipStokes TownshipBowstring TownshipMarcell Township
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Marcell Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Marcell Township, and how to reach them.
PowerNorth Itasca Electric CoopEIAHIFLD · EIA
Internet2 providers98% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Marcell 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 hereItasca County CourthouseItasca County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP codes56628, 56657, 5663656628 53% · 56657 45% · 56636 3%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 Marcell Township.
Outdoors
Open space protected for good: nearly a third of Marcell Township
In Marcell Township, the trail network density is 0.1 miles per square mile. 7.5 miles of trail in 3 parks and preserves.
54.8%conserved
54.8%
conserved · 19,936 of 36,397 acres
7.5 mi
of trails · 0.1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Chippewa National Forest | 4.8 mi | 16,844 |
| 2. Bowstring State Forest | — | 57 |
| 3. Marcell Park & Playground | — | 16 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Who lives here
In Marcell Township, the median age runs higher than in the typical Minnesota or U.S. town
39% of Marcell Township adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more, above both Minnesota’s towns (33%) and U.S. towns (29%). People 65 and older are 42% of residents (17% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 5% of residents (22% statewide).
61.7median age · MN 38.8
| Marcell Township | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 61.7 years | 39.9 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 39% | 33% | 29% |
Marcell TownshipMinnesotaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
24%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma7%
High school28%
Some college12%
Associate’s14%
Bachelor’s30%
Graduate9%
Women and men · all residents
43% women, 57% men
About 131 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±4.5 points). Across Minnesota, 49.9% of residents are women.
| Marcell Township | MN | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 13.6% | 12.1% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 4.4% | 10.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 1.6% | 8.8% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 3.4% | 13% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 5.7% | 13.5% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 10.2% | 11.6% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 18.8% | 12.9% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 24% | 10.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 18.3% | 7% | 7% |
| No diploma | 7.1% | 6.1% | 10.4% |
| High school | 27.9% | 23.3% | 26% |
| Some college | 12% | 19.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 14.3% | 11.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 29.9% | 25.6% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 8.8% | 13.8% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 500, single groups can be off by several points
Work & commute
Marcell Township has 0.5 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
19% of residents live below the poverty line in Marcell Township. Only 2% of working residents stay in Marcell Township for work; the rest commute out. For Marcell Township, the average commute is 27 minutes. The top destinations are Grand Rapids (13%), Bigfork (8%) and Deer River (5%).
2%work in town
| Marcell Township | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 19% | 7% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $66,000 | $90,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 2.4% | 9.8% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 27 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Marcell Township2%
Grand Rapids13%
Bigfork8%
Deer River5%
Duluth4%
44 mi
median commute distance
80
jobs based in Marcell Township
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Housing
A larger share of households are owner-occupiers in Marcell Township than in most of Minnesota or the rest of the country
Homes in Marcell Township are typically worth about $268,000, down 1.2% in a year, 23% below the Minnesota typical home.
$268KZillow home value
Typical home value
Marcell Township$268K
Minnesota$349K
−1.2%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Climate
Expect snowy winters and pleasant summers in Marcell Township
The peak summer temperature in Marcell Township is 78°F.
64″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter1–21°
Spring27–51°
Summer53–76°
Fall33–51°
Oct 2
typical first frost
May 14
typical last frost
+2.2°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Marcell Township is
Marcell Township: nearly a quarter of adults say their health is fair or poor. CDC measures, 32 in all: Marcell Township beats Minnesota on 5 and trails on 14. No town among the 272 in Minnesota we compare has a higher share of adults who report frequent physical distress than Marcell Township. Among adults here, 48% have high blood pressure and 13% binge drink.
| Marcell Township | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 10% | 12% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 48% | 31% | 35% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 18% | 16% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 12% | 14% |
32 measures vs. Minnesota
5 better13 too close to call14 worse
| What stands out | Marcell Township | MN |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 13% | 17.8% |
| Fewer lonely adults | 26.5% | 31.2% |
| More adults with heart disease | 12.6% | 5.9% |
Bigfork Valley Hospital
12.1 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazards
Top of a moderate hazard risk in Marcell Township: inland flooding
Households in Marcell Township have drawn federal disaster aid in 3 declared disasters, most recently in 2024. FEMA expects more storm and flood damage locally than in 56% of U.S. communities. Of the losses FEMA expects here, 60% come from inland flooding and 31% from cold waves.
56risk 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
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Marcell Township
17pages on Marcell Township
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Marcell Township; the nearest are
Minnesota North CollegeCommunity college · Public · Hibbing35 mi$6,022 in-state tuitionBemidji State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Bemidji58.1 mi$10,237 in-state tuition
About 3 of every 100 Marcell Township residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Minnesota.
Get outside
8 miles of trails in Marcell Township
54.8% of the town is conserved land, across 3 parks and preserves.
2
Bowstring State Forest57 acres
Trails © OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
About Marcell Township
Unincorporated community in Minnesota, United States
Marcell is an unincorporated community in Marcell Township, Itasca County, Minnesota, United States. Minnesota State Highways 38 and 286 are two of the main routes in the community. Marcell is located 28 miles north of Grand Rapids. The community is located within the Chippewa National Forest. Nearby places include Bigfork, Talmoon, Bowstring, Deer River, and Effie. Despite its unincorporated status, Marcell appears on most more detailed maps of Minnesota due to the presence of several locally important businesses and the lack of larger communities in the surrounding area. In addition, it has its own post office with the ZIP code 56657.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Elevation
- 1,391 ft
- ZIP code
- 56657
Questions about Marcell Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Marcell Township, MN a good place to live?
Marcell Township has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.