Almond A. White House · National Register of Historic Places
Motley’s story
153 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1902.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1873Motley is settled
Photo: Myotus · CC BY 4.0
Population
688
2025 Census estimate · +1.5% since 2020
Typical home
$260K
+4.3% in a year
Household income
$47K
median
Median age
56.1
years
Jobs based here
729
A job hub
Is Motley a good place to live?
Almond A. White House is on the National Register of Historic Places. Motley has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What makes Motley stand out
Where Motley beats most towns.
Small town
688 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Motley TownshipMay TownshipVillard TownshipMotley
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Motley: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Motley, and how to reach them.
PowerMinnesota Power15.9¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterMotley water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpLong Prairie SanitationTrash haulerTown site
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 hereMorrison County CourthouseMorrison County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP code5646656466 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 Motley.
Work & commute
Motley stands out in Minnesota and nationally: the median household income there is lower
Since 2013, Motley has lost 69 jobs, to 729 in 2023. Among residents in the town, 12% live below the poverty line, above both Minnesota’s towns (7%) and U.S. towns (9.6%). Also worth knowing: the typical journey to work for Motley comes to 20 minutes. Most working residents leave Motley for work: only 10% work in town.
10%work in town
| Motley | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $47,000 | $90,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 20 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 12% | 7% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Motley10%
Staples10%
Little Falls10%
Brainerd8%
Baxter6%
24 mi
median commute distance
729
jobs based in Motley
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Housing
Compared with most of Minnesota and the rest of the country, the median rent in Motley is lower
The typical Motley home is worth about $260,000, up 4.3% in a year, 25% below the Minnesota typical home. The share of households in Motley who own their home: 64%. Among renter households locally, 43% spend 30% or more of their income on rent, below both the Minnesota town median (48%) and the median of U.S. towns (48%).
$260KZillow home value
| Motley | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $653 a month | $1,196 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 64% | 75% | 73% |
| Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent | 43% | 48% | 48% |
Typical home value
Motley$260K
Minnesota$349K
+4.3%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Natural hazards
Low risk in Motley, with inland flooding at the top
FEMA expects less storm and flood damage in Motley than in 69% of U.S. communities. Of the losses FEMA expects in the town, 66% come from inland flooding and 8% from tornadoes.
31risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesCold waves
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
48″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter4–23°
Spring31–52°
Summer56–78°
Fall35–54°
Oct 6
typical first frost
May 2
typical last frost
+1.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Safety
Crime reported in Motley
In a town this small, a few incidents move the numbers a lot, so rates aren't shown.
Motley is small, so we show counts rather than rates.
0
violent crimes reported in 2025
10
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Health
How healthy Motley is
Among adults in Motley, 26% get no exercise outside work. This Minnesota town does better than the Minnesota average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and worse on 9. In Motley, a third of adults sleep under 7 hours, and 15% report frequent mental distress.
| Motley | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 30% | 33% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 30% | 36% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 16% | 17% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 35% | 31% | 35% |
32 measures vs. Minnesota
1 better22 too close to call9 worse
| What stands out | Motley | MN |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 80.3% | 76.1% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 13.8% | 8.9% |
Lakewood Health System
5.2 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Outdoors
0% of Motley is conserved land
The concentration of trails in Motley is 0.1 miles per square mile. In 1 park or preserve, walkers have 0.1 miles of trail.
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 925 acres
0.1 mi
of trails · 0.1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Veteran's Memorial Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Motley
19pages on Motley
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Motley; the nearest are
Central Lakes College-BrainerdCommunity college · Public · Brainerd20.3 mi$6,249 in-state tuitionSaint Cloud State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Saint Cloud58.9 mi$10,245 in-state tuition
About 4 of every 100 Motley residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Minnesota.
A job hub
Every workday, about 702 people come to Motley for work
Where Motley’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
729jobs based in Motley
10%of working residents work in town
24 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Motley
City in Minnesota, United States
Motley is a city in Morrison and Cass Counties in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The population was 680 at the 2020 census. Most of Motley is in Morrison County, with a small part extending into Cass County. The Cass County portion of Motley is part of the Brainerd Micropolitan Statistical Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.5 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,230 ft
- ZIP code
- 56466
- Area code
- 218
Questions about Motley
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Motley, MN a good place to live?
Motley has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.