North Branch has 0.6 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
Jobs & income B+: better than 67% of U.S. towns on income, poverty, unemployment and job access · #158 of 273 in Minnesota.
Walkability C: more walkable than 34% of U.S. towns · #219 of 273 in Minnesota.
Household incomes here are higher than in 68% of U.S. towns. Working residents average 31 minutes each way (Minnesota 23, U.S. 26). About one in seven work in North Branch; the top destination outside it is Minneapolis (7%, 41 miles).
Census ACS 2020–24, Census LEHD 2023, EPA Smart Location Database. How the two grades are made
The short version on getting to work from North Branch
North Branch workers spend longer getting to work
The average trip takes 31 minutes each way, against 23 across Minnesota. Over a year that’s about 238 hours of commuting, 61 more than the state’s typical worker. Time on the road ↓
No single place dominates North Branch’s commute
The biggest draw, Minneapolis, gets only 7% of working residents, and 52% work outside the top ten towns entirely. North Branch residents fan out across the region. The commute map ↓
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.
What’s behind North Branch’s Jobs & income grade
On income, poverty, unemployment and job access, North Branch is better than 67% of U.S. towns, #158 of 273 in Minnesota. Household income is its strongest input ($90,456, U.S. $80,734); unemployment ranks lowest, though still above most U.S. towns (4.1%, U.S. 5.2%). It also does well on the poverty rate and unemployment and job access by car.
A rough placement. Within the Census margins of error for income, poverty and unemployment, North Branch could be anywhere from C+ to A.
About 31 minutes each way, longer than most of Minnesota
From the Census survey of workers who don’t work from home.
Round trip, about 230 workdays a year: roughly 9.8 full days in the car, bus or train.
Average commute minutes, one way
of North Branch workers work from home, vs 18% across Minnesota. Their commute is the hallway.
Share of the 5,729 commuters (the 6% who work from home are left out). Across Minnesota: 84% drive alone, 2% take transit; U.S.: 81% and 4%. Census ACS 2020–24.
7% of working residents work in Minneapolis
A thicker line means more commuters. Switch between where residents work and where the people who work here live.
Where North Branch clocks in
7% of workers
6% of workers
5% of workersLines run between town centers. The top 10 towns each way; “Everywhere else” is the rest, including other states.
North Branch quiets down on a workday
On a workday 4,852 residents head out to work, 816 work right here, and 2,591 people come in from elsewhere.
About 10,000 people are in North Branch on a workday afternoon, 18% fewer than live here.
0.60 jobs for every working resident, so most people commute out.
Workday population = residents − those who work elsewhere + those who come in (the Census “commuter-adjusted” method). Residents: Census survey; commuters: LEHD 2023, primary jobs.
What the 3,407 jobs in North Branch are
3,407 jobs are based in North Branch. Here is what they are, next to the jobs North Branch’s own residents hold wherever they work.
What kind of work
What it pays
Who does it
Jobs based in North Branch, 2013 → 2023: 3,178 → 3,407. 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.
Half of North Branch commutes less than 32 miles
Every working resident’s trip, home to work, as the crow flies. Roads add to it, so real drives run longer.
Straight-line distance from each worker’s home block to their main job’s block. LEHD 2023.
Most trips from North Branch start in a car
On EPA’s walkability index and the share of commuters who walk, bike or take transit, North Branch is more walkable than 34% of U.S. towns, #219 of 273 in Minnesota. Both inputs place North Branch near the same point nationally.
A firm grade. EPA’s index has no published margin of error; the commuting share comes from a Census survey of 6,101 workers.
How TownRatings grades walkability →
Transit service: no data. EPA’s transit file has no stops for most of this county (its agencies had not published schedules in the format EPA used in 2020). That is missing data, not a finding that there is no bus or train.
Households without a car (shown, not graded). 5.1% of North Branch households have no vehicle (Minnesota 6.7%, U.S. 8.4%). <1% of North Branch’s commuters take a bus or train.
North Branch is 1,061st of 2,354 U.S. towns of 9,000 to 17,000 on jobs and income
Ranked on the Jobs & income grade: the towns either side of North Branch, the top three, the last and three more from Minnesota.
| # | Town | People | Household income | Poverty | Unemployment | Work in town | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Des Peres MO | 9,102 | $224K | 2.0% | 0.5% | 5% | A+ |
| 2 | Beverly Hills MI | 10,449 | $177K | 1.7% | 1.6% | 3% | A+ |
| 3 | New Albany OH | 11,803 | $238K | 1.4% | 0.9% | 11% | A+ |
| … | |||||||
| 6 | Rogers MN | 15,606 | $159K | 1.9% | 1.2% | 10% | A+ |
| … | |||||||
| 10 | Mendota Heights MN | 11,475 | $133K | 2.8% | 1.4% | 6% | A+ |
| … | |||||||
| 22 | Victoria MN | 12,447 | $196K | 2.1% | 1.8% | 3% | A+ |
| … | |||||||
| 1,059 | La Riviera CA | 11,492 | $98K | 10.8% | 5.5% | 3% | B+ |
| 1,060 | Lake Wylie SC | 16,006 | $112K | 9.1% | 6.0% | 5% | B+ |
| 1,061 | North Branch MN | 12,398 | $90K | 7.7% | 4.1% | 14% | B+ |
| 1,062 | Plumsted Township NJ | 9,991 | $104K | 6.8% | 6.7% | 7% | B+ |
| 1,063 | Moorefield Township OH | 12,578 | $86K | 7.6% | 4.1% | 8% | B+ |
| … | |||||||
| 2,354 | Douglas AZ | 16,038 | $42K | 27.8% | 12.3% | 29% | D− |
Census ACS 2020–24 (income, poverty, unemployment), Census LEHD (work in town), TownRatings Jobs & income grades. Each town links to its Work & commute page.
North Branch and the towns next door
Darker towns draw more of North Branch’s workers. Tap a town to see its commute.
Average commute minutes, one way
Jobs & commute next door
| Town | North Branch workers there | Jobs & income | Walkability | Commute | Household income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Branch | – | B+ | C | 31 min | $90,456 |
| North Branch Township | under 3% | B | C− | 30 min | $101,630 |
| Stacy | under 3% | A | B− | 29 min | $98,464 |
| Sunrise Township | under 3% | B | C | 35 min | $110,938 |
| Harris | under 3% | B | C− | 42 min | $87,375 |
Same-state neighbors only. Commute: average minutes each way, Census ACS 2020–24.
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 North Branch: questions
What is the median household income in North Branch?
$90,456 (±$13,943) (Census ACS 2020–24), against $89,062 across Minnesota and $80,734 nationally.
What is the poverty rate in North Branch?
7.7%, against 9.3% across Minnesota and 12.5% nationally (Census ACS 2020–24).
How long is the commute from North Branch?
31 minutes each way on average, against 23 across Minnesota and 26 nationally. 6% of workers work from home.
Where do people who live in North Branch work?
14% work in town. The top destinations elsewhere are Minneapolis (7%, 41 mi), St. Paul (6%, 39 mi), Forest Lake (5%, 18 mi) (Census LEHD 2023).
Is North Branch walkable?
North Branch is more walkable than 34% of U.S. towns (Walkability C): an EPA walkability index of 6.6 out of 20, and 1% of commuters walk, bike or take transit.
Can you get around North Branch without a car?
<1% of commuters take transit and 5% of households have no car. EPA has no transit data for this county.
Commuter talk
Getting to work from North Branch, from the people who make the trip.
More of North Branch
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. Walkability index, job access and transit service: U.S. EPA Smart Location Database. The two grades are our own summaries of these figures, not official ratings.