Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 3,746, settled in 1872.
Perham gives you more for your money than most places: a typical home costs about $373K, 5.2 years of the Fergus Falls area’s $72K median household income. It grades B overall, 202nd of 271 graded towns in Minnesota. The low prices come with trade-offs. The median household income is $50K, and 19% of residents live below the poverty line. On the plus side, it is more walkable than 90% of U.S. towns. 45% of working residents work locally in Perham, against 9.7% in Minnesota’s towns and 8% across U.S. towns. Only 20 of Minnesota’s 575 towns score higher on hazard risk. Perham Village Hall and Fire Station is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Where Perham beats most towns.
2,985 counted in 2010 and 3,512 in 2020; an estimated 3,746 in 2025.
Growth hasn’t slowed: 6.3% since 2020, after 17.7% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Minnesota), ordered by how far Perham is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 269 in 1880, 3,512 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 2006 and 2 maps from 1915 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Perham, 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 Perham.
Perham draws workers from Pine Lake Township and beyond, is healthier than towns with similar incomes and has colder winter nights than nearly all U.S. towns.
3.8 miles of trail in 3 parks and preserves. The trail density in Perham is 1.1 miles per square mile. The biggest park or preserve is Fair Grounds, at 26 acres.
| Perham | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 1.1 miles per square mile | 0.5 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 4.2% | 4.7% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Fair Grounds | — | 26 |
| 2. Krauss Park | — | 5 |
| 3. Country Pines Park | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by the Perham-Dent Public School District. Two of its 6 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Perham Senior High, with 529 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heart of the Lake ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–4 | Grades PK–4 | 578 | B+ |
| Perham Senior HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 529 | B |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MN on state tests and graduation
4,347 jobs are based in Perham, 2.7 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in. The average commute takes 11.8 minutes, against 22.7 across Minnesota.
Among 273 Minnesota towns, just 5 have a lower median household income than Perham. Perham’s average trip to work is 12 minutes. Jobs based in Perham grew to 4,347 in 2023, 475 more than in 2013.
| Perham | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 12 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $50,000 | $91,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 85% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
19.1% of residents live below the poverty line, against 9.3% across Minnesota, which weighs on its D for jobs and income. The median household earns $49,716, against $89,062 across Minnesota.
Adults 35 to 64 are 23% of residents (38% statewide); people 65 and older are 24% of residents (17% statewide). Perham has grown 6.3% since 2020, to 3,746 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 30% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 39% across Minnesota.
| Perham | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 33.2 years | 39.9 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 24% | 17% | 18% |
55% women, 45% men
About 81 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±4.6 points). Across Minnesota, 49.9% of residents are women.
| Perham | MN | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 17.8% | 12.1% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 9.3% | 10.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 9.8% | 8.8% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 16% | 13% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 10.5% | 13.5% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 6.6% | 11.6% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 6% | 12.9% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 9.6% | 10.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 14.4% | 7% | 7% |
| No diploma | 7.1% | 6.1% | 10.4% |
| High school | 30.7% | 23.3% | 26% |
| Some college | 22.2% | 19.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 10% | 11.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 24.2% | 25.6% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 5.7% | 13.8% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 3,700, single groups can be off by several points
January nights average -1.1°, colder than in 97% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 79.3°.
Perham has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. About 46 inches of snow falls in a winter.
| Perham | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | -1°F | 6°F | 22°F |
| July high | 79°F | 82°F | 85°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Perham's reported crime rate is well below Minnesota's. Among 169 Minnesota towns, just 8 have a lower violent crime rate than Perham. Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts.
| Perham | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2024) | 3.8 per 1,000 residents | 10.7 | 11.5 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2024) | 0 per 1,000 residents | 1.2 | 1.7 |
FBI crime data, 2024 · crimes reported to police
53% of Perham households own their home. Typical home values rose 5.2% in the year to September 2026.
| Perham | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 53% | 75% | 73% |
| Median rent | $855 a month | $1,199 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Against the 5,694 U.S. towns with household incomes like Perham’s, it is healthier than 86%, so its B− isn’t only a matter of income.
Perham beats the Minnesota average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 15. 29% of adults get no exercise outside work in Perham.
| Perham | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 23% | 25% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 74% | 75% | 79% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 14% | 14% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 30% | 36% |
| What stands out | Perham | MN |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 79.1% | 76.1% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 13% | 8.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
None within 15 miles of Perham; the nearest are
About 6 of every 100 Perham residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Minnesota.
Where Perham’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
8 notable people were born in Perham.
City in Minnesota, United States
Perham ( PURM) is a city in Otter Tail County, Minnesota. The population was 3,512 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
By most measures, yes. Perham grades B overall, better than 57% of U.S. towns and #202 of 271 in Minnesota. It grades B− for health and B for schools. Jobs & income is its weak spot, with a D.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.
8 notable people were born here, including Gabriele Grunewald and Ray Taylor.