Camp Fire, 2006
Perham Township’s story
Perham Township in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2006.
Explore the history →
Perham TownshipMN
A town of 1,062.
4 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Ben Franske · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
1,062
2025 Census estimate · +8.9% since 2020
Median home value
$320K
Census ACS
Household income
$104K
median
Median age
37.5
years
Jobs based here
158
A commuter town
Is Perham Township a good place to live?
The best of Perham Township’s subject grades is a B for schools; the weakest is a D for walkability. On hazard risk, just 37 of Minnesota’s 575 towns do better. Only 9 of Minnesota’s 575 towns score lower on the outdoors. Perham Township has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Perham Township stand out
Where Perham Township beats most towns.
Small town
1,062 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Edna TownshipPine Lake TownshipGorman TownshipRush Lake TownshipPerham Township
How Perham Township grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Minnesota), ordered by how far Perham Township is from typical.
WalkabilityEPA walkability 4.5 of 20; 0.5% of households have no car; 0.8% of workers walk, bike or ride transitDOpen →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 15% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listA−Open →SchoolsBeat 63% of Minnesota districts on tests and graduationBOpen →Jobs & income$104K median household incomeB−Open →HealthPerham Health 0.5 miles awayB−Open →Cost of livingTypical home $320K, 4.4 years of the Fergus Falls area’s $72K median household incomeB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
OutdoorsConserved land, trails and parksD−Open →HistoryC+Open →Civic life4.6 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsB−Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
ClimateSnowy winters, 79° summer afternoons, 46″ of snow–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 37.5; 26% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Perham Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Perham Township, and how to reach them.
PowerOtter Tail Power11.3¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterPerham water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers93% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Perham 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 hereOtter Tail County Government Services CenterOtter Tail County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP code5657356573 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 Perham Township.
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade A−
Inland flooding leads a very low hazard risk in Perham Township
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 85% of U.S. communities.
15risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B−
Most of Perham Township’s workers commute out: the town has 0.4 jobs for each of them
Most working residents leave Perham Township for work: only 2% work in town. At 15 minutes, Perham Township’s average trip to work is where Minnesota’s towns sit at 23 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. Since 2013, Perham Township has lost 53 jobs, to 158 in 2023.
2%work in town
| Perham Township | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 15 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 1.6% | 9.8% | 8% |
| Median household income | $104,000 | $90,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 9.4% | 14% | 11% |
Where working residents work
In Perham Township2%
Perham34%
Detroit Lakes8%
Wadena6%
New York Mills5%
13 mi
median commute distance
158
jobs based in Perham Township
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
D
Walkability grade: more walkable than 13% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
In Perham Township, expect snowy winters and pleasant summers
Perham Township has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. At 79°F, Perham Township’s July high is below both Minnesota’s towns (82°F) and U.S. towns (85°F).
46″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter3–22°
Spring30–52°
Summer56–78°
Fall34–53°
Sep 29
typical first frost
May 10
typical last frost
+1.4°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HealthB−
Residents of Perham Township are healthier than 53% of U.S. towns
Perham Township beats the Minnesota average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 12. 17% of adults smoke cigarettes in Perham Township.
53%healthier than U.S. townsB−Health Grade
| Perham Township | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 14% | 14% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 30% | 36% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 23% | 25% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 75% | 75% | 79% |
32 measures vs. Minnesota
1 better19 too close to call12 worse
| What stands out | Perham Township | MN |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 80% | 76.1% |
| More adults with COPD | 7.4% | 5.4% |
Perham Health
0.5 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Perham Township
16pages on Perham Township
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Perham Township; the nearest are
Minnesota State Community and Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · Fergus Falls31.3 mi$5,908 in-state tuitionMinnesota State University MoorheadUniversity or college · Public · Moorhead58.1 mi$10,428 in-state tuition
About 1 of every 100 Perham Township residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Minnesota.
A commuter town
98% of working residents leave Perham Township for work
Where Perham Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
158jobs based in Perham Township
2%of working residents work in town
13 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Perham Township
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)
- Area
- 3.2 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,368 ft
- ZIP code
- 56573
- Area code
- 218
Questions about Perham Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Perham Township, MN expensive?
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B−.