Catholic Church, 1914
Pine City’s story
157 years in pictures
Census counts: 535 in 1890, 3,130 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1914 and 2 maps from 1961 on.
- 1869Pine City is platted
Pine CityMN
A town of 3,820, platted in 1869. A regional job hub with 2,244 jobs.
Population
3,820
2025 Census estimate · +21.6% since 2020
Typical home
$247K
+5.3% in a year
Household income
$52K
median
Median age
41.0
years
Jobs based here
2,244
A job hub
TownGrade
C
#252 of 271 in MN
Is Pine City a good place to live?
Pine City gives you more for your money than most places: a typical home costs about $247K, 3.5 years of the county’s $71K median household income. It grades C overall, 252nd of 271 graded towns in Minnesota. The low prices come with trade-offs. The median household income is $52K, and 12% of residents live below the poverty line. On health, just 43 of Minnesota’s 572 towns do worse. Pine City is home to Pine Technical & Community College. Only 6 of the 256 Minnesota towns we compare have a lower median rent than Pine City.
What makes Pine City stand out
Where Pine City beats most towns.
Jobs vs. working residents
Jobs here2,244
Residents who work1,295
Work
1.7 jobs for every working resident
A regional job hub: more jobs per worker than 90% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023.
Community nonprofits per 1,000 residents
Pine City6.4
Typical U.S. town3.7
Typical MN town4.2
Civic lifeA−
52% more nonprofits per person
than the typical Minnesota town
Charities, civic groups and human services; churches not counted.
The college
| College | Students |
|---|---|
| Pine Technical & Community College | 1,675 |
A college in town
1,675 college students
at Pine Technical & Community College
Students are 3% of residents.
College town
Pine Technical & Community College calls Pine City home
College Scorecard · IPEDS
How Pine City grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Minnesota), ordered by how far Pine City is from typical.
Jobs & incomeDOpen →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listCOpen →Cost of livingB+Open →HealthBurnett Medical Center 14.2 miles awayC+Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 8.8 of 20; 17.6% of households have no car; 1.5% of workers walk, bike or ride transitBOpen →SchoolsBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors1% conserved landC+Open →HistoryPlatted 1869; 5 notable people born hereC+Open →Civic life6.4 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsA−Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 41.0; 18% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Pine City: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Pine City, and how to reach them.
PowerEast Central Energy17.6¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterPine City water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet7 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Pine City’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 herePine County CourthousePine County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP code5506355063 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 Pine City.
Pine City trades lower home prices for longer drives to work, draws workers from Pokegama Township and beyond and is healthier than towns with similar incomes.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D
About one in four working residents works right in Pine City
2,244 jobs are based in Pine City, 1.7 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in.
About one in 4 of Pine City’s working residents works in town. Pine City’s median household income is $52,000, below both Minnesota’s towns ($91,000) and U.S. towns ($80,000). The average trip to work in Pine City is 29 minutes.
27%work in town
| Pine City | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 27% | 9.7% | 8% |
| Median household income | $52,000 | $91,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 29 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Pine City27%
Hinckley5%
Rush City4%
North Branch4%
Mora3%
20 mi
median commute distance
2,244
jobs based in Pine City
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
B
Walkability grade: more walkable than 61% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
SchoolsB
Pine City’s schools rank ahead of 55% of Minnesota districts
Its public schools are run by the Pine City Public School District. Two of its 9 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Pine City Secondary, with 683 students.
55%of MN districts it outscoresBSchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pine City ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 863 | B− |
| Pine City SecondaryLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 683 | C |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MN on state tests and graduation
HousingCost of living grade B+
Pine City earns a B+ for cost of living
Homes are within reach (about $247K for the typical one, B+ for cost of living), but half of working residents commute more than 20 miles. Home values rose 30% in five years, to about $247K, against 14% across Minnesota.
61% of Pine City households own their home, against 75% in Minnesota’s towns and 73% across U.S. towns. Typical home values rose 5.3% in the year to September 2026.
$247KZillow home value
Typical home value
Pine City$247K
Minnesota$349K
+5.3%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Climate
Snowy winters and pleasant summers in Pine City
Pine City has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. Pine City’s July high is 81°F.
52″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter7–25°
Spring31–54°
Summer56–79°
Fall36–56°
Oct 1
typical first frost
May 11
typical last frost
+1.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C
Pine City faces a high natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 64% of U.S. communities. Since 2001, 2 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Pine City.
64risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes
2
paid flood claims since 2001
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
HealthC+
Pine City is less healthy than 62% of U.S. towns
Against the 6,479 U.S. towns with household incomes like Pine City’s, it is healthier than 73%, so its C+ isn’t only a matter of income.
Pine City beats the Minnesota average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 14. 17% of Pine City adults smoke cigarettes.
38%healthier than U.S. townsC+Health Grade
| Pine City | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 14% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 31% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 12% | 14% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 25% | 23% |
32 measures vs. Minnesota
0 better18 too close to call14 worse
| What stands out | Pine City | MN |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 7.7% | 5.4% |
| More adults with heart disease | 7.8% | 5.9% |
| More smokers | 17.3% | 13.1% |
Burnett Medical Center
14.2 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
7th
percentile among MN towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
OutdoorsC+
Pine City has set aside 1.1% of its land for conservation
0.2 miles of trail in 4 parks and preserves.
1.1%conserved
1.1%
conserved · 33 of 3,051 acres
0.2 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. City Softball Complex | — | 15 |
| 2. Voyageur Park | — | 5 |
| 3. Robinson Park | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Pine City
19pages on Pine City
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Pine City
About 3 of every 100 Pine City residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Minnesota.
A job hub
Every workday, about 1,889 people come to Pine City for work
Where Pine City’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
2,244jobs based in Pine City
27%of working residents work in town
20 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Famous people from Pine City
5 notable people were born in Pine City.
About Pine City
City in Minnesota, United States
Pine City is a city in and the county seat of Pine County, in east central Minnesota, United States. The population was 3,130 at the 2020 census. Part of the city is on the Mille Lacs Indian Reservation. Founded as a railway town, it soon became a logging community and the surrounding lakes made it a resort town. Today, it is in part a commuter town for people working in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1881
- Area
- 4.1 sq mi
- Elevation
- 951 ft
- ZIP code
- 55063
- Area code
- 320
Pine City’s neighbors
2 towns share a border with Pine City.
Pine City TownshipPokegama TownshipPine City
How the neighbors grade
| Town | MN rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pine City | #252 | C | B+ | — | B | C+ |
| Pine City Township | — | — | C | — | B | C+ |
| Pokegama Township | #263 | C− | C | — | B | C+ |
Pine City Township has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Pine City, Pine City Township and Pokegama Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Pine City with a neighbor →
Questions about Pine City
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Pine City, MN a good place to live?
Pine City grades C overall, better than 34% of U.S. towns and #252 of 271 in Minnesota. It grades C+ for health and B for schools. Jobs & income is its weak spot, with a D.
Is Pine City, MN expensive?
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B+.
What is Pine City, MN known for?
Pine City was platted in 1869. 5 notable people were born here, including Rube Walberg and Jason Rarick.