Paul Bunyan Scenic Byway - Pine River Float, 1995
Pine River Township’s story
Pine River Township in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1995.
Explore the history →
Pine River TownshipMN
A town of 1,240. 78% more nonprofits per person than the typical Minnesota town.
5 bordering townsMap →
Photo: McGhiever · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
1,240
2025 Census estimate · +4.5% since 2020
Median home value
$229K
Census ACS
Household income
$58K
median
Median age
40.6
years
Jobs based here
67
A commuter town
Is Pine River Township a good place to live?
Pine River Township’s best subject grade is an A+ for civic life; its weakest is a D for incomes. Only 16 of Minnesota’s 574 towns score lower on incomes. On civic life, just 6 of Minnesota’s 572 towns do better. Pine River Township has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Pine River Township stand out
Where Pine River Township beats most towns.
Community nonprofits per 1,000 residents
Pine River Township7.4
Typical U.S. town3.7
Typical MN town4.2
Civic lifeA+
78% more nonprofits per person
than the typical Minnesota town
Charities, civic groups and human services; churches not counted.
Natural hazardsA
Very low risk of storm and flood damage
FEMA National Risk Index.
Small town
1,240 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Pine RiverBarclay TownshipPowers TownshipBull Moose TownshipWalden TownshipPine River Township
How Pine River Township grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Minnesota), ordered by how far Pine River Township is from typical.
Jobs & income67 jobs based hereDOpen →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 17% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listAOpen →HealthLess healthy than 68% of U.S. towns; Essentia Health St. Joseph's Medical Center 30 miles awayCOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 4.4 of 20; 2.6% of households have no car; 3.4% of workers walk, bike or ride transitC+Open →SchoolsC+Open →Cost of livingTypical home $229K, 3.2 years of the Brainerd area’s $71K median household incomeBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors1 mile of trail; 1% conserved landDOpen →HistoryC−Open →Civic life7.4 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsA+Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Pine River Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Pine River Township, and how to reach them.
PowerMinnesota Power15.9¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterPine River water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers49% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpPine River Transfer Station1705 MN 371 SWOpenStreetMap
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 hereCass County Auditor-Treasurer's OfficeCass County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP codes56435, 5647456435 65% · 56474 35%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 River Township.
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade A
Very low risk in Pine River Township, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 83% of U.S. communities.
17risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
SchoolsC+
Pine River Township’s public schools trail 63% of Minnesota districts
Its public schools are run by the Pine River-Backus School District. Its one school is below.
37%of MN districts it outscoresC+School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pine River-Backus ALPLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 57 | C− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MN on state tests and graduation
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D
With 0.2 jobs for every working resident, most of Pine River Township’s workers commute out
Most working residents leave Pine River Township for work: only 2% work in town. 16% of residents live below the poverty line in Pine River Township, above both the Minnesota town median (7%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). Pine River Township’s median household income is $58,000.
2%work in town
| Pine River Township | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 16% | 7% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $58,000 | $90,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 1.8% | 9.8% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Pine River Township2%
Pine River13%
Hackensack11%
Walker5%
Brainerd4%
20 mi
median commute distance
67
jobs based in Pine River Township
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 36% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HealthC
More of Pine River Township’s adults have high blood pressure than in the typical Minnesota or U.S. town
41% of adults have high blood pressure in Pine River Township, where Minnesota’s towns sit at 31% and U.S. towns at 35%. 15% of adults have diabetes in Pine River Township. Pine River Township beats the Minnesota average on 4 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 13.
32%healthier than U.S. townsCHealth Grade
| Pine River Township | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 30% | 33% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 31% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 10% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 12% | 14% |
32 measures vs. Minnesota
4 better15 too close to call13 worse
| What stands out | Pine River Township | MN |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer lonely adults | 26.4% | 31.2% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 82.3% | 76.1% |
| More adults with COPD | 9% | 5.4% |
Essentia Health St. Joseph's Medical Center
30 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Climate
Pine River Township has four seasons and pleasant summers
Pine River Township has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. The July high in Pine River Township is 79°F.
39″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter4–22°
Spring30–52°
Summer56–77°
Fall35–53°
Oct 5
typical first frost
May 5
typical last frost
+2.0°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
1.4%conserved
1.4%
conserved · 321 of 22,854 acres
0.8 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Foot Hills State Forest | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Pine River Township
18pages on Pine River Township
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Pine River Township; the nearest are
Central Lakes College-BrainerdCommunity college · Public · Brainerd30.8 mi$6,249 in-state tuitionBemidji State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Bemidji53.6 mi$10,237 in-state tuition
About 4 of every 100 Pine River Township residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Minnesota.
A commuter town
98% of working residents leave Pine River Township for work
Where Pine River Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
67jobs based in Pine River Township
2%of working residents work in town
20 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Pine River Township
City in Minnesota, United States
Pine River is a city in Cass County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 911 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Brainerd Micropolitan Statistical Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.2 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,293 ft
- ZIP code
- 56474
- Area code
- 218
Questions about Pine River Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Pine River Township, MN a good place to live?
78% more nonprofits per person than the typical Minnesota town.
Is Pine River 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.