Scanlon Community Center, 2021
Scanlon’s story
125 years in pictures
The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 2005.
- 1901Scanlon is settled
ScanlonMN
A town of 989, settled in 1901.
2 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Myotus · CC BY 4.0
Population
989
2025 Census estimate · −0.2% since 2020
Typical home
$287K
+2.1% in a year
Household income
$69K
median
Median age
38.1
years
Jobs based here
227
A commuter town
Is Scanlon a good place to live?
Scanlon’s average trip to work is 18 minutes, against 23 minutes in Minnesota’s towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns. Scanlon has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
989 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Thomson TownshipCloquetScanlon
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Scanlon: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Scanlon, and how to reach them.
PowerMinnesota Power15.9¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterScanlon water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNearest public drop-offLandfill, 1 miOpenStreetMap
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 hereCarlton County AuditorCarlton County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2024
ZIP code5572055720 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 Scanlon.
Natural hazards
Very low risk in Scanlon, with cold waves at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 81% of U.S. communities. One flood insurance claim has been paid in Scanlon since 2012.
19risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Cold wavesInland flooding
1
paid flood claims since 2012
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commute
Scanlon has 0.5 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
Most working residents leave Scanlon for work: only 2% work in town. Jobs based in Scanlon grew to 227 in 2023, 82 more than in 2013. Scanlon’s median household income is $69,000, where Minnesota’s towns sit at $90,000 and U.S. towns at $80,000.
2%work in town
| Scanlon | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 1.8% | 9.8% | 8% |
| Median household income | $69,000 | $90,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 7.7% | 7% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Scanlon2%
Cloquet30%
Duluth29%
Superior2%
St. Paul2%
15 mi
median commute distance
227
jobs based in Scanlon
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Snowy winters and pleasant summers in Scanlon
Scanlon has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. The July high in Scanlon is 78°F.
71″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter4–23°
Spring28–51°
Summer52–76°
Fall34–53°
Sep 23
typical first frost
May 26
typical last frost
+1.9°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Housing
Homes in Scanlon are worth about $287K, by Zillow’s estimate
The typical Scanlon home is worth about $287,000, up 2.1% in a year, 18% below the Minnesota typical home. 87% of Scanlon households own their home.
$287KZillow home value
| Scanlon | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 87% | 75% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,435 a month | $1,196 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Scanlon$287K
Minnesota$349K
+2.1%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Health
How healthy Scanlon is
Scanlon beats the Minnesota average on 2 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 14. 27% of adults have been diagnosed with depression in Scanlon.
| Scanlon | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 25% | 23% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 23% | 25% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 10% | 12% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 14% | 14% |
32 measures vs. Minnesota
2 better16 too close to call14 worse
| What stands out | Scanlon | MN |
|---|---|---|
| More adults screened for colon cancer | 72.9% | 68.7% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 79.3% | 76.1% |
| More adults with COPD | 7.6% | 5.4% |
Community Memorial Hospital
2.4 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
0.8%conserved
| Scanlon | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 0.8% | 4.7% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.6 miles per square mile | 0.5 | 0.4 |
0.8%
conserved · 5 of 599 acres
0.5 mi
of trails · 0.6 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Sather Park | — | 4 |
| 2. Gichigami Ziibi WMA | — | 3 |
| 3. Scanlon Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Nearby attractions
All 14 attractions →Lake Superior Railroad Museum and 8 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Scanlon. Close and well known come first.
16 mi MuseumLake Superior Railroad Museum
16 mi Zoo & aquariumGreat Lakes Aquarium
16 mi MuseumDuluth Depot11 mi Zoo & aquariumLake Superior Zoo
16 mi MuseumFairlawn Mansion
17 mi MuseumLake Superior Maritime Visitor CenterSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Lake Superior Railroad Museum: User resedabear on Flickr, CC BY 2.0 · Great Lakes Aquarium: Tmajewski, Public domain · Duluth Depot: Hikki Nagasaki, Public domain · Fairlawn Mansion: Nfarmakes, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Lake Superior Maritime Visitor Center: McGhiever, CC BY-SA 4.0
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Scanlon
17pages on Scanlon
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
2 within 15 miles of the center of Scanlon
Fond du Lac Tribal and Community CollegeUniversity or college · Public · Cloquet1.5 mi$6,006 in-state tuitionLake Superior CollegeCommunity college · Public · Duluth14.5 mi$5,785 in-state tuition
About 4 of every 100 Scanlon residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Minnesota.
A commuter town
98% of working residents leave Scanlon for work
Where Scanlon’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
227jobs based in Scanlon
2%of working residents work in town
15 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Scanlon
City in Minnesota, United States
Scanlon is a city in Carlton County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 987 at the 2020 census. Interstate 35 and Carlton County Highway 45 (CR 45) are two of the main routes in Scanlon. Other main routes include Washington Avenue (CR 16) and County Road 61 (CR 61). Scanlon is located immediately east of the city of Cloquet; and 18 miles southwest of the city of Duluth.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.8 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,207 ft
- Area code
- 218
Questions about Scanlon
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Scanlon, MN a good place to live?
Scanlon has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.