Conservation Building · National Register of Historic Places
Walker’s story
130 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1915.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1896Walker is settled
WalkerMN
A town of 976, settled in 1896.
Photo: Bjoertvedt · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
976
2025 Census estimate · −0.1% since 2020
Typical home
$361K
+2.6% in a year
Household income
$34K
median
Median age
58.9
years
Jobs based here
1,237
A job hub
Is Walker a good place to live?
Walker’s density of trails is 1.5 miles per square mile, above both the Minnesota town median (0.5) and the median of U.S. towns (0.4). Conservation Building is on the National Register of Historic Places. Walker has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What makes Walker stand out
Where Walker beats most towns.
Small town
976 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Walker: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Walker, and how to reach them.
PowerMinnesota Power15.9¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterWalker water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Walker’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 hereCass County Auditor-Treasurer's OfficeCass County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP code5648456484 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 Walker.
Who lives here
Walker stands out in Minnesota and nationally: a smaller share of its residents are under 18
Walker’s midpoint age is 58.9 years, against 39.9 years in Minnesota’s towns and 40.5 years across U.S. towns. College graduates make up 30% of adults 25 and older, against 39% across Minnesota.
58.9median age · MN 38.8
| Walker | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 9.4% | 23% | 22% |
| Median age | 58.9 years | 39.9 years | 40.5 years |
WalkerMinnesotaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
27%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma10%
High school33%
Some college18%
Associate’s10%
Bachelor’s23%
Graduate8%
Women and men · all residents
65% women, 35% men
About 53 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±7.1 points). Across Minnesota, 49.9% of residents are women.
| Walker | MN | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 6% | 12.1% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 3.4% | 10.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 3.4% | 8.8% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 9.3% | 13% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 9.1% | 13.5% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 8.5% | 11.6% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 19.5% | 12.9% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 14.3% | 10.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 26.5% | 7% | 7% |
| No diploma | 9.6% | 6.1% | 10.4% |
| High school | 32.5% | 23.3% | 26% |
| Some college | 18% | 19.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 9.9% | 11.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 22.5% | 25.6% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 7.6% | 13.8% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,000, single groups can be off by several points
Schools
The schools Walker’s kids attend
The public schools here belong to the Walker-Hackensack-Akeley Schl. The largest public high school is Walker-Hackensack-Akeley Sec., with 317 students. District. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with the reason it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| W.H.A. ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 369 | C+ |
| Walker-Hackensack-Akeley Sec.Largest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 317 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts
Work & commute
Compared with most of Minnesota and the rest of the country, more of Walker’s residents live below the poverty line
Employers in Walker shed 262 jobs between 2013 and 2023, to 1,237. The top destinations are Shingobee Township (22%), Bemidji (6%) and Cass Lake (5%). For half of commuters, work is under 10 miles away.
23%work in town
| Walker | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 22% | 7% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $34,000 | $90,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 23% | 9.8% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Walker23%
Shingobee Township22%
Bemidji6%
Cass Lake5%
Minneapolis3%
10 mi
median commute distance
1,237
jobs based in Walker
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazards
Very low risk in Walker, with inland flooding at the top
Only 8 of the 275 Minnesota towns we compare have a lower risk rating from FEMA than Walker. Expected losses in Walker break down as 55% from inland flooding and 28% from cold waves. Federal disaster aid has reached households in Walker once, in 1999.
10risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Walker has snowy winters and pleasant summers
Expect July afternoons of 79° and January nights of -1°, with about 48 inches of snow a winter.
48″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter3–22°
Spring29–52°
Summer55–77°
Fall34–53°
Oct 7
typical first frost
May 4
typical last frost
+1.9°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Safety
Crime reported in Walker
In a town this small, a few incidents move the numbers a lot, so rates aren't shown.
Walker is small, so we show counts rather than rates.
0
violent crimes reported in 2024
10
property crimes reported in 2024
FBI crime data, 2024 · crimes reported to police
Health
How healthy Walker is
14% of adults have diabetes in Walker. Of 32 CDC measures, Walker beats the Minnesota average on 4 and trails it on 11. Among 272 Minnesota towns, just 2 have a higher share of adults who have high blood pressure than Walker.
| Walker | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 30% | 33% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 31% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 10% | 12% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 18% | 16% |
32 measures vs. Minnesota
4 better17 too close to call11 worse
| What stands out | Walker | MN |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 6.7% | 8.9% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 82.7% | 76.1% |
| More adults with heart disease | 9.3% | 5.9% |
Cass Lake Indian Health Services Hospital
20.3 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Outdoors
2.8% of the land in Walker is protected from building
4.1 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves.
2.8%conserved
2.8%
conserved · 50 of 1,787 acres
4.1 mi
of trails · 1.5 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Walker City Park | 0.1 mi | 12 |
| 2. Chippewa National Forest | 0.1 mi | 6 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Housing
A home in Walker is worth about $361K, on Zillow’s estimate
The typical rent in Walker is $545 a month. Only 4 of the 274 Minnesota towns we compare have a lower share of households owning their home than Walker. In the year to September 2026, typical home values climbed 2.6%.
$361KZillow home value
| Walker | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 47% | 75% | 73% |
| Median rent | $545 a month | $1,196 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Walker$361K
Minnesota$349K
+2.6%
value change, 1 year
2
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Walker
20pages on Walker
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Walker; the nearest are
Leech Lake Tribal CollegeCommunity college · Public · Cass Lake21.3 mi$4,850 in-state tuitionBemidji State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Bemidji30.2 mi$10,237 in-state tuition
About 4 of every 100 Walker residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Minnesota.
A job hub
Every workday, about 1,163 people come to Walker for work
Where Walker’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
1,237jobs based in Walker
23%of working residents work in town
10 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Walker
City in Minnesota, United States
Walker is a city in Cass County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 966 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Cass County. Walker is part of the Brainerd Micropolitan Statistical Area. Minnesota State Highways 34, 200, and 371 are three of the main routes in the city.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 2.5 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,316 ft
- ZIP code
- 56484
- Area code
- 218
Questions about Walker
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Walker, MN a good place to live?
Walker has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What is Walker, MN known for?
2 notable people were born here, including Mary Welsh Hemingway and Thomas D. White.