City profile · Minnesota · Census ACS 2023

Big Falls, MN

Big Falls's Census ACS profile: residents, income, housing, and the joined public-record layers available for this place.

157
Residents
$26,071
Median income
$48,500
Median home
$1,125
Median rent (state)
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See how it ranks

State rank, size-class rank, and four peer cities for Big Falls.

Place dossier plate

Sheet MN-BIG-FALLS-MN · Big Falls, MN 157 pop · income 2nd pct

POP-VILLAGE · INC-LOW · COL-PAR · SAFE-UNK · RANK-BOTTOM · PHOTO-FINISH · HOME-LOW · BOOK-UNK

  • POP-VILLAGE 157
  • INC-LOW $26,071
  • COL-PAR 98.6
  • SAFE-UNK Safety pending
  • RANK-BOTTOM 2nd
  • PHOTO-FINISH ≈ Wolfhurst
  • HOME-LOW $48,500
  • BOOK-UNK Tracts pending

Nearest income peer: Wolfhurst, OH (+ $0 income $)

Instrument codes from this place’s ACS population and household income, BEA state COL, FBI safety, national income percentile, photo-finish peer city, home-value band, and matched Census-tract book - not a moving recommendation.

Income neighbourhood around Big Falls

Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Big Falls on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.

median HH income

What this shows Neighbourhood peers only - not a full nationwide city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the spread is wide.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2026-08-08

Compare beyond this state

Nationwide peers by population, income

Out-of-state nearest neighbors for Big Falls on ACS population and median household income . Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not a forecast that peers share a labor market or climate.

Similar population

Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS population. This city: 157.

4 peers

Similar household income

Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS median household income. This city: $26,071. Population peers are excluded.

4 peers

Big Falls - the verdict

Nationally, Big Falls sits in the 2nd percentile for household income among US cities with a population of 1,000 or more. Source: Census ACS.

2nd
percentile, household income
0th
percentile, home value
36th
percentile, median rent
📝 How we sourced this

Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.

Data Snapshot: Big Falls, MN

Census ACS 2023 estimates count 157 residents in Big Falls, a small town within Minnesota. Median household income here is $26,071 per year, in the lower quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 4.0%. Big Falls's housing stock carries a median value of $48,500, and the median resident age is 63.0 years. About 11.3% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 55.9% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

In 2024, 0 residential building permits were authorized in Big Falls (No Permits), per Census BPS data. NOAA climate normals record an annual average temperature of 37.5°F with 27.3 inches of precipitation per year.

Minnesota tracks close to the national cost-of-living baseline: the state registers 98.6 on a 100-equals-national-average index (Near Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $1,125 per month. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts Minnesota's average monthly utility costs around $225 (state average). On FEMA's National Risk Index, this area rates 42.4 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (Low).

A decision-led reading path

Useful questions to ask of Big Falls's data

How this reading path is ordered

This is not a composite city score. It is a city-specific route through the available public records, ordered for this profile so the page starts with questions the joined data can actually answer. The route here runs from climate and hazard context to housing and income to comparison shortlist to work and mobility to population change; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.

For Big Falls, city-specific coverage includes local building permits, commute-mode shares, annual population history. No matched row is reported here for within-city Census tract profiles, FBI reported-crime rates, matched public-school count; the page leaves those layers out instead of substituting a statewide or national value.

1. Climate and hazard context

What physical conditions frame life in Big Falls?

The two sources should not be blended into one comfort or safety score. Use the climate values for baseline conditions and the risk index as a prompt to inspect specific hazards, insurance, and local emergency guidance for a particular address.

NOAA normals put the annual mean temperature at 37.5°F, with 27.3 inches of precipitation. FEMA's state-averaged National Risk Index score for Minnesota is 42.4 out of 100. Climate normals describe long-run weather; the FEMA score on PlainCities is a state average of county NRI inputs and combines hazards, exposure, vulnerability, and resilience.

Read the source boundaries →

2. Housing and income

How far does income reach against housing in Big Falls?

This is a citywide price-to-income reference, not a mortgage-affordability test; it does not include interest rates, taxes, insurance, household size, or an individual buyer's down payment. The ratio makes housing the clearest place to start this profile, but a low multiple can coexist with slow demand, older stock, or household-level hardship. Compare the home-value distribution and same-state peer table before treating it as an advantage.

The home-value-to-income reference is relatively compact: the ACS median home value is 1.9 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 4.0%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.

Compare the housing trade-off →

3. Comparison shortlist

Which cities make useful reference points for Big Falls?

Use the in-state set to hold state policy and broad price conditions more nearly constant. Use the nationwide size set to ask whether cities with a similar resident count produce different housing, income, or commute outcomes. The income set is a third lens, deliberately separate from population matching.

Within Minnesota, the closest population matches are Erhard (156 residents); Kinney (156 residents, $53,438 income); Silver Creek (156 residents, $66,500 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Pine Apple, AL (157 residents); Sweet Water, AL (157 residents); Chloride, AZ (157 residents). A third, income-matched reference set of 6 out-of-state cities sits in the income neighbourhood chart near the Place Dossier plate. These are mechanical peer sets, not claims that the places share a labor market, climate, culture, or metro context.

Open a side-by-side comparison →

Question 4

What does the journey to work look like in Big Falls?

Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 65.5%. A reliable mean commute time is not available for this row, so the mode shares carry the comparison.

Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. Remote work has a visible role in the local pattern. That can reduce commute exposure for some workers, but it says nothing about job availability or broadband quality; read it alongside income and housing rather than as a stand-alone lifestyle score.

Compare commute patterns →

Other supported questions

Why these stay compact

These joined records add useful context, but they do not need another full-size panel. Each remains a separate measure with its own geography and source boundary.

Population change

Is Big Falls growing, shrinking, or holding steady?

Census PEP estimates show the population declined by -7 residents from 2020 to 2025, a -4.0% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 0 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.

Recent estimates point downward. A falling count can reflect migration, household size, annexation boundaries, or estimation noise, so it is a prompt to inspect the full series rather than a claim about local economic health.

2020 estimate
177
2025 estimate
170
Period change
-4.0%

Census Population Estimates Program, 2020–2025; permit context uses Census BPS.

See the national growth ranking →

Population

157 residents

Micro place (under 10k)

Median Household Income

$26,071 /yr

Lowest-decile income · poverty 4.0% (Below-median poverty)

Cost of Living Index (state)

98.6 (US=100)

Above-average cost · BEA RPP 2024, Minnesota average

City profile score · Big Falls, MN

31/100

4 published dimensions · ACS/FBI 2023

Comparative score against U.S. cities with population of 1,000 or more on Census ACS medians (income, poverty, bachelor's share, cost of living) and FBI UCR violent-crime rates when published. Higher means a stronger standing on those published figures, not a livability rating, not a recommendation to move, buy, or pick a "best" city. Missing inputs drop out and redistribute weight. How it is calculated.

Poverty rate B
4.0%

Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.

Cost of living D
98.6 index

BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.

Bachelor's+ share F
11.3%

Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.

Household income F
$26,071

Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.

Violent crime N/A
N/A

No FBI UCR violent-crime rate for this place (coverage is incomplete).

Big Falls profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions) 4-axis radar comparing 1 series across Poverty rate, Cost of living, Bachelor's+ share, Household income. Poverty rateCost of livingBachelor's+ shareHousehold income 31 F
Big Falls profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)
Read the chart values
  • Poverty rate: 72/100 (B) · 4.0%
  • Cost of living: 46/100 (D) · 98.6 index
  • Bachelor's+ share: 10/100 (F) · 11.3%
  • Household income: 0/100 (F) · $26,071

How does Big Falls compare to other US cities?

Here's how Big Falls stacks up against the full field of US cities (population 1,000+), computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 2% higher than other cities
Home value 0% pricier than other cities
Median rent 36% pricier than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

Each percentile compares Big Falls against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Minnesota only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.

Minnesota-relative analysis

Median Gross Rent places Big Falls near the bottom of Minnesota's cities

Among the 785 Minnesota cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Big Falls ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Big Falls only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.

Median Household Income
#774 of 775
0th percentile in Minnesota
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 785
0th percentile in Minnesota
Median Home Value
#765 of 774
1st percentile in Minnesota
Poverty Rate
#486 of 785
38th percentile in Minnesota
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#649 of 784
17th percentile in Minnesota
How in-state ranks are ordered

Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within Minnesota only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.

2ndIncome percentile
Gauge source note

2nd percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

How Big Falls's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$48,500 Among the most affordable more affordable than 100% of 15,600 US cities

Show national distribution $0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). This entry sits in this band. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Above this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Above this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Above this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Above this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Above this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Above this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Above this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Big Falls $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Big Falls's home-value-to-income ratio: 1.9×

ACS median home value divided by median household income.

Band
affordable
< 3.0×
National rank
#1,182 of 15,516
More affordable than 92% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#1,143 of 11,323
Micro cities (under 10,000)

At 1.9×, Big Falls sits in the affordable band: national rank #1,182 of 15,516 and #1,143 of 11,323micro cities (under 10,000). The multiple is comparatively compact among tracked cities, but a low ratio can still coexist with slow demand or household-level hardship.

How this ratio is calculated

Ratio = Census ACS 2023 median home value ÷ median household income for cities with both fields and population ≥ 1,000. Rank 1 = lowest ratio (most compact). Bands match the fleet affordability thresholds used on guides (<3.0 / 3.0–5.0 / >5.0). This is not a mortgage payment estimate and does not include rates, taxes, insurance, or down payment.

Income distribution context

$26,071 Big Falls, MN median household income (Census ACS)

Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Household income distribution - Big Falls, MN Big Falls, MN's median household income ($26,071) against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern. The Lorenz curve and quintile bars are national context, not Big Falls, MN-specific shares. $ Household Income Distribution Big Falls, MN median $26,071/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Big Falls, MN median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for Big Falls, MN.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 11.3%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 4.0%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 55.9%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
157
Median Income
$26,071
Median Home Value
$48,500
Median Age
63.0
Poverty Rate
4.0%
Labor force participation
55.9%
Bachelor's Degree+
11.3%

Climate

Avg Temperature
37.5°F
Annual Precipitation
27.3"
Annual Snowfall
N/A

Population Change

PEP vintage

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
165 residents170 residents175 residents180 residents 202020212022202320242025 177 residents 170 residents ▼ -4.0%
Big Falls's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.
Read the chart as text
Period Population
2020 177 residents
2021 176 residents
2022 174 residents
2023 173 residents
2024 171 residents
2025 170 residents

Housing Supply

BPS source

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized

Total Permits (2024)
0
housing units authorized
Single-Family
0
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 0
2020 0
2021 1
2022 1
2023 0
2024 0

Commute Patterns

Commute source

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
65.5%
Carpool
3.6%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
3.6%
Work from Home
27.4%

Based on 84 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

Minnesota statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $225

EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across Minnesota at $225 (electricity about $95 , water and sewer about $45 ).

These are Minnesota statewide averages, not a meter reading for Big Falls. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Minnesota's BEA cost-of-living index is 98.6 (Near Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around Big Falls is $1,125/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to Minnesota statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 42.4 / 100 (Low).

Cost/risk geography note

Cost of living is a Minnesota statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county Big Falls sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.

How Big Falls compares to similar-size Minnesota cities

Same-state peer method

Closest same-state population matches, not geographic neighbors. Population + median household income come from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 and B19013.

City Population Median Household Income
Big Falls (this city) 157 $26,071
Erhard 156 N/A
Kinney 156 $53,438
Silver Creek 156 $66,500
NOAA Normals Census BPS 2024
Primary sources on this page

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, NOAA Climate Normals, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES. Joins use OMB Bulletin 23-01 / FIPS keys.

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Estimate caveats

ACS and UCR figures are citywide estimates with vintage lags; they do not replace a local visit, school visit, or insurance quote.

Editorial standards, provenance, and how to cite this page

Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

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