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Place dossier plate
SheetMN-PELICAN-RAPIDS-MN · Pelican Rapids, MN 2,589 pop · income 44th pct
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 Pelican Rapids
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Pelican Rapids on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Sandstone · lowest
50,288
Sandstone · lowest
50,288 median HH income
27.6% of the leader · rank #1
Schofield · near
65,478
Schofield · near
65,478 median HH income
36.0% of the leader · rank #2
Withee · near
65,481
Withee · near
65,481 median HH income
36.0% of the leader · rank #3
Pelican Rapids · this city
65,482
Pelican Rapids · this city
65,482 median HH income
36.0% of the leader · rank #4
LeChee · near
65,486
LeChee · near
65,486 median HH income
36.0% of the leader · rank #5
Vinton · near
65,488
Vinton · near
65,488 median HH income
36.0% of the leader · rank #6
Village of Gr… · highest
182,000
Village of Gr… · highest
182,000 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #7
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.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by population, income, and FBI crime rate
Out-of-state nearest neighbors for Pelican Rapids on ACS population and median household income
, plus FBI UCR reporting rate when the extract covers this place. 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: 2,589.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
Pelican Rapids - the verdict
Out of every US city with 1,000+ residents, Pelican Rapids places in the 44th percentile for household income and the 95th percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.
44th
percentile, household income
36th
percentile, home value
36th
percentile, median rent
95th
percentile, safety
📝 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: Pelican Rapids, MN
Pelican Rapids is a small town in Minnesota, home to 2,589 residents per U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. The typical household in Pelican Rapids brings in $65,482 a year, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 14.9%. Pelican Rapids's housing stock carries a median value of $177,700, and the median resident age is 37.7 years. About 18.7% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 56.1% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
The Census Building Permit Survey recorded 6 residential units authorized here in 2024 (Construction Slowdown), down 83% from five years earlier. Pelican Rapids reports a comparatively low crime rate: FBI UCR reporting places total crime at 230.9 incidents per 100,000 residents, below the national average (voluntary agency reporting, reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score).
Minnesota tracks close to the national cost-of-living baseline: on BEA's 100-equals-national-average cost index, Minnesota scores 98.6 (Near Average), per the 2024 Regional Price Parities release. A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $1,125 per month statewide. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in Minnesota run around $225, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 42.4 out of 100 (Low).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of Pelican Rapids'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 schools and households to population change to reported crime to comparison shortlist to housing and income to work and mobility; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For Pelican Rapids, city-specific coverage includes local building permits, annual population history, FBI reported-crime rates, commute-mode shares, matched public-school count.
No matched row is reported here for within-city Census tract profiles; the page leaves those layers out instead of substituting a statewide or national value.
Question 1
What does the education layer cover for Pelican Rapids?
The NCES join finds 2 public schools within the city match. 18.7% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher in the ACS estimate. These measures answer different questions: the school count describes local institutions, while adult attainment describes residents and cannot be used as a school-quality rating.
The matched institution count is small, so district boundaries and schools outside the city line may matter more than the municipal count suggests. Use the number as a coverage cue, then verify attendance zones with the district before making a household decision.
Is Pelican Rapids growing, shrinking, or holding steady?
The recent population line is broadly flat. That makes the composition of change more important than the headline count: housing turnover, household size, and age structure can shift even when the total barely moves.
Census PEP estimates show the population grew by +12 residents from 2020 to 2025, a +0.5% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 6 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.
What can the FBI record say about safety in Pelican Rapids?
Treat this as a reporting-rate comparison, not a prediction of personal risk or a neighborhood-level safety grade. Tourism, daytime population, reporting practices, and variation inside the city are not adjusted away. The state rank and same-state peer table are the narrower comparisons available on this page.
The joined FBI UCR record reports 230.9 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, below the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 90% lower in arithmetic terms, but agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies.
Which cities make useful reference points for Pelican Rapids?
Within Minnesota, the closest population matches are Osseo (2,601 residents, $66,875 income); Wabasha (2,569 residents, $62,016 income); Granite Falls (2,612 residents, $59,402 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Village of Grosse Pointe Shores, MI (2,589 residents); Caddo Mills, TX (2,589 residents); Jarrell, TX (2,589 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.
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. The nationwide peer panel below adds a fourth FBI UCR reporting-rate lens, not personal risk.
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.
Housing and income
How far does income reach against housing in Pelican Rapids?
The home-value-to-income reference sits in a middle range: the ACS median home value is 2.7 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 14.9%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
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. Income and home value move within the same broad scale here. The useful next check is not a generic affordability label, but whether similar-size cities offer a materially different income, housing, or commute trade-off.
Household income
$65,482
Home value
$177,700
Value / income
2.7×
City-level Census ACS 2023 medians. The ratio divides two separate medians and is descriptive only.
What does the journey to work look like in Pelican Rapids?
Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. No single mode completely explains the work trip here. The mix is more useful than a one-number commute grade, especially when comparing places where transit, walking, and remote work divide the non-driving share differently.
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 74.9%. A reliable mean commute time is not available for this row, so the mode shares carry the comparison.
Public transit
0.0%
Work from home
10.9%
Drive alone
74.9%
City-level Census ACS commuting estimates covering 1,095 workers age 16+.
Below median income · poverty 14.9% (High poverty)
Cost of Living Index (state)
98.6 (US=100)
Above-average cost · BEA RPP 2024, Minnesota average
D
City profile score · Pelican Rapids, MN
45/100
5 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.
Violent crime B+
77 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger 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.
Household income D
$65,482
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Bachelor's+ share F
18.7%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Poverty rate F
14.9%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Pelican Rapids profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Violent crime: 77/100 (B+) · 77 /100k
Cost of living: 46/100 (D) · 98.6 index
Household income: 43/100 (D) · $65,482
Bachelor's+ share: 31/100 (F) · 18.7%
Poverty rate: 23/100 (F) · 14.9%
Where Pelican Rapids sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
Pelican Rapids's median home value and FBI crime rate plotted with similar-size and
same-state peers (padded with large cities when the peer set is thin). The second
read: pricey does not always mean safer, check which quadrant this city lands in.
Census ACS median home value vs FBI UCR crime rate - Pelican Rapids highlighted among 8 peers.Read the chart values
Pelican Rapids, MN (this city): home $177,700, crime 231/100k
Caddo Mills, TX : home $247,400, crime 625/100k
Jarrell, TX : home $311,100, crime 1,355/100k
Gervais, OR : home $330,400, crime 672/100k
Osseo, MN : home $275,000, crime 1,942/100k
Wabasha, MN : home $212,800, crime 1,728/100k
Granite Falls, MN : home $139,700, crime 861/100k
Breezy Point, MN : home $301,000, crime 142/100k
How does Pelican Rapids compare to other US cities?
Pelican Rapids measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.
Household income44% higher than other cities
Home value36% pricier than other cities
Median rent36% pricier than other cities
Safety95% safer than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
National percentiles can mask local variation. Looking only at Minnesota, Pelican Rapids ranks #33 of 229 Minnesota cities by lowest crime rate - a narrower, more locally useful cut than the national comparison above.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares Pelican Rapids 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 Pelican Rapids near the bottom of Minnesota's cities
Among the 785 Minnesota cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Pelican Rapids ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Pelican Rapids only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#432 of 775
44th percentile in Minnesota
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 785
0th percentile in Minnesota
Median Home Value
#373 of 774
52nd percentile in Minnesota
Poverty Rate
#87 of 785
89th percentile in Minnesota
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#454 of 784
42nd 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.
Gauge source note
44th percentile nationally for median household income · 95th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
Pelican Rapids's profile vs. every US city
Income, affordability, and safety percentile
Pelican Rapids's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.
How Pelican Rapids's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$177,700Among the most affordablemore affordable than 64% of 15,600 US cities
Show national distribution
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
Pelican Rapids's home-value-to-income ratio: 2.7×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
affordable
< 3.0×
National rank
#5,098 of 15,516
More affordable than 67% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#4,466 of 11,323
Micro cities (under 10,000)
At 2.7×, Pelican Rapids sits in the affordable band:
national rank #5,098 of 15,516 and #4,466 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
$65,482Pelican Rapids, MN median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Pelican Rapids, 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 Pelican Rapids, MN.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)18.7%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)14.9%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)56.1%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
2,589
Median Income
$65,482
Median Home Value
$177,700
Median Age
37.7
Poverty Rate
14.9%
Labor force participation
56.1%
Bachelor's Degree+
18.7%
Safety & Crime
Total Crime Rate
230.9
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
77.0
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
153.9
per 100,000 residents
Crime reporting caveat
Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.
Schools
Total Schools
2
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Pelican Rapids's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
2,596 residents
2021
2,590 residents
2022
2,601 residents
2023
2,602 residents
2024
2,597 residents
2025
2,608 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
📉 Construction Slowdown
Total Permits (2024)
6
housing units authorized
Single-Family
6
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
2.3
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
36
0
36
$3.6M
2020
0
0
0
-
2021
2
0
2
$1.0M
2022
2
2
0
$0.7M
2023
1
1
0
$0.4M
2024
6
6
0
$1.6M
Permit volume decreased 83% from 2019 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Drive Alone
74.9%
Carpool
5.4%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
7.0%
Work from Home
10.9%
Other
1.8%
Based on 1,095 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 Pelican Rapids. 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 Pelican Rapids 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 Pelican Rapids sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How Pelican Rapids 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.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NCES CCD, 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.