Brainerd is a city in Crow Wing County, Minnesota, home to about 14,468 people across 12 square miles. Its ZIP code is 56401.
Homes sold for a median of $192 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a seller’s market.
Mostly Brainerd; also First Assessment UT and Crow Wing
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Brainerd. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Brainerd’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
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| Nearest major airport | Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport / Wold–Chamberlain Field (MSP)110 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Brainerd Lakes Regional Airport (BRD)4 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Minneapolis, MN104 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Chicago, IL445 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Brainerd; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
Brainerd had 14,395 residents in the 2020 census, up 9% since 2000.
It’s the 78th largest of 2,727 towns in Minnesota by population.
Crow Wing County grew from 14,250 residents in 1900 to 66,123 in 2020.
Crow Wing County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 82°F in summer, and winter lows average 0°F. About 24.8 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Brainerd Crow Wing Co Ap, MN weather station (4 miles away).
28,209 jobs at 2,283 businesses in Crow Wing County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
465 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Brainerd.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 44 |
|---|---|
| Specialist doctors | 87 |
| Dentists | 24 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 65 |
| Mental health providers | 155 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 61 |
| Optometrists | 8 |
| Chiropractors | 21 |
| Pharmacies | 11 |
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.
Grocery stores
Pharmacies
Libraries
Museums
Counts are within about 2.5 miles of the center of town.
Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.
Established in 1870.
Notable people born here
Source: Wikidata (wikidata.org), the free knowledge base; people are listed by place of birth.
Public schools here are run by Discovery Woods, Brainerd Public School District. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Discovery WoodsBrainerd | Pre-K–6 | 101 | Charter | 4.8 mi |
| Garfield ElementaryBrainerd | Pre-K–4 | 250 | Public | 3.8 mi |
| Harrison ElementaryBrainerd | Pre-K–4 | 230 | Public | 4.1 mi |
| Riverside ElementaryBrainerd | Pre-K–4 | 407 | Public | 5.4 mi |
| Lowell ElementaryBrainerd | K–4 | 355 | Public | 4.2 mi |
| Lincoln Education CenterBrainerd | 3–12 | 105 | Alternative Education | 5.0 mi |
| Middle Level Alternative ProgramBrainerd | 5–8 | 14 | Alternative Education | 3.7 mi |
| ISD 181 Learning CenterBrainerd | 8–12 | 166 | Alternative Education | 3.7 mi |
| Brainerd Online SchoolBrainerd | 9–12 | — | Public | 4.9 mi |
| Brainerd Senior HighBrainerd | 9–12 | 1,805 | Public | 4.9 mi |
| School | Grades | Students | Affiliation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oak Street Christian SchoolBrainerd | Pre-K–8 | 9 | Seventh-day Adventist | 3.1 mi |
| St Francis of the Lakes Catholic SchoolBrainerd | Pre-K–8 | 210 | Roman Catholic | 4.7 mi |
| T4n Pinnacle AcademyBrainerd | K–12 | 85 | Nonsectarian | 4.8 mi |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools; Private School Universe Survey (2023-2024) for private schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.
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Shares ZIP codes with First Assessment UT, Crow Wing, Oak Lawn, Long Lake Township (Crow Wing County), East Gull Lake, Nokay Lake, Maple Grove Township (Crow Wing County), Sylvan, Garrison Township, Daggett Brook, Fort Ripley, Platte Lake and Roosevelt Township (Crow Wing County).
Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.