Deer River, Minnesota Demographics & Population 2026

A note before these figures: with a population of 889, Deer River's ACS estimates come from a small number of survey responses and carry wide margins of error. Individual percentages below — particularly rates that round to 0% or 100% — are approximations, not precise measurements. See data.census.gov for the published margins of error.

Population Overview

Deer River is a small community located in Minnesota, within Itasca County. The total population is 889. It ranks as the 380th most populous out of 914 Census-designated places in Minnesota.

Age Demographics

The median age in Deer River is 40.3 years. This is 4% higher than the state median of 38.8 years. 13.1% of residents are 75 or older, suggesting a significant retirement-age population with implications for healthcare services and senior housing.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Deer River is $38,824. This is 56% lower than the state median of $89,062. It is also 52% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 30.6%. This is 230% higher than the state poverty rate of 9.3%. With more than one in five residents living below the poverty line, economic hardship is a significant challenge for the community. The unemployment rate is 3.6%. This is 11% lower than the state rate of 4.1%. The median home value is $111,200. Housing costs are 66% lower than the state median of $329,300. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 2.9x, Deer River is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 67.7% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 6% lower than the state average of 72.2%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Deer River is White (non-Hispanic), making up 77.7% of the population. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 0.2%. The Hispanic or Latino population (0.2%) is well below the state average of 6.4%.

Education

11.8% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 70% lower than the state rate of 39.4%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 89.7%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for Deer River, Minnesota is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates. The ACS collects data from approximately 3.5 million households annually and pools five years of responses so that even small communities can be measured, though the margin of error widens as the population falls. Comparisons are made against Minnesota state averages and national averages calculated from the same dataset. Rankings reflect the city's position among all 914 Census-designated places in Minnesota. Read more about how these figures are produced on our methodology page, or visit data.census.gov for official data.