City · Koochiching County, Minnesota

International Falls, Minnesota

International Falls is a city in Koochiching County, Minnesota. It has 5,642 residents. International Falls, Minnesota has a quality-of-life score of 68 out of 100 (high), ranking #5,035 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within Minnesota it ranks #318 of 364 cities and towns. It ranks best on average commute time (low), grocery stores (high) and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) (low). It ranks worst on distance to an airport (high), pharmacies (low) and flu vaccinations (low).

68High

Quality-of-life score: #5,035 of 15,651 cities and towns
Minnesota: #318 of 364 in MN
Population: 5,642 (2020-2024)
Land area: 7 mi²
Density: 830.0 /mi²
FIPS code: 2731040

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 73 of 80 indicators, with the default “Explorer” weights.

Open in the map

Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety70#4,681/15,637
Economy21#12,335/15,631
Housing82#2,654/14,977
Health47#8,326/15,609
Healthcare20#12,467/15,650
Environment83#2,628/15,453
Education63#5,843/15,649
Infrastructure55#6,980/15,650
Community80#3,135/15,651
Leisure & amenities87#1,969/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where International Falls, Minnesota ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Koochiching County value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

Average commute time · low8.6 min
100/100Minnesota 22.7 minUnited States 26.4 min2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08013
Grocery stores · high5.2 /10k
99/100Minnesota 1.6 /10kUnited States 1.7 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsKoochiching County value
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) · low4.4 µg/m³
99/100Minnesota 6.3 µg/m³United States 8.0 µg/m³2022Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyKoochiching County value
Drug overdose deaths · low0.0 /100k
99/100Minnesota 15.7 /100kUnited States 18.4 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional dataKoochiching County value
Property crime rate · low250 /100k
98/100Minnesota 1,412 /100kUnited States 1,535 /100k2025Federal Bureau of InvestigationKoochiching County value
Hot days · low1 days
97/100Minnesota 5 daysUnited States 42 days2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationKoochiching County value

Weaknesses

Distance to an airport · high190 mi
1/100Minnesota 43 miUnited States 33 mi2025Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauKoochiching County value
Pharmacies · low0.0 /10k
1/100Minnesota 1.7 /10kUnited States 1.8 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsKoochiching County value
Flu vaccinations · low21.0%
1/100Minnesota 50.0%United States 44.0%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteKoochiching County value
New business applications · low7.2 /1k
3/100Minnesota 12.7 /1kUnited States 16.6 /1k2025U.S. Census BureauKoochiching County value
Comfortable days · low22.1%
4/100Minnesota 23.6%United States 26.8%2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationKoochiching County value
Distance to an Amtrak station · high160 mi
4/100Minnesota 32 miUnited States 43 mi2026Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauKoochiching County value

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

PopulationFalling
5,981 (2015-2019) → 5,642 (2020-2024)
−5.7%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
Rent-burdened householdsImproving
60.4% (2015-2019) → 33.9% (2020-2024)
−27 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
74.6% (2015-2019) → 90.2% (2020-2024)
+16 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Rent as share of incomeImproving
33.3% (2015-2019) → 25.1% (2020-2024)
−8.2 pts5 yearsCensus table B25071US 29.8% → 30.6%
Median household incomeImproving
$45,208 (2015-2019) → $57,662 (2020-2024)
+28%5 yearsCensus table B19013US $65,712 → $81,604
Bachelor's degree or higherImproving
15.7% (2015-2019) → 21.0% (2020-2024)
+5.3 pts5 yearsCensus table B15003US 32.1% → 35.7%

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, International Falls, Minnesota improved on 4 of 14 measures with a comparison and declined on 1. 9 moved within the margin of error and 0 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved4

Rent burden−27 points60.4% → 33.9%
Rent / income−8.2 points33.3% → 25.1%
Broadband+16 points74.6% → 90.2%
Household income+28%$45,208 → $57,662

Declined1

Uninsured+4.8 points3.1% → 7.9%

All 14 measures

Change of every measure of International Falls, Minnesota between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	8.0 min2015-2019	8.6 min2020-2024	+0.6 min	Within the margin of error	40%
Bachelor's degree or higher	15.7%2015-2019	21.0%2020-2024	+5.3 points	Within the margin of error	70%
Broadband subscriptions	74.6%2015-2019	90.2%2020-2024	+16 points	Improved	81%
Child poverty rate	23.7%2015-2019	18.4%2020-2024	−5.2 points	Within the margin of error	69%
Effective property tax rate	0.96%2015-2019	0.98%2020-2024	+0 points	Within the margin of error	13%
High school diploma or higher	90.0%2015-2019	93.3%2020-2024	+3.2 points	Within the margin of error	70%
Home price to income ratio	2.0×2015-2019	2.1×2020-2024	+0.1×	Within the margin of error	72%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.3842015-2019	0.4402020-2024	+0.056	Within the margin of error	14%
Median household income	$45,2082015-2019	$57,6622020-2024	+28%	Improved	50%
Poverty rate	16.6%2015-2019	13.3%2020-2024	−3.3 points	Within the margin of error	72%
Rent as share of income	33.3%2015-2019	25.1%2020-2024	−8.2 points	Improved	90%
Rent-burdened households	60.4%2015-2019	33.9%2020-2024	−27 points	Improved	97%
Unemployment rate	6.6%2015-2019	7.7%2020-2024	+1.1 points	Within the margin of error	27%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	3.1%2015-2019	7.9%2020-2024	+4.8 points	Declined	11%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 14640 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like International Falls, Minnesota five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of International Falls, Minnesota in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, International Falls, Minnesota itself moved +11.7 points in standing on average over the same 10 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

5,642 residents (±28)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79
60–69

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

2,926 households (±157)

International Falls, Minnesota
Minnesota share

Under $25k20%571
$25k–50k20%592
$50k–75k24%712

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

2,926 households (±157)

International Falls, Minnesota
Minnesota share

Own71%2,077
Rent29%849

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

Table view

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

2,440 workers (±190)

International Falls, Minnesota
Minnesota share

Drive alone67%1,636
Carpool9.9%†241
Public transit0.9%†

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Koochiching County, the county holding most of International Falls's residents.

Koochiching County has 367 employer establishments, 313 for every 10,000 residents (1.26× the US rate of 248; 1.16× Minnesota's), with 3,520 paid employees at an average annual pay of $45,253. The Census Bureau also counts 802 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 367; 802 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 313; US 248 · Minnesota 268
Paid employees: 3,520
Average annual pay: $45,253; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Koochiching County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Restaurants and other eating places	24	20.4	1.11×About typical	348	$21,325	3
Ambulatory health care services	21	17.9	0.86×About typical	175	$66,080	26
Specialty trade contractors	17	14.5	0.94×About typical	78	$72,513	74
Full-service restaurants	14	11.9	1.55×More than typical	149	$20,570	—
Gasoline stations	14	11.9	3.68×More than typical	101	$34,347	—
Religious organizations	12	10.2	1.84×More than typical	34	$20,882	—
Traveler accommodation	12	10.2	5.66×More than typical	171	$24,485	7
Truck transportation	12	10.2	2.02×More than typical	69	$59,377	43
Construction of buildings	10	8.5	1.13×About typical	18	$64,944	38
Building equipment contractors	9	7.7	1.27×Too few to compare	60	$82,167	21
Grocery and convenience stores	9	7.7	2.58×Too few to compare	183	$26,814	—
Limited-service restaurants	9	7.7	0.96×Too few to compare	172	$23,453	—

Rank places for an industry Open Koochiching County

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 11,744 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

In FY2026, an estimated $211.3K of federal contract obligations were for work performed in International Falls, Minnesota: $37.44 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $211.3K; −53% vs FY2025
Per resident: $37.44; US $1,994
Sole-source: 0.2%; US 30%
Single offer: 86%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

National Park Service$203.5K96%
Public Buildings Service$6,5213.1%
U.S. Customs and Border Protection$1,2830.6%

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

177.1KFY2017
-4KFY2018
19.6KFY2019
33.8KFY2020
40.9KFY2021
32.3KFY2022
110KFY2023
28.1KFY2024

Top industries (NAICS)

Utility system construction · 2371$178.8K85%
Nonresidential building construction · 2362$8,3874.0%
Motor vehicle body and trailer manufacturing · 3362$7,4823.5%
Architectural, engineering, and related services · 5413$7,0143.3%
Computer systems design and related services · 5415$2,7481.3%
Sawmills and wood preservation · 3211

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

How this is estimated

Agencies report each contract action's place of performance as a county and a ZIP code. A ZIP code's money is split among the cities it covers by the share of its land inside each (Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation areas); the part outside city limits stays with the county.

The place of performance is what the contracting agency reports, often the contractor's office rather than where the work happens.
Shares are of land, not of people or businesses: a ZIP code that is mostly rural land but has its offices in town gives the town less than it should.
ZIP codes that are not mapped areas (post office boxes, the unique ZIP codes of large federal sites and companies) stay with their county, unless one city covers nearly all of it.
Counts of actions and awards include those only partly in International Falls, Minnesota, so they do not add up across cities.

International Falls, Minnesota's figures are part of those of Koochiching County, MN ($5.9M in FY2026), never added to them: 3.6% of that total.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: International Falls is mostly in Koochiching County.

See federal money in Koochiching County

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

International Falls, Minnesota is represented in the 119th Congress by these members.

House

Pete StauberR-MN-8 · 100% of residentsWith party 97%Missed 1.6%

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

County

A city can lie in several counties. Some indicators are published for counties only: the page marks them.

Koochiching County87100% of residents

Other cities and towns in Koochiching County

Largest first.

Similar cities and towns

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/2731040

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends