At A Glance - Brainerd Lakes Area

Location
The “Brainerd Lakes Area” is loosely defined as extending south from Brainerd to Fort Ripley, north to Hackensack, west to Staples and east to include Mille Lacs Lake.

It includes all of Crow Wing County as well as parts of Aitkin, Cass, Mille Lacs and Morrison counties.

Crow Wing County is the most populated county and the center of commerce for the Brainerd lakes Area.

Brainerd is the largest city in the Brainerd Lakes Area.

Brainerd is a 30-minute flight from Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport, which is about 125 miles to the south.

Demographics
The Brainerd Lakes Area’s population is 66,201, according to the 2000 U.S. Census. This is a 27.3 percent increase over 1990 Census data.

During the summer, more than 25,000 seasonal homeowners move into the area.

Nearly 33 percent of all housing units in the area are seasonal-use units.

The median age in Crow Wing County is 39.4.

The median household income in Crow Wing County is $37,589.

Climate
The average annual snowfall in the area ranges from 46 inches to 56 inches.

Economics
Major employers in Crow Wing County with 150 or more employees include:

• St Joseph's Medical Center, Brainerd – 900+ employees
• Independent School District 181 – 900 employees
• Brainerd Regional Human Service Center – 657 employees
• Madden’s on Gull Lake, Brainerd – 425 employees
• Crow Wing County – 400 employees
• BISYS (formerly Universal Pensions Inc.), Brainerd – 400 employees

The industries that have accounted for the greatest increase in jobs since 1990 are construction, up more than 111 percent, and finance, insurance and real estate, up nearly 73 percent.

Tourism creates more than 5,000 jobs and has a total economic output of more than $290 million, according to the Minnesota Office of Tourism.

Six world-class resort conference centers employ almost 2,000 people, with four of these properties open year round.

Geography
Brainerd is the geographical center of the state.
More than 465 lakes are within 30 miles of Brainerd.
The Mississippi River runs through the middle of Brainerd.
The city of Brainerd is 1,120 feet above sea level.