City Crime Score
Very low crime
Population
31,100
Median Income
$62,486
Home Value
$342,075
Median Age
41.0
Crime Statistics
Demographics
21.3% have a bachelor's degree or higher
Housing
Brainerd, MN Crime Map
Explore crime rates, safest neighborhoods, and detailed crime statistics
Brainerd, MN Crime Overview: What the Data Actually Shows
Brainerd earns an overall crime grade of A- for 2026 — a strong mark that reflects the city's relatively low incident volume for a community of roughly 13,400 residents. To put that in perspective, the most recent 90-day window captured just 2 reported incidents in total, split evenly between an arrest (50%) and an assault (50%). The arrest was logged on February 24, 2026, and the assault on February 20, 2026. For a city of Brainerd's size, that is an exceptionally low incident count and helps explain the A- grade.
Breaking Down the Incident Types
With only two incidents in the tracked period, each category carries equal weight. The arrest category accounts for 50% of all recorded activity, while assault accounts for the remaining 50%. There were zero reported property crimes — no thefts, no burglaries, no vehicle break-ins — during this window. That absence is meaningful. Property crime is typically the most common category in small Minnesota cities, so its complete absence from recent data reinforces Brainerd's A- standing.
The single assault incident, recorded in late February 2026, is worth contextualizing: one assault across a 90-day period in a city of over 13,000 people represents a rate far below state and national averages for communities of comparable size and density (427 residents per square mile).
Economic Context and Safety
Understanding crime in Brainerd means understanding the city's economic landscape. The median household income sits at $36,699, and the poverty rate is 18.6% — both figures that can correlate with elevated crime risk in other cities. Yet Brainerd's A- grade demonstrates that community cohesion, local law enforcement, and civic engagement can offset those pressures. The unemployment rate of 5.1% and a median home value of $132,092 paint a picture of a modest but stable working-class community where affordability and safety coexist.
How Brainerd Compares
An A- crime grade places Brainerd among the safer small cities in Minnesota. While the city's poverty rate of 18.6% is higher than the state median, that economic pressure has not translated into elevated crime figures — at least not in the most recent reporting period. Cities with similar population densities and income levels often score in the C or D range, making Brainerd's performance notably positive.
Using the Brainerd Crime Map Effectively
The interactive crime map for Brainerd lets you filter incidents by type, date range, and location. Given the low incident volume, the map is most useful as a trend-monitoring tool rather than a hotspot identifier. Key things to look for include whether assault incidents cluster near any particular corridor and whether arrest activity correlates with specific times of day. With only two data points in the current window, the map's real value will emerge as data accumulates over the coming months of 2026.
Safety Tips Grounded in Brainerd's Actual Data
- Property security remains a best practice even though no property crimes were recorded in the last 90 days — absence of recent incidents is not a guarantee of future safety.
- Stay connected with the Brainerd Police Department for real-time alerts, especially during seasonal population spikes tied to lake recreation.
- Monitor the assault trend: one incident in 90 days is low, but tracking whether that figure rises as warmer months bring more activity downtown is worthwhile.
- Engage with neighborhood watch programs in residential areas, which contribute to Brainerd's strong overall safety grade.
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions: Brainerd, MN Crime & Safety
What is Brainerd's overall crime grade for 2026?
Brainerd holds an overall crime grade of A- for 2026. This grade is based on reported incident data relative to the city's population of approximately 13,423 residents. In the most recent 90-day tracking period, only 2 incidents were recorded — one arrest and one assault — which is an exceptionally low count and a primary driver of the strong grade.
What types of crimes are most common in Brainerd right now?
Based on the most recent 90-day incident data, the two recorded crime types are assault (50% of incidents) and arrest activity (50% of incidents). Notably, there were zero property crimes — no thefts, burglaries, or vehicle-related incidents — in this period. While this snapshot is short-term, it aligns with Brainerd's A- overall grade and suggests that violent and property crime rates are both very low relative to comparable Minnesota cities.
Is Brainerd, MN a safe place to live?
Yes, by most measurable standards, Brainerd is a safe place to live. The city's A- crime grade reflects a low volume of reported incidents for a community its size. While Brainerd does face some economic headwinds — a poverty rate of 18.6% and a median household income of $36,699 — these factors have not produced elevated crime rates. The combination of affordable housing (median home value of $132,092, median rent of $716) and strong public safety performance makes Brainerd an attractive option for families and individuals prioritizing both cost of living and security.
Are there specific neighborhoods in Brainerd with higher crime rates?
The current incident data — just 2 events in 90 days — does not identify any specific Brainerd neighborhood as a crime hotspot. The assault recorded on February 20, 2026, and the arrest on February 24, 2026, do not form a geographic pattern at this volume. For neighborhood-level context, the Brainerd Police Department publishes community reports that can help residents assess block-by-block conditions more granularly than aggregate city data allows.
How does Brainerd's crime rate compare to other Minnesota cities?
Brainerd's A- crime grade positions it favorably among Minnesota cities of similar size and density. Cities with comparable population figures (roughly 10,000–15,000 residents) and similar poverty rates frequently score in the C-to-D range on crime indices, making Brainerd's performance stand out. The city's low incident count in early 2026 — just 2 reported events across 90 days — suggests that local law enforcement and community engagement are effectively keeping crime levels well below what demographic indicators alone might predict.
Does Brainerd's poverty rate affect its safety?
Brainerd's poverty rate of 18.6% is above the Minnesota state average and is a factor that researchers often associate with elevated crime risk. However, Brainerd's actual crime data tells a different story: the city's A- grade and minimal recent incident volume indicate that poverty alone is not determining safety outcomes here. Community resources, active policing, and a strong local identity appear to be meaningful counterweights to economic stress.
Surrounding Cities
Brainerd Zip Codes
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