The Town FilesBlackberry, Minnesota
Township in Itasca County · population 827 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $246,800
- Household income
- $71,406
- Jan low / Jul high
- -1° / 80°
- Snow a year
- 60 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 2
- Median age
- 46.5
Blackberry is a township of 827 people in Itasca County, Minnesota. The median home is worth $246,800, below the typical Minnesota town ($301,800). It ranks more of a college town than 90% of Minnesota towns, better for a vacation home than 90% of Minnesota towns, quieter than 78% of Minnesota towns.
How Blackberry ranks
Percentile among Minnesota towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Minnesota towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Blackberry is worth $246,800, below the typical Minnesota town ($301,800). Homes cost about 3.5 times the median household income of $71,406, which is more affordable than 45% of Minnesota towns. 97.1% of households own their home.
| Housing | Blackberry | Typical Minnesota town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $246,800 | $301,800 |
| Median rent | — | $991 |
| Median household income | $71,406 | $87,375 |
| Home value ÷ income | 3.5× | 3.4× |
| Homeownership | 97.1% | 88.6% |
| Median year built | 1984 | 1979 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 4.0% | — |
Who lives in Blackberry
| People | Blackberry | Typical Minnesota town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 46.5 | 42.7 |
| Age 65 and over | 25.7% | 20.0% |
| Under 18 | 24.5% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 18.8% | 26.2% |
| Below the poverty line | 8.2% | 6.9% |
| Veterans | 14.0% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 0.5% | — |
| Work from home | 4.3% | 11.1% |
| Average commute | 22.4 min | 24.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 91.0% | 90.2% |
Weather in Blackberry
July highs average 79.7°F and January lows -1.5°F. About 29.4 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 59.6 inches of snow (typical Minnesota town: 47.0 in). Expect about 6 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 187 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Blackberry since 1950, compared with 14 for the typical Minnesota town. The strongest, an F1, struck on September 17, 1985 about 9.1 miles from the town center. The most recent was on June 9, 1999.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 53 times; the largest was 3.00 inches on June 20, 2025.
Severe weather in Itasca County since 1996
Itasca County has been included in 15 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, drought, hurricane.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| June 28, 2024 | Flood | DR-4797: Severe Storms And Flooding |
| August 9, 2022 | Severe Storm | DR-4666: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| April 7, 2020 | Biological | DR-4531: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3453: Covid-19 |
| September 5, 2018 | Flood | DR-4390: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding |
Jobs and pay in Itasca County
Itasca County had 16,608 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $54,071 a year. Unemployment was 4.6% in 2023; in Blackberry itself the ACS puts it at 0.8%.
Towns near Blackberry
- Trout Lake, MN5.9 mi · 1,056 people · home $260,000
- Harris, MN6.2 mi · 3,276 people · home $301,800
- La Prairie, MN7.1 mi · 653 people · home $212,800
- Coleraine, MN7.8 mi · 2,006 people · home $211,800
- Grand Rapids, MN8.9 mi · 11,126 people · home $213,800
- Bovey, MN9.9 mi · 829 people · home $122,800
- Taconite, MN11.3 mi · 651 people · home $219,600
- Arbo, MN12.5 mi · 862 people · home $263,700
Blackberry questions
Is Blackberry, Minnesota a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Blackberry scores better for retirees than 74% of Minnesota towns and quieter than 78%. 25.7% of residents are 65 or older (median age 46.5).
How much does a house cost in Blackberry?
The median owner-occupied home in Blackberry is valued at $246,800 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $71,406, so homes cost about 3.5 times income. Median rent is — a month.
What is the weather like in Blackberry?
July highs average 79.7°F and January lows -1.5°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 29.4 inches of precipitation a year and 59.6 inches of snow.
Does Blackberry get tornadoes?
2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Blackberry since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F1 on September 17, 1985. The typical Minnesota town has had 14.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)