The Town FilesBrowns Valley, Minnesota
City in Traverse County · population 558 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $73,800
- Household income
- $49,250
- Jan low / Jul high
- 1° / 84°
- Snow a year
- 44 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 4
- Median age
- 50.6
Browns Valley is a city of 558 people in Traverse County, Minnesota. The median home is worth $73,800, below the typical Minnesota town ($301,800). It ranks better for a vacation home than 92% of Minnesota towns, better for first-time buyers than 81% of Minnesota towns, quieter than 80% of Minnesota towns.
How Browns Valley 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 Browns Valley is worth $73,800, below the typical Minnesota town ($301,800). Homes cost about 1.5 times the median household income of $49,250, which is more affordable than 99% of Minnesota towns. 73.5% of households own their home.
| Housing | Browns Valley | Typical Minnesota town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $73,800 | $301,800 |
| Median rent | — | $991 |
| Median household income | $49,250 | $87,375 |
| Home value ÷ income | 1.5× | 3.4× |
| Homeownership | 73.5% | 88.6% |
| Median year built | 1946 | 1979 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 7.1% | — |
Who lives in Browns Valley
| People | Browns Valley | Typical Minnesota town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 50.6 | 42.7 |
| Age 65 and over | 24.6% | 20.0% |
| Under 18 | 17.5% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 5.8% | 26.2% |
| Below the poverty line | 19.3% | 6.9% |
| Veterans | 17.8% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 1.0% | — |
| Work from home | 29.1% | 11.1% |
| Average commute | 14.1 min | 24.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 78.9% | 90.2% |
Weather in Browns Valley
July highs average 83.6°F and January lows 0.5°F. About 25.4 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 44.2 inches of snow (typical Minnesota town: 47.0 in). Expect about 15 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 179 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
4 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Browns Valley since 1950, compared with 14 for the typical Minnesota town. 2 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on September 23, 2004 about 8.7 miles from the town center. The most recent was on September 23, 2004.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 25 times; the largest was 4.00 inches on May 5, 1964.
Severe weather in Traverse County since 1996
Traverse County has been included in 25 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, drought, hurricane.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| July 19, 2023 | Flood | DR-4722: Severe Storms And Flooding |
| August 9, 2022 | Severe Storm | DR-4666: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| July 8, 2022 | Severe Storm | DR-4658: 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 |
Jobs and pay in Traverse County
Traverse County had 1,069 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $48,921 a year. Unemployment was 3% in 2023; in Browns Valley itself the ACS puts it at 10.9%.
Public schools in Browns Valley
2 public schools with 197 students, about 15.2 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| BROWNS VALLEY ELEMENTARY | PK-4 | 129 | 14.3 |
| BROWNS VALLEY MIDDLE | 5-8 | 68 | 17.0 |
Towns near Browns Valley
- Sisseton, SD11.3 mi · 2,479 people · home $109,200
- Agency Village, SD11.6 mi · 776 people · home $257,100
- Graceville, MN19.2 mi · 529 people · home $121,400
- Wheaton, MN21.8 mi · 1,460 people · home $87,500
- Milbank, SD27.7 mi · 3,544 people · home $155,000
- Ortonville, MN27.7 mi · 2,021 people · home $166,300
Browns Valley questions
Is Browns Valley, Minnesota a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Browns Valley scores better for retirees than 66% of Minnesota towns and quieter than 80%. 24.6% of residents are 65 or older (median age 50.6).
How much does a house cost in Browns Valley?
The median owner-occupied home in Browns Valley is valued at $73,800 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $49,250, so homes cost about 1.5 times income. Median rent is — a month.
What is the weather like in Browns Valley?
July highs average 83.6°F and January lows 0.5°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 25.4 inches of precipitation a year and 44.2 inches of snow.
Does Browns Valley get tornadoes?
4 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Browns Valley since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F2 on September 23, 2004. 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)