Thief River Falls

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Thief River Falls, MN Area Guide

Avg Rent

$846

Population

9,168

Renter Mix

36% Rent

The perfect Minnesota town for outdoor lovers and families

Quiet Close-Knit Outdoors Manufacturing River

Thief River Falls — or simply Thief River— is a small city in northwestern Minnesota about 70 miles south of Canada. Best known for manufacturing, Thief River is home to Digi-Key Electronics, the world’s largest selection of electronic parts available for quick shipping, and Arctic Cat, a snowmobile company. These companies help provide employment opportunities for residents and help the town’s continuing efforts for economic growth. Named after the waterfalls at the convergence of Thief River and Red Lake River, this town is a beautiful, tree-lined locale with riverfront parks and excellent trails. As a snowmobile hub, you’ll find residents riding along one of the five trails in town or watching the USXC International 500 mile snowmobile race during the winter. During warmer months, residents love to fish from the rivers or hunt at the Thief Lake Wildlife Management Area. Along with great outdoor recreation opportunities, Thief River renters adore the sense of community in town. This is the type of place where everyone knows each other’s names and catch up at community events like high school football games and trivia nights. Families love Thief River for its good schools and family-friendly activities. Adding even more allure to this close-knit town, you’ll find affordable apartments, townhomes, and houses while searching for your new home.

Demographics

Median Household Income

$61,840

Average: $75,112

Education

1,757

Residents Have a Degree

Job Market

4,890

Workers Employed

Age Distribution
Get a sense of this area's population profile.

Median Age

40 Years

Largest Age Group

30-39 Years

Approximately 14% of Residents

Under 20

24%

Over 65

20%

Housing Distribution

Thief River Falls has more homeowners than renters.

Renters
36%
Non-Renters
64%

Education Distribution

Review this city's overall education levels.

Bachelor's or Higher
15%
Other Education
85%

Rent Trends

As of May 2026, the average apartment rent in Thief River Falls, MN is $427 for a studio, $853 for one bedroom, $985 for two bedrooms, and $1,268 for three bedrooms. Apartment rent in Thief River Falls has increased by 2.1% in the past year.

Property Type
Average Rent
Average Sq Ft
Apartment
$853/month
718 Sq Ft
See Rental Market Trends in Thief River Falls, MN

Getting Around

Fairly Walkable

Walkability

40 / 100

Very Drivable

Drivability

80 / 100

Fairly Bikeable

Bikeability

40 / 100

Schools

Challenger Elementary

Public

Grades PK-5

783 Students

Franklin Middle

Public

Grades 6-8

421 Students

Lincoln Senior High

Public

Grades 9-12

570 Students

Points of Interest

Shopping Centers

Parks and Recreation

  • Greenwood Trails Recreation Area

Top Apartments in Thief River Falls

Search Nearby Rentals

Nearby City Rentals

Methodology

† Our analysis of utilities, groceries, transportation, healthcare, home prices, and other goods and services is sourced from the Cost of Living Index, a respected benchmark published by the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER) that provides a thorough overview of living expenses across different regions.

Rent data is provided by CoStar Group’s Market Trend reports. As the industry leader in commercial real estate information, analytics, and news, CoStar conducts extensive research to produce and maintain a comprehensive database of commercial real estate information. We combine this data with public record to provide the most up-to-date rental information available.

Consumer goods, services, and home prices are sourced from the Cost of Living Index published by the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER). The data on this page is updated quarterly. It was last published in February 2026.

Demographic information comes from Neustar and combines detailed address data with U.S. Census and American Community Survey statistics to produce reliable local estimates.