Thief River Falls, MN

All states·Minnesota·Thief River Falls

Pennington County · population 8,779

AffordabilitySmall-town feel
View watchlist →
37
Cooling
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Thief River Falls stands

Home values down 3.5% in the last year.

Median home $189,422
1-year -3.5%
5-yr CAGR -0.2%
vs 5-yr peak -10.7%
Population +0.1%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2022-07$189k$166k$184k$202k$221k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
25/100
Very car-dependent
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
10/100
Transit limited
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
46/100
Marginal for remote
Composite of city size, housing cost, state tax structure, and region's remote-work track record.

Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
33 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
34 · w22%
Distance from peak
43 · w18%
Population growth
47 · w16%
Home 10-yr CAGR
28 · w10%
Long thesis

Thief River Falls has held up across the cycle: home values at $189,422 with -0.2% 5-year CAGR. The bull case is structural — population, location, employer base — and holds even if next year's print is soft.

Short thesis

Thief River Falls is a small market with thin transaction volume and modest appreciation. The bear case is liquidity: when you eventually sell, your buyer pool is small, slow, and price-sensitive.

About Thief River Falls

Thief River Falls is a city in Pennington County, Minnesota, with an estimated population of 8,779. The median home value in Thief River Falls is $189,422 as of 2026-04, down 3.5% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged -0.2% annual growth, and the market currently sits about 11% below its 5-year peak. The composite momentum score is 37 of 100 (Cooling). Buyers may find more room to negotiate; sellers should price realistically.

Bull case

Cheap entry point: $189,422 median home is well below the US median of $355k — room to grow without overpaying.
The data is the data: Thief River Falls has at least 5 years of Zillow tracking, full Census identification, and is included in the 2-criteria momentum score on this page.

Bear case

Cooling: -3.5% over the trailing year — momentum has stalled.
11% off recent peak — buyers are getting through-the-cycle pricing, not the peak.
Stagnant long-run trend: +0.5% 10-year CAGR plus flat population — appreciation case is weak.
Thin housing market: small population means fewer transactions and slower resale. Liquidity risk on exit.

Playbook

Buyer

You have leverage. Negotiate price, ask for closing-cost credits, and don't waive inspection. Walk-away power is real in a Cooling market — use it.

Seller

Price aggressively (at or below recent sold comps) or be prepared to wait. Concessions — rate buydowns, closing costs, repair credits — are how deals close right now.

Investor

Cap rates are more attractive than they were 12 months ago but the appreciation tailwind is gone. Confirm tenant demand, vacancy rates, and exit liquidity before committing capital.

Local safety & alerts

No active National Weather Service alerts for Pennington County right now.

Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. Pennington County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.

Cities like Thief River Falls

Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.

Climate & natural-disaster risk

Winter (Jan)
22° / 4°
avg high / low
Summer (Jul)
82° / 62°
avg high / low
Sunny days/yr
198
~54% of year
Annual precip
28″ rain
45″ snow
Disaster risk (1=very low, 5=very high)
Hurricane
Very low
Tornado
High
Wildfire
Very low
Earthquake
Very low
Flood
Low

State-level averages from NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020) and FEMA National Risk Index. City-level conditions can vary significantly within a state.

Current weather

Loading current conditions…

7-day forecast on weather.gov →

Find rentals & listings

Open current Thief River Falls listings on the major real-estate sites.

Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.

Local sports teams

Major professional teams the Minneapolis area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.

Local economy & environment

Humidity
71%
Humid climate
Median household income
$84,300
Minnesota state median
Top industries (state-level)
Medical DevicesFinanceManufacturing

Humidity is annual average relative humidity (NOAA). Income is Census ACS 5-year estimate. Industries are largest employment sectors statewide (BLS); the local mix in a given city may vary.

Cities similar to Thief River Falls

Explore other places with comparable momentum or affordability.

Similar momentum in Minnesota
Oak Park Heights, MN
momentum 49

See all Minnesota cities →    Browse best-of lists →