Brooten: Housing & Real Estate
Housing in Brooten centers on a median value of $144,000 (estimated market value runs 8% higher at $155,766), with median rent $661 (1.6× below Stearns County median $1,068; 1.9× below Minnesota median $1,280). Homeownership rate: 73.4%. That's 1.9× below the Stearns County median ($273,400); 2.3× below the Minnesota median ($329,300). Market is warm. Vacancy rate 15.5%. New construction makes up 4.6% of stock. A municipal building code is in effect.
- 3.0× annual income — home value vs. household income (vs Minnesota 3.9×).
- 18.2 years to break even renting at the median (vs Minnesota 20y).
- 4-BR rent is 1.9× a studio — rent gradient by unit size.
- Median rent 37% below HUD 2-BR FMR — local market vs federal subsidy benchmark.
Home Values & Rent
Median home value $144,000 — 0.4× the Minnesota median ($337,000). Median rent $661/month. homeownership rate 73.4% — above the U.S. share of ~65%.
| Affordability · Home Price To Income | 3.0× |
|---|---|
| Affordability · Home Affordability | affordable |
| Affordability · Rent Pct Income | 24.6% |
| Affordability · Rent Affordability | affordable |
| Affordability · Pct Severely Rent Burdened | 15.8% |
| Affordability · Poverty Rate | 18.4% |
| Affordability · Property Tax Pct Income | 3.0% |
| Fair Market Rent · Studio rent | $726 (vs Minnesota $1,242) |
| Fair Market Rent · One-bedroom rent | $803 (vs Minnesota $1,405) |
| Fair Market Rent · Two-bedroom rent | $1,053 (vs Minnesota $1,709) |
| Fair Market Rent · Three-bedroom rent | $1,263 (vs Minnesota $2,262) |
| Fair Market Rent · Four-bedroom rent | $1,394 (vs Minnesota $2,531) |
| Fair Market Rent · HUD FMR area | Pope County, MN |
| Fair Market Rent · Fiscal year | FY2026 |
| Home Value Estimate | $155,766 |
| Median Home Value | $144,000 (vs Minnesota $337,000) |
| Median Rent | $661 (vs Minnesota $1,371) |
Sources: HUD FMR FY2026 · Census ACS 5-Year 2023, B25077 · Census ACS 5-Year 2023 · Refreshed 2026-04-12
Tenure & Occupancy
Owner-occupied vs renter-occupied housing units, plus vacancy rates.
| Housing Market · Market temperature | warm |
|---|---|
| Housing Market · Vacancy rate | 15.5% |
| Housing Market · New construction (% of stock) | 4.6% |
| Housing Market · Price Appreciation 2Yr | 11.7% |
Utilities
Electricity, water, and broadband infrastructure serving residents. Broadband percentages reflect the share of premises that can subscribe to service at the listed speed (FCC Form 477).
Systems (1)
| Broadband · % of premises with 25/3 Mbps broadband | 100.0% (at Minnesota median) |
|---|---|
| Broadband · % of premises with 100/20 Mbps broadband | 100.0% (at Minnesota median) |
| Broadband · % of premises with 250/25 Mbps broadband | 100.0% (at Minnesota median) |
| Broadband · % of premises with 1 Gbps / 100 Mbps broadband | 0.0% (vs Minnesota 0.6%) |
| Broadband · Broadband-capable premises | 450 |
| Electricity · Electricity rate (¢/kWh) | 15.45¢/kWh |
| Electricity · Customers | 2581180 |
| Electricity · Revenue Millions | $3,409 |
| Electricity · Year | 2024 |
| Mobile Broadband · 3G mobile coverage | 0.000000000 |
| Mobile Broadband · 4G mobile coverage | 1.000000000 (at Minnesota median) |
| Mobile Broadband · 5G mobile coverage | 1.000000000 (at Minnesota median) |
| Mobile Home Parks Detail · County total | 1 |
Sources: FCC BDC Jun 2025 · EIA Annual Retail Sales 2023 · FCC BDC Mobile 2024 · HIFLD / IRS BMF · Refreshed 2026-04-12
Other
| Homeownership Rate | 73.4% (vs Minnesota 69.7%) |
|---|---|
| Median Year Built | 1960 |
Sources: Census ACS 5-Year 2023 · Refreshed 2026-04-12