United States › Minnesota › Perham CITY
Perham Minnesota · 3,746 residents (2025 est.) · 3.58 sq mi
Time machine
COMPARE TO 1990 Census 2000 Census 2009 ACS 2010 ACS 2011 ACS 2012 ACS 2013 ACS 2014 ACS 2015 ACS 2016 ACS 2017 ACS 2018 ACS 2019 ACS 2020 ACS 2021 ACS 2022 ACS 2023 ACS
The short version
With 3,627 people, Perham is a city in Minnesota. That trails the Minnesota median by roughly 44%. This skews young, with a median age of 33.2. Growth has run 42% since 2000, or 1,068 more people. Getting to work takes 12 minutes on average. 53% of homes are owner-occupied.
At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 33.2
US median: 38.9
Less educated
30% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 54%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01
Population & growth from 2,559 in 2000
3,746 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1,014 / sq mi
+34%since 2009
from 758 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
from 40.0 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Population, 1990 – 2024
2K 2K 3K 3K 4K 1990 2000 2010 2020 2024 Perham Age distribution, 2024
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy $49,716
−4%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $28,397 in 2000
US average: $82,259
from $16,444 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
from 10.5% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
from 13.2% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
from 0.344 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Arts, entertainment, food 5%
Public administration 3.6%
Transportation & warehousing 2.4%
Education & health services 1.7%
Professional, scientific, technical 1.2%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing 0.8%
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$199,000
+54%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $70,800 in 2000
US average: $376,019
$855
+19%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $396 in 2000
US average: $1,442
from 59.2% in 2000
47.4% rent
from 4.8% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
from 2.09 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
from 27.9% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
from 32.9% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
from 2.8 in 2009
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity 2000
White, non-Hispanic 96.8%(2,477)
Hispanic / Latino 1.1%(29)
2024
White, non-Hispanic 84.6%(3,067)
Hispanic / Latino 12.6%(456)
from 10 in 2009
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry Ancestry
+ 3 more ancestry groups with data from 15.4% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
from 77.2% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
from 3.0% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06
Commute & transportation from 10.4 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
from 80.8% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
from 4.9% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
from 0.0% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
from 3.4% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
from 10.2% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
from 0.7% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
from 14.7% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07
Work & employment from 5.7% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
from 66.7% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
from 87.4% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
from 8.5% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
from 21.5% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08
People & community from 0.5% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
from 11.5% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
from 17.2% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
from 6.7% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 65.7% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
from 83.1% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
from 82.2% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
from 93.1% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
from 5.6% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage from 6.7% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 55.4% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
from 16.2% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
from 22.5% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
from 33.9% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
from 2.5% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
from 68.1% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
from 51.8% in 2020
US average: 36.7%
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later) 10.7%(20)
Share of the 187 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
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Frequently asked
How many people live in Perham, Minnesota? Perham, Minnesota has about 3,627 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Perham, Minnesota? The typical household in Perham, Minnesota earns about $49,716 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Perham, Minnesota expensive? In Perham, Minnesota, the median home is worth about $199,000, and the typical rent is about $855 a month.
How educated are people in Perham, Minnesota? About 30.0% of adults age 25 and over in Perham, Minnesota hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Perham, Minnesota? About 19.1% of people in Perham, Minnesota live below the federal poverty line.
Has Perham, Minnesota grown since 1990? Yes, Perham, Minnesota has grown since 1990. The population has added about 1,552 residents, a change of about 75 percent over that period.
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