The Town FilesSylvan, Minnesota
Township in Cass County · population 2,889 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $298,200
- Household income
- $95,354
- Jan low / Jul high
- -1° / 79°
- Snow a year
- 48 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 11
- Median age
- 44.4
Sylvan is a township of 2,889 people in Cass County, Minnesota. The median home is worth $298,200, close to the typical Minnesota town ($301,800). It ranks better for a vacation home than 93% of Minnesota towns, better for families than 81% of Minnesota towns, better for retirees than 80% of Minnesota towns.
How Sylvan 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 Sylvan is worth $298,200, close to the typical Minnesota town ($301,800). Homes cost about 3.1 times the median household income of $95,354, which is more affordable than 65% of Minnesota towns. Median rent is $1,188 a month. 94.6% of households own their home.
| Housing | Sylvan | Typical Minnesota town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $298,200 | $301,800 |
| Median rent | $1,188 | $991 |
| Median household income | $95,354 | $87,375 |
| Home value ÷ income | 3.1× | 3.4× |
| Homeownership | 94.6% | 88.6% |
| Median year built | 1994 | 1979 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 17.0% | — |
Who lives in Sylvan
| People | Sylvan | Typical Minnesota town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 44.4 | 42.7 |
| Age 65 and over | 17.1% | 20.0% |
| Under 18 | 22.2% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 31.8% | 26.2% |
| Below the poverty line | 6.4% | 6.9% |
| Veterans | 6.0% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 2.6% | — |
| Work from home | 11.4% | 11.1% |
| Average commute | 23.3 min | 24.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 96.1% | 90.2% |
Weather in Sylvan
July highs average 78.9°F and January lows -1.2°F. About 27.1 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 48.2 inches of snow (typical Minnesota town: 47.0 in). Expect about 2 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 175 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
11 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Sylvan since 1950, compared with 14 for the typical Minnesota town. 5 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F3, struck on July 5, 1991 about 9.0 miles from the town center. The most recent was on June 16, 2025.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 78 times; the largest was 2.75 inches on August 12, 2015.
Severe weather in Cass County since 1996
Cass County has been included in 14 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, drought, hurricane.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| June 28, 2024 | Flood | DR-4797: 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 Cass County
Cass County had 10,661 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $43,904 a year. Unemployment was 4.4% in 2023; in Sylvan itself the ACS puts it at 2.1%.
Towns near Sylvan
- Baxter, MN5.8 mi · 8,612 people · home $324,100
- Brainerd, MN9.6 mi · 14,395 people · home $192,500
- Staples, MN20.0 mi · 2,989 people · home $130,000
- Breezy Point, MN20.5 mi · 2,574 people · home $340,800
- Little Falls, MN24.8 mi · 9,140 people · home $202,600
Sylvan questions
Is Sylvan, Minnesota a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Sylvan scores better for retirees than 80% of Minnesota towns and quieter than 47%. 17.1% of residents are 65 or older (median age 44.4).
How much does a house cost in Sylvan?
The median owner-occupied home in Sylvan is valued at $298,200 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $95,354, so homes cost about 3.1 times income. Median rent is $1,188 a month.
What is the weather like in Sylvan?
July highs average 78.9°F and January lows -1.2°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 27.1 inches of precipitation a year and 48.2 inches of snow.
Does Sylvan get tornadoes?
11 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Sylvan since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F3 on July 5, 1991. 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)