Kaylee Collins
best-worst
Things that make Brainerd unique
Longtime lurker here, With a population of 14,474, Brainerd is a small town. Am I wrong here?
5 upvotes
8 Replies
Aria W.
OK I'm going to write a proper review because I've seen too many incomplete answers.
Background: I'm a data analyst, 36, moved here 9 years ago from Houston. I've lived in East and Westside, and traveled to most parts of the metro.
**What I love:**
1. Nice parks and green spaces
2. Strong job market in several industries
3. Lots of new development happening
4. The people are generally surprisingly good - I found my community within the first year
**What I don't love:**
1. Limited high-paying job options
2. Not a lot of cultural diversity
3. The pet-friendliness situation is competitive and doesn't seem to be improving
**Neighborhoods I'd recommend:**
- East: Great for couples. decent vibes, walkable.
- Westside: More affordable, family-friendly.
**Neighborhoods I'd avoid:**
- Without naming names, stay away from areas east of downtown until you know the city better.
**Cost comparison:**
Coming from Houston, everything felt better than expected. Rent is about /mo. Groceries are reasonable. Gas is competitive. You can live comfortably on $50K-$90K here.
**Final verdict:**
Hope this helps!. It's not perfect - nowhere is - but for the price point and quality of life, it's hard to beat. DM me if you have specific questions.
Background: I'm a data analyst, 36, moved here 9 years ago from Houston. I've lived in East and Westside, and traveled to most parts of the metro.
**What I love:**
1. Nice parks and green spaces
2. Strong job market in several industries
3. Lots of new development happening
4. The people are generally surprisingly good - I found my community within the first year
**What I don't love:**
1. Limited high-paying job options
2. Not a lot of cultural diversity
3. The pet-friendliness situation is competitive and doesn't seem to be improving
**Neighborhoods I'd recommend:**
- East: Great for couples. decent vibes, walkable.
- Westside: More affordable, family-friendly.
**Neighborhoods I'd avoid:**
- Without naming names, stay away from areas east of downtown until you know the city better.
**Cost comparison:**
Coming from Houston, everything felt better than expected. Rent is about /mo. Groceries are reasonable. Gas is competitive. You can live comfortably on $50K-$90K here.
**Final verdict:**
Hope this helps!. It's not perfect - nowhere is - but for the price point and quality of life, it's hard to beat. DM me if you have specific questions.
34 upvotes
Delilah Nguyen
Great question. I'll try to be comprehensive here.
I'm a sales manager who relocated here from Pittsburgh about 14 years ago. The main reasons were retirement and cost of living.
Pros I've experienced:
- Friendly community, easy to meet people
- Nice parks and green spaces
- Lots of family-friendly activities
Cons that are real:
- Not very walkable outside downtown
- Limited shopping options
Financially, we've found it decent compared to where we came from. Buying is tough right now, renting is more reasonable. Groceries are reasonable, gas is excellent.
Socially, the quality of life is solid. No regrets on my end..
I'm a sales manager who relocated here from Pittsburgh about 14 years ago. The main reasons were retirement and cost of living.
Pros I've experienced:
- Friendly community, easy to meet people
- Nice parks and green spaces
- Lots of family-friendly activities
Cons that are real:
- Not very walkable outside downtown
- Limited shopping options
Financially, we've found it decent compared to where we came from. Buying is tough right now, renting is more reasonable. Groceries are reasonable, gas is excellent.
Socially, the quality of life is solid. No regrets on my end..
32 upvotes
Ezekiel Hernandez
Hot take but I'm still on the fence after all this time. I know a lot of people disagree but after 6 years here, that's my honest assessment.
31 upvotes
Gabriella Myers
seconding this
26 upvotes
Theodore Parker
OK so I've been meaning to write this for a while. I moved here 14 years ago from Portland and here's my honest breakdown:
Housing: Lots of new construction which should help. We're paying /mo for a 4-bed in Westside. It's underrated for what you get.
Jobs: The market is competitive right now, especially in marketing. If you're in engineering you might struggle.
People: Generally challenging. It took about 5 months to build a solid friend group.
Food: excellent. Tons of options if you like Vietnamese.
No regrets on my end..
Housing: Lots of new construction which should help. We're paying /mo for a 4-bed in Westside. It's underrated for what you get.
Jobs: The market is competitive right now, especially in marketing. If you're in engineering you might struggle.
People: Generally challenging. It took about 5 months to build a solid friend group.
Food: excellent. Tons of options if you like Vietnamese.
No regrets on my end..
24 upvotes
Caleb Jackson
Came here for weather and stayed because it's improved dramatically in recent years. The cost of living is honestly decent and I don't see that changing anytime soon.
22 upvotes
Jack Smith
OK so I've been meaning to write this for a while. I moved here 7 years ago from San Diego and here's my honest breakdown:
Housing: Lots of new construction which should help. We're paying /mo for a 3-bed in Riverside. It's pretty good for what you get.
Jobs: The market is affordable right now, especially in education. If you're in engineering you might struggle.
People: Generally hit or miss. It took about 9 months to build a solid friend group.
Food: better than expected. Tons of options if you like sushi.
Feel free to reach out with questions..
Housing: Lots of new construction which should help. We're paying /mo for a 3-bed in Riverside. It's pretty good for what you get.
Jobs: The market is affordable right now, especially in education. If you're in engineering you might struggle.
People: Generally hit or miss. It took about 9 months to build a solid friend group.
Food: better than expected. Tons of options if you like sushi.
Feel free to reach out with questions..
6 upvotes
Amelia W.
haha yep pretty much
4 upvotes