Commercial, Public, and Private Properties
- Jeff@CEGspaces
- 51 minutes ago
- 2 min read
One of our team members went up north last weekend for some much-needed respite. Driving through Duluth’s impressive industrial landscape of various commercial property types, past miles of trees, and through small communities along the way to Grand Marais, she wondered: What’s the breakdown in Minnesota between commercial real estate, public land, and private properties?
For context, our state is comprised of 51 million acres of land and approximately three million total surface area of its 11,842 natural lakes. (MN DNR)
The biggest share belongs to private and commercial property owners, who together hold around 75% of Minnesota's land. That includes individual properties, family forests and farms, land trusts, and commercial real estate. The single largest block is timberland: the timber industry alone accounts for about 15 million acres of industrial and private holdings.
Public land makes up the next-largest piece, totaling more than 12 million acres. The state is the largest single landholder at 17%, with the Minnesota DNR managing roughly 8.5 million acres across recreation areas, forests, and state parks. That figure also includes county-administered tax-forfeited lands, about 2.8 million acres that become available for auction after a statutory redemption period (worth a look at your county if you're interested 😉).
The federal government holds a smaller share with about 3.5 million acres. Those lands include the Superior National Forest, the largest national forest east of the Mississippi and home to the Boundary Waters; the Chippewa National Forest, a great recreational spot; and Voyageurs National Park near the Canadian border.
Virtually every incorporated city has a park system, and Minnesota's are praised as some of the best in the nation. Minneapolis has 7,059 acres of parkland and water, and Saint Paul follows with 4,944 acres, both consistently ranking in the country’s top five.
The remaining 1% is sovereign tribal land. Minnesota is home to seven Ojibwe (Anishinaabe) and four Dakota (Sioux) communities across the state. The Dakota were the original stewards here, with traditions and ties to this land stretching back more than 12,000 years. Together with the Ojibwe and Ho-Chunk peoples who came after them, they remind us of a shared responsibility. Whether we're commercial property owners, private landowners, or simply visitors to the parks, it's our job to care for this beautiful and diverse place we call home.
Jeff Salzbrun is the owner/broker of Commercial Equities Group (CEG). As a veteran-owned real estate brokerage, CEG has been involved in thousands of sale and lease transactions, ranging from single offices to 250,000+ square foot buildings. At CEG, we get your deal done. We know space, and we know the CRE business.