Education, healthcare and outdoor recreation shine in Staples
Staples attracts residents with its small-town charm, nearby lakes and big-city amenities. Central Lakes College and Lakewood Health System bring residents to the area for employment, education and healthcare, alongside other area employers like manufacturing company 3M and government service cooperative Sourcewell. Residents unwind at Dower Lake and in nearby Brainerd, an outdoor recreation hub deemed Minnesota’s Vacationland. Staples’ location along U.S. Highway 10 and Amtrak’s Empire Builder line provides easy access to both surrounding towns and major cities across the country. Council Member Mary Theurer, a resident of over 50 years, praises the quality of resources available for the town’s size. “We have wonderful specialists and amenities that people wouldn’t think would be in a small town,” she says, emphasizing especially its education and healthcare systems.
Ranch-style homes and bungalows
Ranch-style homes and bungalows are common in Staples, with most home prices ranging from $100,000 to $400,000. The town’s residential streets typically have sidewalks shaded by mature trees. Most listings are small lots in the town’s core, but acreage properties on its outskirts are sometimes available.
Staples-Motley Independent School District and Central Lakes College
Staples-Motley Independent School District gets a B-minus grade from Niche, and Staples-Motley Elementary School gets a C-plus. Staples-Motley Middle/High School receives a B-minus for its middle school program and a B for its high school program. The campus features a fine arts program, an FFA chapter and a state-ranked speech team. Students can participate in the College in the Schools program to earn college credits through Central Lakes College. In 2025, the school introduced a Meat Cutting and Butchery program funded by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. Central Lakes College is a public community college with about 6,000 students in Staples. The campus offers both liberal arts and sciences and career and technical education programs.
Parks, Living Legacy Gardens and nearby lakes
City parks throughout Staples, like Northern Pacific Park and Pine Grove Park, offer amenities like playgrounds and a disc golf course. The Staples Community Center has a gym, fitness center and pool. The Vintage Golf Club is a public 18-hole golf course with a driving range and clubhouse. Central Lakes College is home to the Living Legacy Gardens, a free pollinator-friendly outdoor space with shaded areas, herb gardens and a vegetable garden that children maintain through a summer education program. Dower Lake Recreation Area is a more than 50-acre outdoor space with swimming, fishing and sports fields. Brainerd is a popular weekend destination thirty miles away with several lakes for water sports and boating.
Local restaurants and groceries
Spot Café is a cozy family-style restaurant serving American fare, including breakfast all day and homemade pies. Tower Pizza offers pizza, pasta and sandwiches for dine-in or takeout. Becks Burger Co. serves burgers and beer in a casual dining room with daily specials. Groceries are available in town at Dollar General.
An Amtrak station, a regional airport and a cancer center
Staples is located along U.S. Highway 10, which connects directly to Fargo and the Twin Cities. The town’s Amtrak station offers daily rides east to Chicago and St. Paul and west to Fargo, Seattle and Portland. Less than 35 miles away, Brainerd Lakes Regional Airport has daily rides to Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport. Theurer says the town’s hospital, Lakewood Health System, attracts residents for employment and treatment alike. She notes that the hospital has a cancer center, which is “huge” for many residents. “Otherwise, people who are diagnosed would have to go 45 minutes or an hour away,” she says. “We have radiation right in town, so it’s five or 10 minutes away, which is pretty much unheard of in our area.”
