Who lives in Smithville, Duluth, Minnesota
Part of the Smithville neighborhood guide. Back to the full guide.
Smithville is a small, quiet, strongly owner-occupied neighborhood. The tract it shares with Riverside reports 84.8% owner-occupancy, 15.2% renters, a $1,075 median rent, 91.1% single-family housing and no units in structures of five or more (ACS 5-year 2023 estimates, accessed 2026-08-13).
The most visible household types are long-tenured owners, many from families with several generations in the far west end, retirees who have stopped commuting, and households drawn specifically by quiet, price and the ridge.
Remote workers are a visible and growing category, for the obvious reason: if you do not have to drive to work every day, twenty-two minutes to downtown stops being a daily cost and becomes an occasional one, and what you get in exchange is one of the quietest addresses in the city.
Households here are car-dependent without qualification and set up for distance: more than one vehicle, a stocked pantry, and a plan for a long power outage.
Who lives here next door
North along the river, sharing the same Census tract and the same owner-heavy river-corridor profile, with direct Spirit Lake frontage.
Morgan ParkEast along the river, the 1913 US Steel company town built almost entirely of concrete block.
Gary-New DuluthImmediately south, the nearest everyday services and the closest published price anchor in the far west.
Norton ParkNortheast, where the Munger and Western Waterfront trails begin and Indian Point gives boat access.
Fond du LacSouthwest along the river, the oldest community in Duluth and quieter still.