Today, it is in part as a commuter town for people working in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area.

Pine City prospered and grew to have everything it needed to serve residents, farmers, and the expanding lumber industry.

A book capturing Pine City's history in vintage photos, part of the Images of America series, was published in 2010.

[22] Below is a table of average high and low temperatures throughout the year in Pine City.

In fact, it is one of only three small towns in Minnesota, along with Mora and Litchfield, to have never lost population.

Ancestry of Pine City residents is primarily German (36%), Norwegian (17%), Swedish (15%), and Czech (8%).

[29] Other large employers in the community include Walmart, Product Fabricators, Inc., Broekema Beltway, ISD 578, Therapeutic Services Agency, Pine County, Community Living Options and Lake Superior Laundry.

Community theater is active in Pine City: the Heritage Players[32] perform semi-annually.

The Pine City Arts Council sponsors a variety of annual events, most notably a free Friday night summer concert series held in Robinson Park and an art festival.

Pine City is in Minnesota's 8th congressional district, represented for many years by Jim Oberstar and now by Pete Stauber.

In 2019, Governor Tim Walz appointed Thom Petersen, of Pine City, to his cabinet as Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Agriculture.

A new courthouse and county offices were relocated from downtown to the north end of town in 2007.

Pine City is also home to St. Mary's School (Catholic), which serves preschool and K–6 students.

Pine Tech's gunsmithing curriculum is one of the nation's only programs of its kind and draws students from throughout North America.

Channels include Twin Cities Public Television, WCCO 4, KSTP-TV, KMSP-TV, KARE, WFTC, and KSTC-TV.

The Rush Line Corridor task force is studying the feasibility of rail service to serve area commuters.

An intercity bus service, Jefferson Lines, runs from Pine City to St. Paul or Duluth twice daily.

The major highways include: Pine City is on rail lines owned by BNSF Railway and leased by St. Croix Valley Railroad.

[42] Pine City also has three chiropractic clinics and More Than Sprouts, a local market featuring organic and health foods.

The city treats and distributes water and several local businesses provide garbage removal and recycling services.