The Town FilesBay Lake, Minnesota
Township in Crow Wing County · population 921 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $434,400
- Household income
- $74,286
- Jan low / Jul high
- 0° / 82°
- Snow a year
- 42 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 15
- Median age
- 63.5
Bay Lake is a township of 921 people in Crow Wing County, Minnesota. The median home is worth $434,400, above the typical Minnesota town ($301,800). It ranks better for a vacation home than 97% of Minnesota towns, quieter than 92% of Minnesota towns, better for retirees than 88% of Minnesota towns.
How Bay Lake ranks
Percentile among Minnesota towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Minnesota towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Bay Lake is worth $434,400, above the typical Minnesota town ($301,800). Homes cost about 5.8 times the median household income of $74,286, which is more affordable than 1% of Minnesota towns. Median rent is $1,337 a month. 92.6% of households own their home.
| Housing | Bay Lake | Typical Minnesota town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $434,400 | $301,800 |
| Median rent | $1,337 | $991 |
| Median household income | $74,286 | $87,375 |
| Home value ÷ income | 5.8× | 3.4× |
| Homeownership | 92.6% | 88.6% |
| Median year built | 1984 | 1979 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 63.1% | — |
Who lives in Bay Lake
| People | Bay Lake | Typical Minnesota town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 63.5 | 42.7 |
| Age 65 and over | 46.2% | 20.0% |
| Under 18 | 9.5% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 42.9% | 26.2% |
| Below the poverty line | 6.6% | 6.9% |
| Veterans | 13.6% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 0.3% | — |
| Work from home | 29.7% | 11.1% |
| Average commute | 32.3 min | 24.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 92.6% | 90.2% |
Weather in Bay Lake
July highs average 81.5°F and January lows -0.1°F. About 24.5 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 42.2 inches of snow (typical Minnesota town: 47.0 in). Expect about 6 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 173 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
15 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Bay Lake since 1950, compared with 14 for the typical Minnesota town. 6 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F3, struck on June 25, 1973 about 2.0 miles from the town center. The most recent was on June 16, 2025.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 33 times; the largest was 1.75 inches on September 14, 2018.
Severe weather in Crow Wing County since 1996
Crow Wing County has been included in 13 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, drought.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| August 9, 2022 | Severe Storm | DR-4666: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| April 7, 2020 | Biological | DR-4531: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3453: Covid-19 |
| July 6, 2012 | Severe Storm | DR-4069: Severe Storms And Flooding |
| September 13, 2005 | Hurricane | EM-3242: Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
Jobs and pay in Crow Wing County
Crow Wing County had 31,053 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $53,044 a year. Unemployment was 3.4% in 2023; in Bay Lake itself the ACS puts it at 6.4%.
Towns near Bay Lake
- Nokay Lake, MN5.6 mi · 898 people · home $304,300
- Hazelton, MN5.8 mi · 792 people · home $359,100
- Garrison, MN5.9 mi · 837 people · home $263,000
- Deerwood, MN6.4 mi · 1,309 people · home $422,700
- Deerwood, MN6.8 mi · 526 people · home $225,000
- Farm Island, MN8.4 mi · 995 people · home $347,000
- Irondale, MN8.7 mi · 1,262 people · home $296,200
- Crosby, MN9.1 mi · 2,360 people · home $185,600
Bay Lake questions
Is Bay Lake, Minnesota a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Bay Lake scores better for retirees than 88% of Minnesota towns and quieter than 92%. 46.2% of residents are 65 or older (median age 63.5).
How much does a house cost in Bay Lake?
The median owner-occupied home in Bay Lake is valued at $434,400 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $74,286, so homes cost about 5.8 times income. Median rent is $1,337 a month.
What is the weather like in Bay Lake?
July highs average 81.5°F and January lows -0.1°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 24.5 inches of precipitation a year and 42.2 inches of snow.
Does Bay Lake get tornadoes?
15 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Bay Lake since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F3 on June 25, 1973. The typical Minnesota town has had 14.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)