The Town FilesCass Lake, Minnesota
City in Cass County · population 675 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $109,900
- Household income
- $48,250
- Jan low / Jul high
- -4° / 79°
- Snow a year
- 49 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 2
- Median age
- 33.6
Cass Lake is a city of 675 people in Cass County, Minnesota. The median home is worth $109,900, below the typical Minnesota town ($301,800). It ranks better for first-time buyers than 89% of Minnesota towns, better transit than 86% of Minnesota towns, better for a vacation home than 74% of Minnesota towns.
How Cass 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 Cass Lake is worth $109,900, below the typical Minnesota town ($301,800). Homes cost about 2.3 times the median household income of $48,250, which is more affordable than 89% of Minnesota towns. Median rent is $763 a month. 37.9% of households own their home.
| Housing | Cass Lake | Typical Minnesota town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $109,900 | $301,800 |
| Median rent | $763 | $991 |
| Median household income | $48,250 | $87,375 |
| Home value ÷ income | 2.3× | 3.4× |
| Homeownership | 37.9% | 88.6% |
| Median year built | 1969 | 1979 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 9.5% | — |
Who lives in Cass Lake
| People | Cass Lake | Typical Minnesota town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 33.6 | 42.7 |
| Age 65 and over | 21.1% | 20.0% |
| Under 18 | 35.1% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 21.7% | 26.2% |
| Below the poverty line | 22.8% | 6.9% |
| Veterans | 3.6% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 0.5% | — |
| Work from home | 2.9% | 11.1% |
| Average commute | 13.5 min | 24.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 87.7% | 90.2% |
Weather in Cass Lake
July highs average 79.1°F and January lows -3.6°F. About 26.5 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 48.9 inches of snow (typical Minnesota town: 47.0 in). Expect about 4 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 187 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Cass Lake since 1950, compared with 14 for the typical Minnesota town. The strongest, an F1, struck on August 2, 1981 about 6.1 miles from the town center. The most recent was on August 2, 1981.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 20 times; the largest was 2.75 inches on July 26, 2021.
Severe weather in Cass County since 1996
Cass County has been included in 14 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, drought, hurricane.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| June 28, 2024 | Flood | DR-4797: Severe Storms And Flooding |
| August 9, 2022 | Severe Storm | DR-4666: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| July 8, 2022 | Severe Storm | DR-4658: 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 |
Jobs and pay in Cass County
Cass County had 10,661 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $43,904 a year. Unemployment was 4.4% in 2023; in Cass Lake itself the ACS puts it at 14.8%.
Public schools in Cass Lake
4 public schools with 1,112 students, about 10.2 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| CASS LAKE-BENA ELEMENTARY | PK-4 | 458 | 10.2 |
| CASS LAKE-BENA MIDDLE SCHOOL | 5-8 | 303 | 9.5 |
| CASS LAKE-BENA SECONDARY | 9-12 | 253 | 10.5 |
| CASS LAKE-BENA AREA LRNG. CNTR. | 7-12 | 98 | 12.3 |
Towns near Cass Lake
- Pike Bay, MN1.6 mi · 1,713 people · home $151,000
- Ten Lake, MN5.4 mi · 1,023 people · home $201,400
- Farden, MN6.5 mi · 1,145 people · home $271,600
- Wilkinson, MN7.2 mi · 574 people · home $192,000
- Frohn, MN8.8 mi · 1,537 people · home $288,400
- Hart Lake, MN9.2 mi · 543 people · home $303,300
- Turtle River, MN12.2 mi · 1,226 people · home $347,500
- Helga, MN12.5 mi · 1,648 people · home $315,100
Cass Lake questions
Is Cass Lake, Minnesota a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Cass Lake scores better for retirees than 26% of Minnesota towns and quieter than 26%. 21.1% of residents are 65 or older (median age 33.6).
How much does a house cost in Cass Lake?
The median owner-occupied home in Cass Lake is valued at $109,900 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $48,250, so homes cost about 2.3 times income. Median rent is $763 a month.
What is the weather like in Cass Lake?
July highs average 79.1°F and January lows -3.6°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 26.5 inches of precipitation a year and 48.9 inches of snow.
Does Cass Lake get tornadoes?
2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Cass Lake since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F1 on August 2, 1981. 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)