The Town FilesCook, Minnesota
City in St. Louis County · population 534 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $104,900
- Household income
- $42,250
- Jan low / Jul high
- -5° / 77°
- Snow a year
- 61 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 2
- Median age
- 58.1
Cook is a city of 534 people in St. Louis County, Minnesota. The median home is worth $104,900, below the typical Minnesota town ($301,800). It ranks quieter than 96% of Minnesota towns, better for first-time buyers than 95% of Minnesota towns, better for a vacation home than 74% of Minnesota towns.
How Cook 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 Cook is worth $104,900, below the typical Minnesota town ($301,800). Homes cost about 2.5 times the median household income of $42,250, which is more affordable than 84% of Minnesota towns. Median rent is $535 a month. 67.3% of households own their home.
| Housing | Cook | Typical Minnesota town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $104,900 | $301,800 |
| Median rent | $535 | $991 |
| Median household income | $42,250 | $87,375 |
| Home value ÷ income | 2.5× | 3.4× |
| Homeownership | 67.3% | 88.6% |
| Median year built | 1971 | 1979 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.7% | — |
Who lives in Cook
| People | Cook | Typical Minnesota town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 58.1 | 42.7 |
| Age 65 and over | 38.1% | 20.0% |
| Under 18 | 12.3% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 24.1% | 26.2% |
| Below the poverty line | 11.6% | 6.9% |
| Veterans | 15.6% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 0.5% | — |
| Work from home | 6.4% | 11.1% |
| Average commute | 16.6 min | 24.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 71.3% | 90.2% |
Weather in Cook
July highs average 77.1°F and January lows -4.9°F. About 27.7 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 61.2 inches of snow (typical Minnesota town: 47.0 in). Expect about 3 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 188 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Cook since 1950, compared with 14 for the typical Minnesota town. 1 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on September 6, 1959 about 3.0 miles from the town center. The most recent was on June 30, 1971.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 12 times; the largest was 2.50 inches on July 16, 1977.
Severe weather in St. Louis County since 1996
St. Louis County has been included in 17 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, drought.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| May 14, 2025 | Fire | FM-5583: Munger Shaw Fire |
| June 28, 2024 | Flood | DR-4797: Severe Storms And Flooding |
| July 19, 2023 | Flood | DR-4722: Severe Storms And Flooding |
| July 13, 2022 | Flood | DR-4659: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding |
| April 7, 2020 | Biological | DR-4531: Covid-19 Pandemic |
Jobs and pay in St. Louis County
St. Louis County had 95,504 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $60,452 a year. Unemployment was 3.2% in 2023; in Cook itself the ACS puts it at 7.5%.
Public schools in Cook
2 public schools with 501 students, about 11.9 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| NORTH WOODS SECONDARY | 7-12 | 259 | 13.6 |
| NORTH WOODS ELEMENTARY | PK-6 | 242 | 10.5 |
Towns near Cook
- Greenwood, MN16.2 mi · 1,041 people · home $493,900
- French, MN18.3 mi · 552 people · home $357,800
- Wuori, MN19.1 mi · 569 people · home $192,500
- Breitung, MN19.9 mi · 530 people · home $246,200
- Mountain Iron, MN20.9 mi · 2,878 people · home $192,800
- Balkan, MN21.9 mi · 808 people · home $218,700
- Virginia, MN22.7 mi · 8,421 people · home $120,600
- Embarrass, MN22.8 mi · 601 people · home $203,800
Cook questions
Is Cook, Minnesota a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Cook scores better for retirees than 56% of Minnesota towns and quieter than 96%. 38.1% of residents are 65 or older (median age 58.1).
How much does a house cost in Cook?
The median owner-occupied home in Cook is valued at $104,900 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $42,250, so homes cost about 2.5 times income. Median rent is $535 a month.
What is the weather like in Cook?
July highs average 77.1°F and January lows -4.9°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 27.7 inches of precipitation a year and 61.2 inches of snow.
Does Cook get tornadoes?
2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Cook since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F2 on September 6, 1959. 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)