The Town FilesIdeal, Minnesota
Township in Crow Wing County · population 1,210 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $461,300
- Household income
- $108,355
- Jan low / Jul high
- -1° / 80°
- Snow a year
- 39 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 7
- Median age
- 59.9
Ideal is a township of 1,210 people in Crow Wing County, Minnesota. The median home is worth $461,300, above the typical Minnesota town ($301,800). It ranks better for retirees than 98% of Minnesota towns, better for a vacation home than 98% of Minnesota towns, quieter than 94% of Minnesota towns.
How Ideal 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 Ideal is worth $461,300, above the typical Minnesota town ($301,800). Homes cost about 4.3 times the median household income of $108,355, which is more affordable than 15% of Minnesota towns. Median rent is $1,136 a month. 93.4% of households own their home.
| Housing | Ideal | Typical Minnesota town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $461,300 | $301,800 |
| Median rent | $1,136 | $991 |
| Median household income | $108,355 | $87,375 |
| Home value ÷ income | 4.3× | 3.4× |
| Homeownership | 93.4% | 88.6% |
| Median year built | 1990 | 1979 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 61.2% | — |
Who lives in Ideal
| People | Ideal | Typical Minnesota town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 59.9 | 42.7 |
| Age 65 and over | 37.1% | 20.0% |
| Under 18 | 12.7% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 48.4% | 26.2% |
| Below the poverty line | 3.3% | 6.9% |
| Veterans | 11.4% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 3.3% | — |
| Work from home | 27.3% | 11.1% |
| Average commute | 24.7 min | 24.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 95.2% | 90.2% |
Weather in Ideal
July highs average 79.7°F and January lows -0.8°F. About 28.8 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 39.2 inches of snow (typical Minnesota town: 47.0 in). Expect about 4 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 178 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
7 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Ideal since 1950, compared with 14 for the typical Minnesota town. 5 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F4, struck on August 6, 1969 about 7.4 miles from the town center. The most recent was on June 12, 2024.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 42 times; the largest was 4.00 inches on June 19, 2016.
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 Ideal itself the ACS puts it at 2.7%.
Towns near Ideal
- Breezy Point, MN4.4 mi · 2,574 people · home $340,800
- Crosslake, MN4.7 mi · 2,394 people · home $473,700
- Pelican, MN6.1 mi · 501 people · home $458,300
- Pequot Lakes, MN7.2 mi · 2,395 people · home $289,300
- Mission, MN8.4 mi · 796 people · home $424,500
- Wilson, MN9.0 mi · 667 people · home $223,100
- Loon Lake, MN9.6 mi · 626 people · home $371,300
- Pine River, MN9.9 mi · 911 people · home $180,400
Ideal questions
Is Ideal, Minnesota a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Ideal scores better for retirees than 98% of Minnesota towns and quieter than 94%. 37.1% of residents are 65 or older (median age 59.9).
How much does a house cost in Ideal?
The median owner-occupied home in Ideal is valued at $461,300 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $108,355, so homes cost about 4.3 times income. Median rent is $1,136 a month.
What is the weather like in Ideal?
July highs average 79.7°F and January lows -0.8°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 28.8 inches of precipitation a year and 39.2 inches of snow.
Does Ideal get tornadoes?
7 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Ideal since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F4 on August 6, 1969. 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)