The Town FilesKeewatin, Minnesota
City in Itasca County · population 984 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $86,800
- Household income
- $53,643
- Jan low / Jul high
- -4° / 77°
- Snow a year
- 60 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 2
- Median age
- 38.0
Keewatin is a city of 984 people in Itasca County, Minnesota. The median home is worth $86,800, below the typical Minnesota town ($301,800). It ranks hipper than 96% of Minnesota towns, better for first-time buyers than 78% of Minnesota towns, better transit than 77% of Minnesota towns.
How Keewatin 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 Keewatin is worth $86,800, below the typical Minnesota town ($301,800). Homes cost about 1.6 times the median household income of $53,643, which is more affordable than 99% of Minnesota towns. Median rent is $932 a month. 80.7% of households own their home.
| Housing | Keewatin | Typical Minnesota town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $86,800 | $301,800 |
| Median rent | $932 | $991 |
| Median household income | $53,643 | $87,375 |
| Home value ÷ income | 1.6× | 3.4× |
| Homeownership | 80.7% | 88.6% |
| Median year built | 1953 | 1979 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 5.3% | — |
Who lives in Keewatin
| People | Keewatin | Typical Minnesota town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 38.0 | 42.7 |
| Age 65 and over | 16.3% | 20.0% |
| Under 18 | 30.9% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 14.0% | 26.2% |
| Below the poverty line | 19.2% | 6.9% |
| Veterans | 4.2% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 0.6% | — |
| Work from home | 7.0% | 11.1% |
| Average commute | 20.4 min | 24.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 87.5% | 90.2% |
Weather in Keewatin
July highs average 76.7°F and January lows -4.4°F. About 24.8 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 59.6 inches of snow (typical Minnesota town: 47.0 in). Expect about 2 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 205 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Keewatin since 1950, compared with 14 for the typical Minnesota town. The strongest, an F1, struck on July 19, 1978 about 9.5 miles from the town center. The most recent was on September 16, 1992.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 19 times; the largest was 2.50 inches on July 11, 1996.
Severe weather in Itasca County since 1996
Itasca County has been included in 15 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 |
| April 7, 2020 | Biological | DR-4531: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3453: Covid-19 |
| September 5, 2018 | Flood | DR-4390: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding |
Jobs and pay in Itasca County
Itasca County had 16,608 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $54,071 a year. Unemployment was 4.6% in 2023; in Keewatin itself the ACS puts it at 4.8%.
Public schools in Keewatin
1 public school with 334 students, about 15.9 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Keewatin-Nashwauk Elementary School | PK-6 | 334 | 15.9 |
Towns near Keewatin
- Nashwauk, MN4.1 mi · 970 people · home $112,300
- Nashwauk, MN5.7 mi · 1,657 people · home $141,300
- Hibbing, MN6.4 mi · 16,214 people · home $130,200
- Greenway, MN9.3 mi · 1,788 people · home $138,200
- Marble, MN10.7 mi · 610 people · home $102,500
- Chisholm, MN11.3 mi · 4,775 people · home $109,200
- Balkan, MN14.3 mi · 808 people · home $218,700
- Taconite, MN15.1 mi · 651 people · home $219,600
Keewatin questions
Is Keewatin, Minnesota a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Keewatin scores better for retirees than 32% of Minnesota towns and quieter than 49%. 16.3% of residents are 65 or older (median age 38.0).
How much does a house cost in Keewatin?
The median owner-occupied home in Keewatin is valued at $86,800 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $53,643, so homes cost about 1.6 times income. Median rent is $932 a month.
What is the weather like in Keewatin?
July highs average 76.7°F and January lows -4.4°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 24.8 inches of precipitation a year and 59.6 inches of snow.
Does Keewatin get tornadoes?
2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Keewatin since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F1 on July 19, 1978. 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)