The Town FilesKnife Lake, Minnesota
Township in Kanabec County · population 1,212 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $309,000
- Household income
- $100,568
- Jan low / Jul high
- 1° / 80°
- Snow a year
- 52 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 5
- Median age
- 47.1
Knife Lake is a township of 1,212 people in Kanabec County, Minnesota. The median home is worth $309,000, close to the typical Minnesota town ($301,800). It ranks quieter than 84% of Minnesota towns, better for a vacation home than 73% of Minnesota towns.
How Knife 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 Knife Lake is worth $309,000, close to the typical Minnesota town ($301,800). Homes cost about 3.1 times the median household income of $100,568, which is more affordable than 65% of Minnesota towns. Median rent is $1,375 a month. 96.8% of households own their home.
| Housing | Knife Lake | Typical Minnesota town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $309,000 | $301,800 |
| Median rent | $1,375 | $991 |
| Median household income | $100,568 | $87,375 |
| Home value ÷ income | 3.1× | 3.4× |
| Homeownership | 96.8% | 88.6% |
| Median year built | 1988 | 1979 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 19.9% | — |
Who lives in Knife Lake
| People | Knife Lake | Typical Minnesota town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 47.1 | 42.7 |
| Age 65 and over | 24.1% | 20.0% |
| Under 18 | 20.4% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 19.6% | 26.2% |
| Below the poverty line | 7.6% | 6.9% |
| Veterans | 9.2% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 0.7% | — |
| Work from home | 9.4% | 11.1% |
| Average commute | 33.5 min | 24.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 89.0% | 90.2% |
Weather in Knife Lake
July highs average 80.3°F and January lows 0.5°F. About 31.7 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 52.0 inches of snow (typical Minnesota town: 47.0 in). Expect about 5 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 179 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
5 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Knife Lake since 1950, compared with 14 for the typical Minnesota town. 1 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on July 3, 1985 about 9.8 miles from the town center. The most recent was on May 9, 2001.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 41 times; the largest was 2.00 inches on July 21, 2014.
Severe weather in Kanabec County since 1996
Kanabec County has been included in 11 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, drought, hurricane.
| 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 |
| September 5, 2018 | Flood | DR-4390: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding |
| July 28, 2011 | Severe Storm | DR-4009: Severe Storms, Flooding, And Tornadoes |
Jobs and pay in Kanabec County
Kanabec County had 4,221 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $51,717 a year. Unemployment was 5% in 2023; in Knife Lake itself the ACS puts it at 2.7%.
Towns near Knife Lake
- Mora, MN4.7 mi · 3,665 people · home $171,800
- Arthur, MN5.0 mi · 1,771 people · home $233,000
- Whited, MN5.4 mi · 897 people · home $240,200
- Peace, MN7.3 mi · 956 people · home $245,900
- Kanabec, MN7.4 mi · 854 people · home $293,800
- Comfort, MN8.0 mi · 1,207 people · home $238,100
- Brunswick, MN12.3 mi · 1,320 people · home $231,700
- Hayland, MN12.8 mi · 522 people · home $332,800
Knife Lake questions
Is Knife Lake, Minnesota a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Knife Lake scores better for retirees than 15% of Minnesota towns and quieter than 84%. 24.1% of residents are 65 or older (median age 47.1).
How much does a house cost in Knife Lake?
The median owner-occupied home in Knife Lake is valued at $309,000 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $100,568, so homes cost about 3.1 times income. Median rent is $1,375 a month.
What is the weather like in Knife Lake?
July highs average 80.3°F and January lows 0.5°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 31.7 inches of precipitation a year and 52.0 inches of snow.
Does Knife Lake get tornadoes?
5 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Knife Lake since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F2 on July 3, 1985. 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)