The Town FilesLake, Minnesota
Township in Roseau County · population 1,980 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $185,900
- Household income
- $76,190
- Jan low / Jul high
- -8° / 77°
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 7
- Median age
- 45.3
Lake is a township of 1,980 people in Roseau County, Minnesota. The median home is worth $185,900, below the typical Minnesota town ($301,800). It ranks better for a vacation home than 87% of Minnesota towns, better for first-time buyers than 84% of Minnesota towns, better for retirees than 75% of Minnesota towns.
How 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 Lake is worth $185,900, below the typical Minnesota town ($301,800). Homes cost about 2.4 times the median household income of $76,190, which is more affordable than 86% of Minnesota towns. Median rent is $1,087 a month. 88.7% of households own their home.
| Housing | Lake | Typical Minnesota town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $185,900 | $301,800 |
| Median rent | $1,087 | $991 |
| Median household income | $76,190 | $87,375 |
| Home value ÷ income | 2.4× | 3.4× |
| Homeownership | 88.7% | 88.6% |
| Median year built | 1985 | 1979 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 14.1% | — |
Who lives in Lake
| People | Lake | Typical Minnesota town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 45.3 | 42.7 |
| Age 65 and over | 19.0% | 20.0% |
| Under 18 | 23.9% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 24.1% | 26.2% |
| Below the poverty line | 17.4% | 6.9% |
| Veterans | 10.6% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 6.1% | — |
| Work from home | 12.5% | 11.1% |
| Average commute | 11.0 min | 24.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 87.7% | 90.2% |
Weather in Lake
July highs average 76.9°F and January lows -8.0°F. About 27.7 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year. Expect about 2 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 191 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
7 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Lake since 1950, compared with 14 for the typical Minnesota town. 2 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F3, struck on August 5, 2006 about 4.7 miles from the town center. The most recent was on June 24, 2007.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 27 times; the largest was 4.00 inches on August 5, 2006.
Severe weather in Roseau County since 1996
Roseau County has been included in 26 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, hurricane, biological.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3453: Covid-19 |
| June 12, 2019 | Flood | DR-4442: Severe Winter Storm, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding |
Jobs and pay in Roseau County
Roseau County had 7,971 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $62,932 a year. Unemployment was 2.8% in 2023; in Lake itself the ACS puts it at 3.3%.
Towns near Lake
- Warroad, MN4.4 mi · 1,830 people · home $216,900
- Moranville, MN8.9 mi · 911 people · home $189,700
- Spruce, MN13.2 mi · 582 people · home $262,000
- Laona, MN13.6 mi · 508 people · home $124,700
- Roseau, MN16.9 mi · 2,744 people · home $164,100
- Jadis, MN18.2 mi · 624 people · home $239,300
Lake questions
Is Lake, Minnesota a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Lake scores better for retirees than 75% of Minnesota towns and quieter than 69%. 19.0% of residents are 65 or older (median age 45.3).
How much does a house cost in Lake?
The median owner-occupied home in Lake is valued at $185,900 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $76,190, so homes cost about 2.4 times income. Median rent is $1,087 a month.
What is the weather like in Lake?
July highs average 76.9°F and January lows -8.0°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 27.7 inches of precipitation a year.
Does Lake get tornadoes?
7 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Lake since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F3 on August 5, 2006. 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)