The Town Files

Milaca, Minnesota

Township in Mille Lacs County · population 1,640 (2020 Census)

Map: where Milaca is in MinnesotaMilaca
Median home
$294,000
Household income
$99,583
Jan low / Jul high
1° / 80°
Snow a year
49 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
8
Median age
36.4

Milaca is a township of 1,640 people in Mille Lacs County, Minnesota. The median home is worth $294,000, close to the typical Minnesota town ($301,800). It ranks hipper than 90% of Minnesota towns, more walkable than 81% of Minnesota towns, more vibrant than 79% of Minnesota towns.

How Milaca 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.

Milaca lifestyle rankings vs other Minnesota townsRetirement12th pctFamilies8th pctQuiet33rd pctWalkability81st pctFirst-time buyers74th pctYoung professionals36th pctVibrancy79th pctHip & trendy90th pctCollege town6th pctUpscale9th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransit59th pctDriving66th pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Milaca is worth $294,000, close to the typical Minnesota town ($301,800). Homes cost about 3.0 times the median household income of $99,583, which is more affordable than 69% of Minnesota towns. Median rent is $1,188 a month. 90.7% of households own their home.

Milaca vs Mille Lacs County vs typical Minnesota townMilacaMille Lacs CountyTypical Minnesota townHome value$294,000$258,300$301,800Household income$99,583$72,729$87,375Monthly rent$1,188$903$991
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Minnesota towns with 500+ people.
HousingMilacaTypical Minnesota town
Median home value$294,000$301,800
Median rent$1,188$991
Median household income$99,583$87,375
Home value ÷ income3.0×3.4×
Homeownership90.7%88.6%
Median year built19901979
Seasonal / vacation homes2.9%—

Who lives in Milaca

PeopleMilacaTypical Minnesota town
Median age36.442.7
Age 65 and over11.6%20.0%
Under 1830.3%—
Bachelor's degree or higher19.8%26.2%
Below the poverty line4.4%6.9%
Veterans4.2%—
Born outside the U.S.1.0%—
Work from home10.8%11.1%
Average commute31.2 min24.5 min
Homes with broadband91.2%90.2%

Weather in Milaca

July highs average 80.1°F and January lows 0.5°F. About 30.8 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 48.9 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.

Milaca monthly temperatures and precipitation0°10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing20°1°Jan26°4°Feb38°17°Mar53°30°Apr66°43°May76°54°Jun80°59°Jul78°56°Aug70°46°Sep56°34°Oct39°21°Nov26°9°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue0.87.40.811.11.48.42.74.43.80.14.34.44.03.22.80.81.46.51.110.2
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Milaca station (2.9 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

8 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Milaca since 1950, compared with 14 for the typical Minnesota town. The strongest, an EF1, struck on August 26, 2019 about 6.8 miles from the town center. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 1 deaths and 0 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on August 26, 2019.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Milaca by decade21950s01960s11970s11980s01990s12000s32010s02020s
NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 35 times; the largest was 3.20 inches on May 10, 2011.

Severe weather in Mille Lacs County since 1996

Storm events in Mille Lacs County since 1996 by typeHail96Heat6Flood4Tornado7Heavy Snow12Flash Flood9Funnel Cloud4Winter Storm74
NOAA Storm Events Database, Mille Lacs County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996).

Mille Lacs County has been included in 10 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, drought, hurricane.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
July 19, 2023FloodDR-4722: Severe Storms And Flooding
April 7, 2020BiologicalDR-4531: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3453: Covid-19
July 28, 2011Severe StormDR-4009: Severe Storms, Flooding, And Tornadoes
September 13, 2005HurricaneEM-3242: Hurricane Katrina Evacuation

Jobs and pay in Mille Lacs County

Mille Lacs County had 9,372 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $47,582 a year. Unemployment was 5.1% in 2023; in Milaca itself the ACS puts it at 1.3%.

Largest industries in Mille Lacs CountyRetail1,141 jobs · $29,038Hotels & restaurants781 jobs · $19,764Manufacturing723 jobs · $52,445Construction464 jobs · $66,709Professional & technical serv…271 jobs · $84,554Other services242 jobs · $28,590
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Mille Lacs County, 2000–20230%4%8%12%2000200420082012201620202023Mille Lacs 5.1%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Milaca

Milaca questions

Is Milaca, Minnesota a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Milaca scores better for retirees than 12% of Minnesota towns and quieter than 33%. 11.6% of residents are 65 or older (median age 36.4).

How much does a house cost in Milaca?

The median owner-occupied home in Milaca is valued at $294,000 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $99,583, so homes cost about 3.0 times income. Median rent is $1,188 a month.

What is the weather like in Milaca?

July highs average 80.1°F and January lows 0.5°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 30.8 inches of precipitation a year and 48.9 inches of snow.

Does Milaca get tornadoes?

8 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Milaca since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF1 on August 26, 2019. The typical Minnesota town has had 14.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Milaca's Census boundary (GEOID 2709542128). Comparisons use the median of Minnesota towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-13.