The Town FilesNokay Lake, Minnesota
Township in Crow Wing County · population 898 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $304,300
- Household income
- $83,750
- Jan low / Jul high
- 0° / 82°
- Snow a year
- 46 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 13
- Median age
- 51.1
Nokay Lake is a township of 898 people in Crow Wing County, Minnesota. The median home is worth $304,300, close to the typical Minnesota town ($301,800). It ranks better for a vacation home than 85% of Minnesota towns, better for families than 84% of Minnesota towns, more of a college town than 74% of Minnesota towns.
How Nokay 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 Nokay Lake is worth $304,300, close to the typical Minnesota town ($301,800). Homes cost about 3.6 times the median household income of $83,750, which is more affordable than 40% of Minnesota towns. Median rent is $1,208 a month. 89.7% of households own their home.
| Housing | Nokay Lake | Typical Minnesota town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $304,300 | $301,800 |
| Median rent | $1,208 | $991 |
| Median household income | $83,750 | $87,375 |
| Home value ÷ income | 3.6× | 3.4× |
| Homeownership | 89.7% | 88.6% |
| Median year built | 1984 | 1979 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 27.1% | — |
Who lives in Nokay Lake
| People | Nokay Lake | Typical Minnesota town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 51.1 | 42.7 |
| Age 65 and over | 25.6% | 20.0% |
| Under 18 | 17.2% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 18.6% | 26.2% |
| Below the poverty line | 5.6% | 6.9% |
| Veterans | 9.1% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 2.3% | — |
| Work from home | 20.9% | 11.1% |
| Average commute | 29.7 min | 24.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 88.3% | 90.2% |
Weather in Nokay Lake
July highs average 81.5°F and January lows -0.1°F. About 24.5 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 45.9 inches of snow (typical Minnesota town: 47.0 in). Expect about 6 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 173 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
13 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Nokay Lake since 1950, compared with 14 for the typical Minnesota town. 5 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F3, struck on August 26, 1977 about 9.4 miles from the town center. The most recent was on June 16, 2025.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 40 times; the largest was 1.75 inches on September 14, 2018.
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 Nokay Lake itself the ACS puts it at 5.4%.
Towns near Nokay Lake
- Bay Lake, MN5.6 mi · 921 people · home $434,400
- Irondale, MN5.8 mi · 1,262 people · home $296,200
- Oak Lawn, MN6.7 mi · 1,764 people · home $263,200
- Ironton, MN7.3 mi · 576 people · home $144,000
- Deerwood, MN7.6 mi · 526 people · home $225,000
- Garrison, MN8.1 mi · 837 people · home $263,000
- Deerwood, MN8.3 mi · 1,309 people · home $422,700
- Crosby, MN8.3 mi · 2,360 people · home $185,600
Nokay Lake questions
Is Nokay Lake, Minnesota a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Nokay Lake scores better for retirees than 43% of Minnesota towns and quieter than 64%. 25.6% of residents are 65 or older (median age 51.1).
How much does a house cost in Nokay Lake?
The median owner-occupied home in Nokay Lake is valued at $304,300 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $83,750, so homes cost about 3.6 times income. Median rent is $1,208 a month.
What is the weather like in Nokay Lake?
July highs average 81.5°F and January lows -0.1°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 24.5 inches of precipitation a year and 45.9 inches of snow.
Does Nokay Lake get tornadoes?
13 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Nokay Lake since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F3 on August 26, 1977. 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)