The Town FilesPonto Lake, Minnesota
Township in Cass County · population 589 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $359,500
- Household income
- $79,318
- Jan low / Jul high
- -1° / 80°
- Snow a year
- 39 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 4
- Median age
- 54.3
Ponto Lake is a township of 589 people in Cass County, Minnesota. The median home is worth $359,500, above the typical Minnesota town ($301,800). It ranks quieter than 97% of Minnesota towns, better for retirees than 89% of Minnesota towns, better for a vacation home than 82% of Minnesota towns.
How Ponto 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 Ponto Lake is worth $359,500, above the typical Minnesota town ($301,800). Homes cost about 4.5 times the median household income of $79,318, which is more affordable than 10% of Minnesota towns. 96.5% of households own their home.
| Housing | Ponto Lake | Typical Minnesota town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $359,500 | $301,800 |
| Median rent | — | $991 |
| Median household income | $79,318 | $87,375 |
| Home value ÷ income | 4.5× | 3.4× |
| Homeownership | 96.5% | 88.6% |
| Median year built | 1984 | 1979 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 68.7% | — |
Who lives in Ponto Lake
| People | Ponto Lake | Typical Minnesota town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 54.3 | 42.7 |
| Age 65 and over | 32.9% | 20.0% |
| Under 18 | 23.6% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 26.0% | 26.2% |
| Below the poverty line | 8.3% | 6.9% |
| Veterans | 8.7% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 0.1% | — |
| Work from home | 7.2% | 11.1% |
| Average commute | 39.5 min | 24.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 93.3% | 90.2% |
Weather in Ponto Lake
July highs average 79.7°F and January lows -0.8°F. About 28.8 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 39.2 inches of snow (typical Minnesota town: 47.0 in). Expect about 4 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 178 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
4 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Ponto Lake since 1950, compared with 14 for the typical Minnesota town. 2 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F4, struck on August 6, 1969 about 7.2 miles from the town center. The most recent was on August 6, 1969.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 45 times; the largest was 2.50 inches on June 12, 2024.
Severe weather in Cass County since 1996
Cass County has been included in 14 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 |
| July 8, 2022 | Severe Storm | DR-4658: 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 |
Jobs and pay in Cass County
Cass County had 10,661 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $43,904 a year. Unemployment was 4.4% in 2023; in Ponto Lake itself the ACS puts it at 7.8%.
Towns near Ponto Lake
- Powers, MN5.5 mi · 811 people · home $242,200
- Woodrow, MN5.6 mi · 710 people · home $462,300
- Barclay, MN5.8 mi · 525 people · home $255,300
- Pine River, MN8.4 mi · 1,186 people · home $229,200
- Pine River, MN8.8 mi · 911 people · home $180,400
- Birch Lake, MN9.3 mi · 576 people · home $276,700
- Wilson, MN11.1 mi · 667 people · home $223,100
- Ideal, MN13.5 mi · 1,210 people · home $461,300
Ponto Lake questions
Is Ponto Lake, Minnesota a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Ponto Lake scores better for retirees than 89% of Minnesota towns and quieter than 97%. 32.9% of residents are 65 or older (median age 54.3).
How much does a house cost in Ponto Lake?
The median owner-occupied home in Ponto Lake is valued at $359,500 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $79,318, so homes cost about 4.5 times income. Median rent is — a month.
What is the weather like in Ponto Lake?
July highs average 79.7°F and January lows -0.8°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 28.8 inches of precipitation a year and 39.2 inches of snow.
Does Ponto Lake get tornadoes?
4 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Ponto Lake since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F4 on August 6, 1969. 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)