The Town FilesSturgeon Lake, Minnesota
Township in Pine County · population 534 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $230,600
- Household income
- $81,875
- Jan low / Jul high
- 1° / 80°
- Snow a year
- 62 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 3
- Median age
- 43.0
Sturgeon Lake is a township of 534 people in Pine County, Minnesota. The median home is worth $230,600, below the typical Minnesota town ($301,800). It ranks quieter than 87% of Minnesota towns, better for a vacation home than 74% of Minnesota towns.
How Sturgeon 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 Sturgeon Lake is worth $230,600, below the typical Minnesota town ($301,800). Homes cost about 2.8 times the median household income of $81,875, which is more affordable than 77% of Minnesota towns. Median rent is $1,188 a month. 91.1% of households own their home.
| Housing | Sturgeon Lake | Typical Minnesota town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $230,600 | $301,800 |
| Median rent | $1,188 | $991 |
| Median household income | $81,875 | $87,375 |
| Home value ÷ income | 2.8× | 3.4× |
| Homeownership | 91.1% | 88.6% |
| Median year built | 1991 | 1979 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 18.5% | — |
Who lives in Sturgeon Lake
| People | Sturgeon Lake | Typical Minnesota town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 43.0 | 42.7 |
| Age 65 and over | 13.4% | 20.0% |
| Under 18 | 17.6% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 8.5% | 26.2% |
| Below the poverty line | 7.9% | 6.9% |
| Veterans | 7.1% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 3.2% | — |
| Work from home | 13.3% | 11.1% |
| Average commute | 40.5 min | 24.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 82.9% | 90.2% |
Weather in Sturgeon Lake
July highs average 80.2°F and January lows 0.7°F. About 31.5 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 62.2 inches of snow (typical Minnesota town: 47.0 in). Expect about 5 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 175 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
3 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Sturgeon Lake since 1950, compared with 14 for the typical Minnesota town. 2 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on July 7, 1970 about 5.5 miles from the town center. The most recent was on August 14, 2020.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 36 times; the largest was 2.00 inches on May 30, 2022.
Severe weather in Pine County since 1996
Pine County has been included in 15 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, drought.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| July 19, 2023 | Flood | DR-4722: Severe Storms And Flooding |
| 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 |
Jobs and pay in Pine County
Pine County had 7,799 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $44,269 a year. Unemployment was 4.9% in 2023; in Sturgeon Lake itself the ACS puts it at 11.3%.
Towns near Sturgeon Lake
- Windemere, MN7.4 mi · 1,620 people · home $312,900
- Moose Lake, MN7.9 mi · 2,789 people · home $205,000
- Moose Lake, MN10.1 mi · 988 people · home $242,000
- Barnum, MN13.0 mi · 620 people · home $155,200
- Pine Lake, MN13.8 mi · 580 people · home $312,500
- Partridge, MN13.9 mi · 554 people · home $263,300
- Barnum, MN14.7 mi · 1,098 people · home $243,900
- Mahtowa, MN17.0 mi · 553 people · home $267,700
Sturgeon Lake questions
Is Sturgeon Lake, Minnesota a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Sturgeon Lake scores better for retirees than 13% of Minnesota towns and quieter than 87%. 13.4% of residents are 65 or older (median age 43.0).
How much does a house cost in Sturgeon Lake?
The median owner-occupied home in Sturgeon Lake is valued at $230,600 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $81,875, so homes cost about 2.8 times income. Median rent is $1,188 a month.
What is the weather like in Sturgeon Lake?
July highs average 80.2°F and January lows 0.7°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 31.5 inches of precipitation a year and 62.2 inches of snow.
Does Sturgeon Lake get tornadoes?
3 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Sturgeon Lake since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F2 on July 7, 1970. 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)