The Town FilesTurtle Lake, Minnesota
Township in Beltrami County · population 1,299 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $420,600
- Household income
- $119,750
- Jan low / Jul high
- -3° / 77°
- Snow a year
- 49 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 11
- Median age
- 51.8
Turtle Lake is a township of 1,299 people in Beltrami County, Minnesota. The median home is worth $420,600, above the typical Minnesota town ($301,800). It ranks better for a vacation home than 97% of Minnesota towns, better for retirees than 93% of Minnesota towns, more upscale than 89% of Minnesota towns.
How Turtle 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 Turtle Lake is worth $420,600, above the typical Minnesota town ($301,800). Homes cost about 3.5 times the median household income of $119,750, which is more affordable than 45% of Minnesota towns. 99.3% of households own their home.
| Housing | Turtle Lake | Typical Minnesota town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $420,600 | $301,800 |
| Median rent | — | $991 |
| Median household income | $119,750 | $87,375 |
| Home value ÷ income | 3.5× | 3.4× |
| Homeownership | 99.3% | 88.6% |
| Median year built | 1993 | 1979 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 28.7% | — |
Who lives in Turtle Lake
| People | Turtle Lake | Typical Minnesota town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 51.8 | 42.7 |
| Age 65 and over | 25.2% | 20.0% |
| Under 18 | 19.1% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 52.6% | 26.2% |
| Below the poverty line | 5.4% | 6.9% |
| Veterans | 8.8% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 2.0% | — |
| Work from home | 9.4% | 11.1% |
| Average commute | 24.7 min | 24.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 93.2% | 90.2% |
Weather in Turtle Lake
July highs average 76.6°F and January lows -2.7°F. About 22.8 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 48.9 inches of snow (typical Minnesota town: 47.0 in). Expect about 4 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 187 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
11 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Turtle Lake since 1950, compared with 14 for the typical Minnesota town. The strongest, an EF1, struck on July 4, 2018 about 8.9 miles from the town center. The most recent was on July 26, 2021.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 65 times; the largest was 2.75 inches on July 26, 2021.
Severe weather in Beltrami County since 1996
Beltrami County has been included in 21 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, drought, hurricane.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| September 5, 2018 | Flood | DR-4390: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding |
| July 21, 2014 | Flood | DR-4182: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
Jobs and pay in Beltrami County
Beltrami County had 20,746 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $54,299 a year. Unemployment was 3.5% in 2023; in Turtle Lake itself the ACS puts it at 0.5%.
Towns near Turtle Lake
- Northern, MN5.0 mi · 4,535 people · home $320,200
- Port Hope, MN5.8 mi · 745 people · home $315,600
- Liberty, MN6.0 mi · 746 people · home $261,400
- Eckles, MN8.1 mi · 2,014 people · home $227,400
- Turtle River, MN8.6 mi · 1,226 people · home $347,500
- Bemidji, MN9.1 mi · 14,574 people · home $198,300
- Frohn, MN12.0 mi · 1,537 people · home $288,400
- Lammers, MN12.5 mi · 602 people · home $277,300
Turtle Lake questions
Is Turtle Lake, Minnesota a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Turtle Lake scores better for retirees than 93% of Minnesota towns and quieter than 80%. 25.2% of residents are 65 or older (median age 51.8).
How much does a house cost in Turtle Lake?
The median owner-occupied home in Turtle Lake is valued at $420,600 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $119,750, so homes cost about 3.5 times income. Median rent is — a month.
What is the weather like in Turtle Lake?
July highs average 76.6°F and January lows -2.7°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 22.8 inches of precipitation a year and 48.9 inches of snow.
Does Turtle Lake get tornadoes?
11 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Turtle Lake since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF1 on July 4, 2018. 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)