The Town Files

Turtle Lake, Minnesota

Township in Cass County · population 820 (2020 Census)

Map: where Turtle Lake is in MinnesotaTurtle Lake
Median home
$297,800
Household income
$80,208
Jan low / Jul high
1° / 79°
Snow a year
49 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
3
Median age
53.2

Turtle Lake is a township of 820 people in Cass County, Minnesota. The median home is worth $297,800, close to the typical Minnesota town ($301,800). It ranks better for cycling than 99% of Minnesota towns, better for retirees than 98% of Minnesota towns, better transit than 97% of Minnesota towns.

Turtle Lake in our rankings:

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.

Turtle Lake lifestyle rankings vs other Minnesota townsRetirement98th pctFamilies8th pctQuiet94th pctWalkability5th pctFirst-time buyersbottomYoung professionals71st pctVibrancy68th pctHip & trendy74th pctCollege town4th pctUpscale41st pctVacation homes76th pctSeaside characterbottomCycling99th pctTransit97th pctDriving5th 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 Turtle Lake is worth $297,800, close to the typical Minnesota town ($301,800). Homes cost about 3.7 times the median household income of $80,208, which is more affordable than 34% of Minnesota towns. Median rent is $950 a month. 94.3% of households own their home.

Turtle Lake vs Cass County vs typical Minnesota townTurtle LakeCass CountyTypical Minnesota townHome value$297,800$288,300$301,800Household income$80,208$68,874$87,375Monthly rent$950$863$991
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Minnesota towns with 500+ people.
HousingTurtle LakeTypical Minnesota town
Median home value$297,800$301,800
Median rent$950$991
Median household income$80,208$87,375
Home value ÷ income3.7×3.4×
Homeownership94.3%88.6%
Median year built19951979
Seasonal / vacation homes54.6%—

Who lives in Turtle Lake

PeopleTurtle LakeTypical Minnesota town
Median age53.242.7
Age 65 and over33.3%20.0%
Under 1819.0%—
Bachelor's degree or higher28.7%26.2%
Below the poverty line18.1%6.9%
Veterans10.4%—
Born outside the U.S.1.7%—
Work from home25.4%11.1%
Average commute29.8 min24.5 min
Homes with broadband91.6%90.2%

Weather in Turtle Lake

July highs average 79.0°F and January lows 0.7°F. About 28.0 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 48.5 inches of snow (typical Minnesota town: 47.0 in). Expect about 2 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 174 nights at or below freezing.

Turtle Lake monthly temperatures and precipitation0°10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°32° freezing19°1°Jan25°4°Feb38°18°Mar52°31°Apr66°44°May75°55°Jun79°59°Jul77°57°Aug68°49°Sep53°36°Oct37°22°Nov25°8°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue0.89.20.78.01.26.62.25.83.34.34.13.23.42.81.21.36.40.811.2
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Walker station (4.7 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 2 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

3 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Turtle Lake since 1950, compared with 14 for the typical Minnesota town. The strongest, an F1, struck on June 24, 2002 about 8.2 miles from the town center. The most recent was on May 25, 2008.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Turtle Lake by decade01950s01960s01970s01980s01990s32000s02010s02020s
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 21 times; the largest was 2.00 inches on May 18, 1959.

Severe weather in Cass County since 1996

Storm events in Cass County since 1996 by typeHail248Heat3Drought90Tornado11Ice Storm13Lightning4Heavy Snow119Flash Flood3
NOAA Storm Events Database, Cass County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 3 deaths recorded.

Cass County has been included in 14 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, drought, hurricane.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
June 28, 2024FloodDR-4797: Severe Storms And Flooding
August 9, 2022Severe StormDR-4666: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding
July 8, 2022Severe StormDR-4658: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding
April 7, 2020BiologicalDR-4531: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-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 Turtle Lake itself the ACS puts it at 12%.

Largest industries in Cass CountyHotels & restaurants1,880 jobs · $26,565Retail1,152 jobs · $33,422Manufacturing650 jobs · $51,030Construction434 jobs · $59,444Real estate274 jobs · $40,486Other services248 jobs · $25,650
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Cass County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%12%2000200420082012201620202023Cass 4.4%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Turtle Lake

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 98% of Minnesota towns and quieter than 94%. 33.3% of residents are 65 or older (median age 53.2).

How much does a house cost in Turtle Lake?

The median owner-occupied home in Turtle Lake is valued at $297,800 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $80,208, so homes cost about 3.7 times income. Median rent is $950 a month.

What is the weather like in Turtle Lake?

July highs average 79.0°F and January lows 0.7°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 28.0 inches of precipitation a year and 48.5 inches of snow.

Does Turtle Lake get tornadoes?

3 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Turtle Lake since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F1 on June 24, 2002. The typical Minnesota town has had 14.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Turtle Lake's Census boundary (GEOID 2702165776). 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.