CookMN
A town of 515, settled in 1903. A regional job hub with 645 jobs.
Is Cook a good place to live?
Cook’s density of trails is 1.6 miles per square mile, where Minnesota’s towns sit at 0.5 and U.S. towns at 0.4. The biggest park or preserve is Owens Wildlife Management Area, at 164 acres. Cook has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What makes Cook stand out
Where Cook beats most towns.
515 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Moving to Cook: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Cook, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Cook.
Compared with most of Minnesota and the rest of the country, the median household income in Cook is lower
For Cook, the typical journey to work is 17 minutes. Among residents locally, 12% live below the poverty line, above both Minnesota’s towns (7%) and U.S. towns (9.6%). Most working residents leave Cook for work: only 15% work in town. The top destinations are Virginia (24%), Mountain Iron (8%) and Duluth (8%).
| Cook | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 17 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $42,000 | $90,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 15% | 9.8% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 12% | 7% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Cook stands out in Minnesota and nationally: the median rent there is lower
Values rose 6.3% in the 12 months to September 2026. The share of households in Cook who are owner-occupiers: 67%.
| Cook | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $535 a month | $1,196 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 67% | 75% | 73% |
Typical home value
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Snowy winters and pleasant summers: that is Cook’s year
Cook’s typical July afternoon high is 78°F.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Cook keeps 15.3% of its land conserved
Count the trails in 5 parks and preserves and they come to 4.1 miles. Parks and preserves in Cook: 5, covering 181 acres.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Owens Wildlife Management Area | 0.7 mi | 164 |
| 2. Doug Johnson Recreation Area | — | 9 |
| 3. Superior National Forest | 0.1 mi | 6 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Low risk in Cook, with cold waves at the top
Federal disaster aid has reached households in Cook after 2 declared disasters, most recently in 2024. Storm and flood damage is expected to run lower than in 64% of U.S. communities. Flood insurance has paid out on 9 claims here since 1978. 62% of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from cold waves, followed by inland flooding at 30%.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
How healthy Cook is
14% of adults report frequent physical distress in Cook. On the CDC’s 32 measures, Cook is ahead of Minnesota on 5 and behind on 10. Two figures for adults here: 13% have diabetes, 15% report frequent mental distress. Among 272 Minnesota towns, just 5 have a higher share of adults who have high blood pressure than Cook.
| Cook | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 31% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 10% | 12% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 16% | 17% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 79% | 75% | 79% |
| What stands out | Cook | MN |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 7.5% | 9.3% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 82.8% | 76.1% |
| More adults with heart disease | 8.7% | 5.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Everything we know about Cook
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Cook; the nearest are
About 3 of every 100 Cook residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Minnesota.
Every workday, about 615 people come to Cook for work
Where Cook’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
About Cook
City in Minnesota, United States
Cook is a city in Saint Louis County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 534 at the 2020 census. U.S. Highway 53 and State Highway 1 (MN 1) are the two main routes through the city. Cook serves as the gateway to the western half of Lake Vermilion.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1903
- Area
- 2.6 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,306 ft
- ZIP code
- 55723
- Area code
- 218
Questions about Cook
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Cook, MN a good place to live?
Cook has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.