Lakefield, Minnesota 01, 2017
Lakefield’s story
146 years in pictures
The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 2017.
- 1880Lakefield is settled
LakefieldMN
A town of 1,697, settled in 1880.
Population
1,697
2025 Census estimate · −1.9% since 2020
Typical home
$209K
−1.2% in a year
Household income
$72K
median
Median age
43.3
years
Jobs based here
634
Balanced
Is Lakefield a good place to live?
The best of Lakefield’s subject grades are an A+ for safety and an A for cost of living and civic life. 29% of residents are 65 or older in Lakefield, above both Minnesota’s towns (18%) and U.S. towns (18%). Only 9 of Minnesota’s 212 towns score higher on safety. Only 49 of Minnesota’s 572 towns score higher on civic life. Lakefield has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Lakefield stand out
Where Lakefield beats most towns.
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Lakefield0
Minnesota2.3
U.S.3.3
SafetyA+
No violent crime reported in 2025
FBI data, 2025. Crimes reported to police.
Typical home value
Lakefield$209K
Minnesota$349K
Cost of livingA
2.8 years of income buys a home
More affordable than 91% of U.S. towns
Zillow Home Value Index; area median household income, Census ACS.
Community nonprofits per 1,000 residents
Lakefield14.6
Typical U.S. town3.7
Typical MN town4.2
Civic lifeA
3.5 times the nonprofits per person
than the typical Minnesota town
Charities, civic groups and human services; churches not counted.
How Lakefield grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Minnesota), ordered by how far Lakefield is from typical.
SafetyA+Open →Cost of livingAOpen →Jobs & income$72K median household incomeCOpen →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listCOpen →SchoolsB+Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 6.4 of 20; 2.2% of households have no car; 4% of workers walk, bike or ride transitBOpen →HealthSanford Jackson Medical Center 9.1 miles awayBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
OutdoorsConserved land, trails and parksC−Open →HistoryC+Open →Civic life14.6 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsAOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 43.3; 19% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Lakefield: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Lakefield, and how to reach them.
PowerCity of LakefieldEIAHIFLD · EIA
WaterLakefield water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet10 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Lakefield’s trash rules yet
Register to voteOnlineIn Minnesota you can register online until 21 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (received 21 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereJackson County CourthouseJackson County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Aug 2019
ZIP code5615056150 100%Census 2020
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 Lakefield.
SafetyA+
Lakefield reports less crime per resident than 98% of U.S. towns
Lakefield’s property crime rate is 0.6 per 1,000 residents, below both the Minnesota town median (8.7) and the median of U.S. towns (9.9). Lakefield’s violent crime rate is 0 per 1,000 residents.
98%of U.S. towns report more crimeA+Safety Grade
| Lakefield | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.6 per 1,000 residents | 8.7 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0 per 1,000 residents | 1.1 | 1.6 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Lakefield0
Minnesota2.3
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Lakefield0.6
Minnesota14.3
U.S.15.5
98th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
0
violent crimes reported in 2025
1
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
SchoolsB+
Lakefield’s schools rank ahead of 65% of Minnesota districts
Its public schools are run by the Jackson County Central School District. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
65%of MN districts it outscoresB+School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jackson County Central MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 241 | C+ |
| Pleasantview ElementaryTop results in townGrades 4–5 | Grades 4–5 | 170 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MN on state tests and graduation
HousingCost of living grade A
A typical Lakefield home is worth about $209K
The typical Lakefield home is worth about $209,000, down 1.2% in a year, 40% below the Minnesota typical home. The median rent in Lakefield is $770 a month.
$209KZillow home value
| Lakefield | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 90% | 75% | 73% |
| Median rent | $770 a month | $1,196 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Lakefield$209K
Minnesota$349K
−1.2%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Climate
Lakefield has snowy winters and pleasant summers
Lakefield has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 83°, January nights drop to 6° and about 49 inches of snow falls in a winter.
49″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter9–26°
Spring34–55°
Summer59–80°
Fall37–58°
Oct 2
typical first frost
May 2
typical last frost
+1.0°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C
With 0.8 jobs for every working resident, most of Lakefield’s workers commute out
About one in 5 of Lakefield’s working residents works in town. Jobs based in Lakefield fell to 634 in 2023, 766 fewer than in 2013. The top destinations are Jackson (15%), Worthington (7%) and Spirit Lake (6%).
21%work in town
| Lakefield | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 18 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 21% | 9.8% | 8% |
| Median household income | $72,000 | $90,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 11% | 7% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Lakefield21%
Jackson15%
Worthington7%
Spirit Lake6%
Windom5%
15 mi
median commute distance
634
jobs based in Lakefield
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
B
Walkability grade: more walkable than 60% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C
Inland flooding leads a high hazard risk in Lakefield
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 60% of U.S. communities.
60risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
HealthB
Residents of Lakefield are healthier than 57% of U.S. towns
Lakefield beats the Minnesota average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 6. 31% of Lakefield adults sleep under 7 hours.
57%healthier than U.S. townsBHealth Grade
| Lakefield | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 30% | 36% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 23% | 25% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 14% | 14% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 75% | 75% | 79% |
32 measures vs. Minnesota
0 better26 too close to call6 worse
| What stands out | Lakefield | MN |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 7.1% | 5.4% |
| More adults with heart disease | 7.4% | 5.9% |
| More adults who have had a stroke | 3.8% | 3.1% |
Sanford Jackson Medical Center
9.1 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Lakefield
18pages on Lakefield
The big questions
SchoolsB+Beat 65% of MN districts · 3 schoolsSafetyA+0 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthBBetter than MN on 0 of 32 CDC measuresCost of livingA$209K typical home · down 1.2% in a yearWork & commuteC$72K median household income · 634 jobs hereNatural hazardsCFEMA risk higher than 60% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Lakefield; the nearest are
Iowa Lakes Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Estherville, IA25.4 mi$7,392 in-state tuitionSouthwest Minnesota State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Marshall61.1 mi$10,361 in-state tuition
About 4 of every 100 Lakefield residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Minnesota.
About Lakefield
City in Minnesota, United States
Lakefield is a city in Jackson County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 1,735 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.3 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,483 ft
- ZIP code
- 56150
- Area code
- 507
Lakefield’s neighbors
2 towns share a border with Lakefield.
Heron Lake TownshipHunter TownshipLakefield
How the neighbors grade
| Town | MN rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lakefield | — | — | A | A+ | B+ | B |
| Heron Lake Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Hunter Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Lakefield has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Heron Lake Township and Hunter Township aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Lakefield with a neighbor →
Questions about Lakefield
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Lakefield, MN expensive?
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A.