Swedish Baptist Church, Milaca, Minnesota - DPLA - 541c194ac40b205b67d46c9ffdb2c992, 1890–1940
Milaca Township’s story
Milaca Township in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1890.
Explore the history →
Milaca TownshipMN
Some 1,702 people live in this town, in Minnesota.
6 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Myotus · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
1,702
2025 Census estimate · +3.9% since 2020
Median home value
$294K
Census ACS
Household income
$100K
median
Median age
36.4
years
Jobs based here
163
A commuter town
Is Milaca Township a good place to live?
The best of Milaca Township’s subject grades are an A− for incomes and cost of living; the weakest is a C for walkability. 30% of residents are under 18 in Milaca Township, against 23% in Minnesota’s towns and 22% across U.S. towns. Milaca Township has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
A commuter town
98% of working residents leave Milaca Township for work
Where Milaca Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
163jobs based in Milaca Township
2%of working residents work in town
26 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Milaca Township grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Minnesota), ordered by how far Milaca Township is from typical.
Jobs & income$100K median household incomeA−Open →Cost of livingHomes are very affordable for local incomesA−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 4.7 of 20; 0.3% of households have no car; 2% of workers walk, bike or ride transitCOpen →SchoolsBeat 60% of Minnesota districts on tests and graduationBOpen →Hazard riskInland flooding tops the listC+Open →HealthFairview Northland Regional Hospital 16.5 miles awayB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors2 miles of trails; 1% conserved landCOpen →HistoryBelow the middle of the towns comparedCOpen →Civic life3.5 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsB+Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Milaca Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Milaca Township, and how to reach them.
PowerEast Central Energy17.6¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterMilaca water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet8 providers96% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Milaca Township’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 hereMille Lacs County CourthouseMille Lacs County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2023
ZIP codes56353, 5633056353 70% · 56330 30%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 Milaca Township.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A−
With only 0.2 jobs per working resident, most people in Milaca Township work out of town
The top destinations are Milaca (17%), St. Cloud (9%) and Princeton (6%). The mean commuting time for Milaca Township comes to 31 minutes. Jobs based in the town fell to 163 in 2023, 50 fewer than in 2013. Milaca Township: 4.4% of residents live below the poverty line.
2%work in town
| Milaca Township | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 31 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 2.3% | 9.8% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 4.4% | 7% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $100,000 | $90,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Milaca Township2%
Milaca17%
St. Cloud9%
Princeton6%
Elk River3%
26 mi
median commute distance
163
jobs based in Milaca Township
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C
Walkability grade: more walkable than 27% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Milaca Township: snowy winters and pleasant summers
In July, afternoons reach 81°; in January, nights fall to 3°, and about 49 inches of snow falls in a winter.
49″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter6–24°
Spring32–54°
Summer57–79°
Fall36–55°
Oct 1
typical first frost
May 8
typical last frost
+2.0°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HealthB−
Residents of Milaca Township are healthier than 53% of U.S. towns
The share of adults in Milaca Township who sleep under 7 hours: 33%. Two figures for adults here: 17% smoke cigarettes, 74% had a checkup this year.
53%healthier than U.S. townsB−Health Grade
| Milaca Township | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 18% | 16% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 14% | 14% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 74% | 75% | 79% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 30% | 33% |
32 measures vs. Minnesota
0 better27 too close to call5 worse
| What stands out | Milaca Township | MN |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 12.7% | 8.9% |
| More smokers | 17.3% | 13.1% |
| More adults with COPD | 6.7% | 5.4% |
Fairview Northland Regional Hospital
16.5 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C+
The biggest natural risk in Milaca Township is inland flooding, at a moderate overall level
On expected storm and flood damage, Milaca Township sits above just over half of U.S. communities. Since 2001, Milaca Township has seen 3 flood insurance claims paid out. Expected losses in Milaca Township break down as 62% from inland flooding and 17% from cold waves.
51risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes
3
paid flood claims since 2001
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
OutdoorsC
In Milaca Township, 0.6% of the land is conserved
1.5 miles of trail. Milaca Township’s trail density comes in at 0.1 miles per square mile.
0.6%conserved
| Milaca Township | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.5 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 0.6% | 4.7% | 4.3% |
0.6%
conserved · 118 of 20,669 acres
1.5 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Milaca Township
18pages on Milaca Township
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Milaca Township; the nearest are
St Cloud Technical and Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Saint Cloud26.7 mi$6,124 in-state tuitionSaint Cloud State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Saint Cloud26.8 mi$10,245 in-state tuition
About 4 of every 100 Milaca Township residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Minnesota.
About Milaca Township
City in Minnesota, United States
Milaca ( mih-LAK-ə) is a city and the county seat of Mille Lacs County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 3,021 at the time of the 2020 census. It is situated on the Rum River.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 3.4 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,079 ft
- ZIP code
- 56353
- Area code
- 320
Milaca Township’s neighbors
6 towns share a border with Milaca Township.
MilacaForestonGranite Ledge TownshipMilo TownshipBorgholm TownshipPage TownshipMilaca Township
How the neighbors grade
| Town | MN rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milaca Township | — | — | A− | — | B | B− |
| Milaca | #189 | B | A− | C+ | B | B− |
| Foreston | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Granite Ledge Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Milo Township | — | — | B− | — | B | B− |
| Borgholm Township | — | — | C+ | — | B | B− |
| Page Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Milaca Township, Milo Township and Borgholm Township have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Milaca Township, Milo Township and Borgholm Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Foreston, Granite Ledge Township and Page Township aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Milaca Township with a neighbor →
Questions about Milaca Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Milaca Township, MN a good place to live?
Some 1,702 people live in this town, in Minnesota.
Is Milaca Township, MN expensive?
Not for the area. The typical home is worth about $294,000. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A−.