Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 1,042.
Perch Lake Township’s best subject grade is an A− for cost of living; its weakest is a C for walkability. On health, just 45 of Minnesota’s 572 towns do worse. On civic life, just 31 of Minnesota’s 572 towns do worse. Church of Sts. Joseph and Mary-Catholic is on the National Register of Historic Places. Perch Lake Township has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Minnesota), ordered by how far Perch Lake Township is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
The archive holds 2 maps from 1954 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Explore the history →Who provides power, water and the rest in Perch Lake Township, 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.
Ordered by what stands out in Perch Lake Township.
0.7% of working residents work locally in Perch Lake Township, below both Minnesota’s towns (9.8%) and U.S. towns (8%). 12% of Perch Lake Township residents live below the poverty line. The top destinations are Cloquet (36%), Duluth (20%) and Superior (4%).
| Perch Lake Township | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 0.7% | 9.8% | 8% |
| Work from home | 8.2% | 14% | 11% |
| Below the poverty line | 12% | 7% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 27 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 68% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Perch Lake Township has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. Perch Lake Township’s July high is 78°F, below both the Minnesota town median (82°F) and the median of U.S. towns (85°F).
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
27% of adults have been diagnosed with depression in Perch Lake Township. Perch Lake Township beats the Minnesota average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 19. 40% of adults have obesity in Perch Lake Township.
| Perch Lake Township | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 14% | 14% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 25% | 23% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 73% | 75% | 79% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 30% | 36% |
| What stands out | Perch Lake Township | MN |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 13% | 8.9% |
| More smokers | 17.9% | 13.1% |
| More adults without reliable transportation | 9.4% | 7.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
13 miles of trail in 0 parks and preserves.
| Perch Lake Township | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 0.5% | 4.7% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.4 miles per square mile | 0.5 | 0.4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
1 within 15 miles of the center of Perch Lake Township
About 4 of every 100 Perch Lake Township residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Minnesota.
Where Perch Lake Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Township in Minnesota, United States
Perch Lake Township is a township in Carlton County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 977 as of the 2020 census. "Perch Lake" is probably an English translation of the Native American name for this township's namesake lake. Big Lake Road, Twin Lakes Drive, Ditchbank Road, Mission Road, and Cary Road are five of the main routes in the township. Perch Lake Township is located immediately west of the city of Cloquet. The community of Sawyer is located immediately south of the township. Perch Lake Township is located within the Fond du Lac Indian Reservation.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
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−.