Wood LakeMN
A town of 371, settled in 1879.
Is Wood Lake a good place to live?
Only 3 of the 257 Minnesota towns we compare have a lower going rate for rent than Wood Lake. Wood Lake has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
371 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Moving to Wood Lake: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Wood Lake, 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 Wood Lake.
Wood Lake’s typical home value is about $176K
In the year to September 2026, typical home values climbed 8.6%. Among households in Wood Lake, 85% are owner-occupiers, above both Minnesota’s towns (75%) and U.S. towns (73%).
Typical home value
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Wood Lake has 0.3 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
The top destinations are Marshall (15%), Granite Falls (13%) and Cottonwood (11%). Just 1% of Wood Lake’s working residents have a job in town. The town’s median household income stands at $65,000, below both the Minnesota town median ($90,000) and the median of U.S. towns ($80,000). The median commute is under 18 miles.
| Wood Lake | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 1.2% | 9.8% | 8% |
| Median household income | $65,000 | $90,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 25 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 8.7% | 7% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
In Wood Lake, expect snowy winters and pleasant summers
Among 275 Minnesota towns, just 3 have a higher July high than Wood Lake. July afternoons reach 83°, January nights drop to 5° and about 44 inches of snow falls in a winter.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
How healthy Wood Lake is
Nearly a fifth of adults binge drink in Wood Lake. In Wood Lake, nearly three quarters of adults had a checkup this year, and 33% sleep under 7 hours.
| Wood Lake | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 18% | 16% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 74% | 75% | 79% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 30% | 36% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 35% | 35% |
| What stands out | Wood Lake | MN |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults seeing a dentist | 62.3% | 67.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazards: moderate risk in Wood Lake, mostly inland flooding
30% of Wood Lake’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by heat waves at 30%. Storm and flood damage is expected to run lower than in 56% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Everything we know about Wood Lake
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Wood Lake
About 3 of every 100 Wood Lake residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Minnesota.
99% of working residents leave Wood Lake for work
Where Wood Lake’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
About Wood Lake
Township in Minnesota, United States
Wood Lake Township is a township in Yellow Medicine County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 220 at the 2000 census. Wood Lake Township was organized in 1873, and named after Wood Lake.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 35 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,030 ft
Questions about Wood Lake
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Wood Lake, MN a good place to live?
Wood Lake has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.