Population 892 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
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Population and households in Wood Lake
Household size in Wood Lake
| Period | Wood Lake | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.41 | 2.52 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.46 | 2.54 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.45 | 2.55 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.26 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.14 | +0.00 | −0.03 |
Wood Lake is a place of small households, averaging 2.26 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 2.41, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Wood Lake
| Period | Wood Lake | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 40.5 | 37.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 40.5 | 38.9 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 40.1 | 39.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 46.6 | 40.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | +6.1 | +2.1 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 46.6, Wood Lake is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Wood Lake
| Period | Wood Lake | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.5% | 9.9% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 8.2% | 10.2% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 10.0% | 9.7% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.4% | 9.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | −4.1 pts | −0.3 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are relatively rare in Wood Lake: 4.4% of households, against 11.6% nationally.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Wood Lake
Renters in Wood Lake
| Period | Wood Lake | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 18.7% | 25.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 15.8% | 27.9% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 17.9% | 28.4% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 14.8% | 27.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | −3.9 pts | +2.0 pts | +1.5 pts |
Wood Lake is overwhelmingly a place of homeowners: only 14.8% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. Nearly six in ten owners (57.3%) have paid off their mortgages, well above the national share of 39.8%.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Wood Lake
| Period | Wood Lake | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.5% | 9.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 10.2% | 9.0% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 13.1% | 8.7% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 11.0% | 8.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | −1.5 pts | −0.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy in Wood Lake is close to the national rate: 11.0% of homes are empty, against 9.6%. The rate is higher than in Minnesota as a whole (8.3%).
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Wood Lake
| Period | Wood Lake | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1944 | 1973 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1948 | 1974 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1945 | 1975 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1946 | 1978 | 1980 |
| Change | +3 | +5 | +6 |
The housing in Wood Lake is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1946, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Wood Lake
| Period | Wood Lake | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $511 | $882 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $568 | $953 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $581 | $1,099 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $634 | $1,404 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$124 | +$522 | +$606 |
The median renter in Wood Lake pays $634 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 29.0% of household income on rent, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Wood Lake
Bachelor's degrees in Wood Lake
| Period | Wood Lake | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 17.2% | 32.1% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 16.9% | 33.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 14.8% | 36.2% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 18.8% | 39.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +1.6 pts | +7.4 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Wood Lake: 18.8% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's or higher, well below the national share of 35.6%.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Wood Lake
| Period | Wood Lake | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 91.7% | 91.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 94.2% | 92.2% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 91.1% | 93.0% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 93.7% | 93.7% | 89.3% |
| Change | +2.0 pts | +2.3 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Wood Lake is above the national rate: 93.7% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3%. The picture is much the same across Minnesota.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Wood Lake
| Period | Wood Lake | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.2% | 6.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 3.6% | 6.5% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 2.7% | 3.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 1.9% | 4.1% | 5.4% |
| Change | −1.3 pts | −2.4 pts | −2.7 pts |
The job market in Wood Lake has been strong: just 1.9% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Wood Lake compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wood Lake | 2.26 | 46.6 | 4.4% | 14.8% | 11.0% | 1946 | $634 | 18.8% | 93.7% | 1.9% |
| Hanley Falls | 2.28 | 41.2 | 5.6% | 22.9% | 10.1% | 1966 | $649 | 13.7% | 91.3% | 1.3% |
| Echo | 2.37 | 48.6 | 4.4% | 8.4% | 12.0% | 1945 | $625 | 18.9% | 93.7% | 1.7% |
| Cottonwood | 2.33 | 40.5 | 2.8% | 17.7% | 9.7% | 1963 | $689 | 27.9% | 97.4% | 3.3% |
| Granite Falls | 2.21 | 43.5 | 7.5% | 19.5% | 4.6% | 1964 | $952 | 21.7% | 90.2% | 5.8% |
| Hazel Run | 2.21 | 48.0 | 5.9% | 15.6% | 13.4% | 1953 | $778 | 17.3% | 92.6% | 2.8% |
| Belview | 2.48 | 43.5 | 10.8% | 11.9% | 13.1% | 1958 | $818 | 19.0% | 92.5% | 3.4% |
| Vesta | 2.60 | 37.0 | 5.5% | 7.5% | 11.4% | 1952 | $1,064 | 21.1% | 91.7% | 4.1% |
| Sacred Heart | 2.24 | 52.3 | 4.7% | 12.0% | 12.3% | 1946 | $756 | 20.3% | 95.2% | 0.7% |
| Clarkfield | 2.37 | 37.4 | 18.3% | 18.0% | 9.6% | 1955 | $843 | 16.5% | 94.0% | 3.2% |
| Milroy | 2.41 | 37.7 | 4.0% | 21.8% | 8.4% | 1955 | $719 | 26.6% | 95.5% | 3.4% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Wadestown, WV · Collins Chapel, AL · Cookstown, NJ · Cowansville, PA · Cowden, IL · Craft, TX · Crescent Lake, ME · Crestmore Heights, CA · Crowell, TX · Vandiver, AL
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Wood Lake. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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