Census-designated place · Minnesota
Big Lake, Carlton County, Minnesota
Big Lake, Carlton County, census-designated place, in Carlton County, Minnesota. Big Lake, Carlton County had 464 residents in the 2020 Census, a full count; the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 378 (±73). GEOID 2705744.
Residents, 2020 Census
464
Census count or controlled total
ACS 2020-2024 estimate: 378 ±73
Median household income
$92,500
±$25,497 (90% margin)
Minnesota: $89,062
Median home value
$256,800
±$62,825 (90% margin)
Minnesota: $329,300
Median gross rent
$100 or less
The survey's top or bottom value; no margin is published
Minnesota: $1,280
Where is Big Lake, Carlton County and what county is it in?
Big Lake, Carlton County is a census-designated place: an unincorporated community the Census Bureau draws for counting, with no city government of its own, in Carlton County, Minnesota. It covers 2.1 square miles of land, 219 residents per square mile in 2020.
Big Lake, Carlton County is in the Duluth, MN-WI metropolitan statistical area, which takes in 3 counties (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Big Lake, Carlton County lies entirely within Perch Lake Township, a township with its own local government (2020 census blocks).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Big Lake, Carlton County, and is it growing?
The 2020 Census counted 464 residents in Big Lake, Carlton County, a full count rather than a sample. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a sample, estimates 378 (±73).
The Census Bureau publishes yearly population estimates for incorporated places only; Big Lake, Carlton County is a census-designated place, so its figures come from the ACS and the 2020 Census.
| Measure | Big Lake, Carlton County | Carlton County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 378 ±73 | 36,518 | no clear change |
| Households | 130 ±30 | 14,090 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.55 ±0.49 | 2.39 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 218 ±30 | 15,896 | −67 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Big Lake, Carlton County?
The median resident of Big Lake, Carlton County is 42.8 years old; 18.0% are under 18 and 20.9% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 65.9%, then non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaska Native residents at 25.4%.
| Measure | Big Lake, Carlton County | Carlton County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 42.8 ±8.8 | 41.4 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 18.0% ±10.0 pts | 21.5% | – |
| 65 years and over | 20.9% ±6.6 pts | 18.5% | – |
| Male | 52.1% ±8.7 pts | 53.4% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 1.1% ±2.4 pts | 1.9% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 65.9% ±11.6 pts | 86.9% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.5% ±3.7 pts | 2.2% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.5% ±1.1 pts | 0.5% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 25.4% ±11.5 pts | 3.1% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±5.8 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 6.6% ±4.8 pts | 4.9% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±5.8 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 0.8% ±1.1 pts | 1.8% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 5.1% ±4.9 pts | 3.6% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 10.0% ±4.7 pts | 7.8% | – |
| With a disability | 14.3% ±6.0 pts | 15.6% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 11.6% ±5.1 pts | 4.5% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 94.0% ±4.3 pts | 93.6% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 20.6% ±7.2 pts | 26.5% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 3.9% ±2.7 pts | 9.2% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 82.3% ±10.4 pts | 88.7% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 3.7% ±3.5 pts | 1.2% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Big Lake, Carlton County earn?
Half of Big Lake, Carlton County's 130 households earn less than $92,500 a year (±$25,497), against $80,573 in Carlton County and $89,062 in Minnesota. In 2015-2019 it was $93,327 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 12.7% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Big Lake, Carlton County | Carlton County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $92,500 ±$25,497 | $80,573 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $113,466 ±$21,877 | $99,202 | – |
| Per capita income | $40,674 ±$9,014 | $39,410 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 12.7% ±5.2 pts | 11.9% | – |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 0.0% ±27.5 pts | 14.7% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 7.7% ±8.8 pts | 7.4% | – |
| Households with a computer | 93.1% ±5.8 pts | 94.6% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 83.1% ±9.8 pts | 88.0% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Big Lake, Carlton County?
Owners occupy 91.5% of Big Lake, Carlton County's occupied homes and renters 8.5%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $256,800 by its owner (±$62,825). The median renter pays $100 or less a month including utilities.
| Measure | Big Lake, Carlton County | Carlton County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $256,800 ±$62,825 | $245,100 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $100 or less | $1,009 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 14.3% ±39.7 pts | 34.2% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,750 ±$487 | $1,659 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 91.5% ±9.0 pts | 80.0% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 8.5% ±9.0 pts | 20.0% | – |
| Housing units | 218 ±30 | 15,896 | −67 |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 1.7% ±2.6 pts | 1.1% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 38.9% ±32.2 pts | 2.3% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 89.4% ±5.5 pts | 80.3% | – |
| Mobile homes | 5.5% ±4.1 pts | 6.0% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 3.7% ±2.6 pts | 1.2% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 1.8% ±2.4 pts | 7.2% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 7.3% ±4.3 pts | 18.8% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 0.0% ±15.8 pts | 5.7% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How do people in Big Lake, Carlton County work and get to work?
71.8% of Big Lake, Carlton County's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 28.0 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 6.7%.
| Measure | Big Lake, Carlton County | Carlton County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 55.8% ±8.1 pts | 59.3% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 6.7% ±4.4 pts | 4.8% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 71.8% ±11.8 pts | 78.7% | – |
| Carpooled | 17.8% ±11.1 pts | 8.0% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±12.9 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Walked | 1.8% ±2.4 pts | 2.0% | – |
| Worked from home | 8.0% ±6.6 pts | 9.5% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 28.0 min ±5.1 | 21.5 min | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Big Lake, Carlton County?
No census tract lies mostly in Big Lake, Carlton County; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9400Carlton County | 2,862 | $71,875 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Big Lake, Carlton County) · Census block assignment files
How does Big Lake, Carlton County compare with other places in Minnesota?
Big Lake, Carlton County is not ranked by income or the other survey measures: those rankings include places of 1,000 or more residents (2020 Census) with a reliable estimate.
Big Lake, Carlton County's figures with every place in Minnesota (CSV)
Every place in Minnesota, sortable · Compare Big Lake, Carlton County with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Big Lake, Carlton County?
23 of the 57 figures for Big Lake, Carlton County on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Big Lake, Carlton County are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' school search.