Census-designated place · Minnesota
Nett Lake, Minnesota
Nett Lake, census-designated place, mostly in St. Louis County (77.0% of its 2020 residents), with a part in Koochiching County, Minnesota. Nett Lake had 230 residents in the 2020 Census, a full count; the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 171 (±76). GEOID 2745279.
Residents, 2020 Census
230
Census count or controlled total
ACS 2020-2024 estimate: 171 ±76
Median household income
$38,750
±$18,429 (90% margin)
Minnesota: $89,062
Median home value
$80,000
±$49,138 (90% margin)
Minnesota: $329,300
Median gross rent
$832
±$66 (90% margin)
Minnesota: $1,280
Where is Nett Lake and what county is it in?
Nett Lake is a census-designated place: an unincorporated community the Census Bureau draws for counting, with no city government of its own, mostly in St. Louis County (77.0% of its 2020 residents), with a part in Koochiching County, Minnesota. It covers 1.7 square miles of land, 134 residents per square mile in 2020.
Nett Lake is in the Duluth, MN-WI metropolitan statistical area, which takes in 3 counties (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
| County | 2020 residents | Share |
|---|---|---|
| St. Louis County | 177 | 77.0% |
| Koochiching County | 53 | 23.0% |
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Nett Lake, and is it growing?
The 2020 Census counted 230 residents in Nett Lake, a full count rather than a sample. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a sample, estimates 171 (±76).
The Census Bureau publishes yearly population estimates for incorporated places only; Nett Lake is a census-designated place, so its figures come from the ACS and the 2020 Census.
| Measure | Nett Lake | St. Louis County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 171 ±76 | 200,123 | – |
| Households | 70 ±28 | 87,115 | – |
| Average household size | 2.44 ±0.75 | 2.20 | – |
| Housing units | 102 ±28 | 104,263 | – |
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 Nett Lake?
The median resident of Nett Lake is 38.8 years old; 26.9% are under 18 and 21.6% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaska Native residents at 95.3%, then non-Hispanic white residents at 2.9%.
| Measure | Nett Lake | St. Louis County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 38.8 ±11.4 | 41.2 | – |
| Under 18 years | 26.9% ±8.5 pts | 18.6% | – |
| 65 years and over | 21.6% ±12.5 pts | 21.4% | – |
| Male | 44.4% ±11.4 pts | 50.3% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 1.2% ±2.7 pts | 1.9% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 2.9% ±4.7 pts | 89.5% | – |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.6% ±1.3 pts | 1.6% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±12.3 pts | 1.0% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 95.3% ±6.5 pts | 1.5% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±12.3 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±12.3 pts | 4.1% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±12.3 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 7.0% ±9.6 pts | 1.9% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 13.0% ±13.3 pts | 3.2% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 5.6% ±5.1 pts | 7.3% | – |
| With a disability | 27.5% ±11.0 pts | 15.6% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 11.7% ±7.2 pts | 4.1% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 77.1% ±17.9 pts | 95.1% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 5.5% ±5.4 pts | 33.6% | – |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 3.7% ±4.6 pts | 12.2% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 91.7% ±10.2 pts | 86.2% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.0% ±12.4 pts | 2.4% | – |
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 Nett Lake earn?
Half of Nett Lake's 70 households earn less than $38,750 a year (±$18,429), against $70,069 in St. Louis County and $89,062 in Minnesota. 21.6% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Nett Lake | St. Louis County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $38,750 ±$18,429 | $70,069 | – |
| Mean household income | $57,136 ±$15,756 | $93,368 | – |
| Per capita income | $21,436 ±$6,377 | $41,302 | – |
| People below the poverty line | 21.6% ±13.5 pts | 13.2% | – |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 21.7% ±21.4 pts | 12.5% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 25.7% ±21.0 pts | 10.2% | – |
| Households with a computer | 80.0% ±20.8 pts | 94.1% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 85.7% ±10.1 pts | 88.6% | – |
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 Nett Lake?
Owners occupy 40.0% of Nett Lake's occupied homes and renters 60.0%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $80,000 by its owner (±$49,138). The median renter pays $832 a month including utilities.
| Measure | Nett Lake | St. Louis County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $80,000 ±$49,138 | $221,400 | – |
| Median gross rent | $832 ±$66 | $1,013 | – |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 8.1% ±14.6 pts | 41.6% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $875 ±$136 | $1,558 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 40.0% ±23.0 pts | 71.2% | – |
| Renter-occupied homes | 60.0% ±23.0 pts | 28.8% | – |
| Housing units | 102 ±28 | 104,263 | – |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±46.6 pts | 0.9% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 14.3% ±14.2 pts | 4.4% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 65.7% ±12.2 pts | 73.2% | – |
| Mobile homes | 9.8% ±10.3 pts | 3.8% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±19.7 pts | 0.8% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 9.8% ±5.9 pts | 5.1% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 2.9% ±3.9 pts | 28.4% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 17.1% ±11.7 pts | 8.0% | – |
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 Nett Lake work and get to work?
61.7% of Nett Lake's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 12.3 minutes.
| Measure | Nett Lake | St. Louis County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 39.3% ±12.0 pts | 61.2% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 11.3% ±11.8 pts | 4.6% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 61.7% ±21.6 pts | 74.1% | – |
| Carpooled | 12.8% ±17.2 pts | 7.6% | – |
| Public transportation | 2.1% ±4.5 pts | 1.8% | – |
| Walked | 21.3% ±14.6 pts | 3.6% | – |
| Worked from home | 2.1% ±6.6 pts | 11.2% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 12.3 min ±7.6 | 19.9 min | – |
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 Nett Lake?
No census tract lies mostly in Nett Lake; 2 tracts reach into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 155.03St. Louis County | 758 | $77,000 |
| Tract 7903Koochiching County | 2,822 | $74,913 |
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 Nett Lake) · Census block assignment files
How does Nett Lake compare with other places in Minnesota?
Nett Lake 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.
Nett Lake's figures with every place in Minnesota (CSV)
Every place in Minnesota, sortable · Compare Nett Lake 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 Nett Lake?
28 of the 57 figures for Nett Lake 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 Nett Lake 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.