Township · Minnesota
Shell Lake Township, Minnesota
Shell Lake Township, township, in Becker County, Minnesota. Shell Lake Township had 294 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 1.4% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 288 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 365 (±70). GEOID 2700559512.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
294
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 288 · ACS 2020-2024: 365 ±70
Median household income
$61,875
±$15,955 (90% margin)
Minnesota: $89,062
Median home value
$293,300
±$48,942 (90% margin)
Minnesota: $329,300
Median gross rent
not published
Minnesota: $1,280
Where is Shell Lake Township and what county is it in?
Shell Lake Township is a township in Becker County, Minnesota. It covers 28.5 square miles of land, 10 residents per square mile in 2020.
Shell Lake Township is in the Detroit Lakes, MN micropolitan statistical area (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Shell Lake Township, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 294 people lived in Shell Lake Township on July 1, 2025, up 1.4% since 2020, slower than Minnesota (+2.2%). The 2020 Census counted 288 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 365 (±70).
| Measure | Shell Lake Township | Becker County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 365±70 | 35,343 | no clear change |
| Households | 176±35 | 14,410 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.07±0.25 | 2.42 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 292±45 | 20,005 | no clear change |
Shell Lake Township's population since 2000
From 314 in 2000 to 294 in 2025: down 6.4%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Shell Lake Township as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
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 Shell Lake Township?
The median resident of Shell Lake Township is 54.5 years old; 17.5% are under 18 and 29.6% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 92.3%, then non-Hispanic residents of two or more races at 3.3%.
| Measure | Shell Lake Township | Becker County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 54.5±3.6 | 43.5 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 17.5%±5.3 pts | 23.3% | – |
| 65 years and over | 29.6%±7.5 pts | 22.8% | – |
| Male | 46.8%±4.8 pts | 50.1% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 0.0%±6.0 pts | 2.0% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 92.3%±4.7 pts | 84.9% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±6.0 pts | 0.7% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±6.0 pts | 0.5% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 1.1%±1.1 pts | 4.7% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±6.0 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 3.3%±2.6 pts | 6.7% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 3.3%±3.9 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 0.5%±0.7 pts | 1.2% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 6.7%±3.7 pts | 3.0% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 13.6%±6.0 pts | 8.7% | – |
| With a disability | 13.7%±5.5 pts | 14.9% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 1.9%±1.9 pts | 5.8% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 92.5%±5.1 pts | 93.2% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 14.3%±4.5 pts | 28.0% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 5.5%±3.1 pts | 8.9% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 94.5%±3.3 pts | 89.5% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.3%±0.6 pts | 1.8% | – |
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 Shell Lake Township earn?
Half of Shell Lake Township's 176 households earn less than $61,875 a year (±$15,955), against $71,388 in Becker County and $89,062 in Minnesota. In 2015-2019 it was $75,380 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 15.1% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Shell Lake Township | Becker County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $61,875±$15,955 | $71,388 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $82,027±$12,059 | $100,022 | – |
| Per capita income | $39,286±$6,804 | $41,842 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 15.1%±5.3 pts | 12.9% | – |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 10.9%±13.7 pts | 19.1% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 4.0%±3.7 pts | 11.6% | – |
| Households with a computer | 98.3%±1.8 pts | 94.4% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 83.5%±9.7 pts | 88.8% | – |
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 Shell Lake Township?
Owners occupy 94.3% of Shell Lake Township's occupied homes and renters 5.7%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $293,300 by its owner (±$48,942).
| Measure | Shell Lake Township | Becker County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $293,300±$48,942 | $291,000 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 0.0%±100.0 pts | 35.0% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,646±$139 | $1,691 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 94.3%±4.3 pts | 77.2% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 5.7%±4.3 pts | 22.8% | – |
| Housing units | 292±45 | 20,005 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0%±12.7 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0%±78.0 pts | 4.3% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 95.2%±3.3 pts | 79.1% | – |
| Mobile homes | 3.4%±2.8 pts | 7.7% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 4.5%±3.6 pts | 1.6% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 8.6%±4.6 pts | 11.1% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 14.0%±7.4 pts | 13.9% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 0.0%±12.0 pts | 5.8% | – |
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 Shell Lake Township work and get to work?
66.0% of Shell Lake Township's workers drive alone and 16.3% work from home. The average trip to work takes 44.5 minutes.
| Measure | Shell Lake Township | Becker County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 51.5%±7.2 pts | 60.9% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 3.8%±3.9 pts | 4.3% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 66.0%±9.6 pts | 75.2% | – |
| Carpooled | 14.4%±7.7 pts | 9.7% | – |
| Public transportation | 3.3%±2.7 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Walked | 0.0%±13.6 pts | 3.1% | – |
| Worked from home | 16.3%±8.2 pts | 10.6% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 44.5 min±10.9 | 21.7 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 Shell Lake Township?
No census tract lies mostly in Shell Lake Township; 3 tracts reach into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 4502Becker County | 2,260 | $71,865 |
| Tract 4501Becker County | 3,428 | $74,741 |
| Tract 9400Becker County | 3,821 | $56,225 |
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 Shell Lake Township) · Census block assignment files
How does Shell Lake Township compare with other places in Minnesota?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Shell Lake Township is the 11,511th-most populous of the 16,079 U.S. towns and townships that have one and the 858th-most populous of 1,772 in Minnesota.
Shell Lake Township 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.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 858th | 1,772 |
Shell Lake Township's figures with every place in Minnesota (CSV)
Every place in Minnesota, sortable · Compare Shell Lake Township 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 Shell Lake Township?
22 of the 56 figures for Shell Lake Township 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 Shell Lake Township 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.