Census-designated place · Minnesota
The Lakes, Minnesota
The Lakes, census-designated place, in Murray County, Minnesota. The Lakes had 590 residents in the 2020 Census, a full count; the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 594 (±68). GEOID 2764543.
Residents, 2020 Census
590
Census count or controlled total
ACS 2020-2024 estimate: 594 ±68
Median household income
$87,969
±$7,617 (90% margin)
Minnesota: $89,062
Median home value
$397,100
±$24,718 (90% margin)
Minnesota: $329,300
Median gross rent
not published
Minnesota: $1,280
Where is The Lakes and what county is it in?
The Lakes is a census-designated place: an unincorporated community the Census Bureau draws for counting, with no city government of its own, in Murray County, Minnesota. It covers 33.7 square miles of land, 18 residents per square mile in 2020.
The Lakes lies partly within Lake Sarah Township and reaches into Shetek Township, Mason Township and Murray Township, towns or townships with their 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 The Lakes, and is it growing?
The 2020 Census counted 590 residents in The Lakes, a full count rather than a sample. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a sample, estimates 594 (±68).
The Census Bureau publishes yearly population estimates for incorporated places only; The Lakes is a census-designated place, so its figures come from the ACS and the 2020 Census.
| Measure | The Lakes | Murray County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 594 ±68 | 8,097 | no clear change |
| Households | 313 ±40 | 3,609 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 1.90 ±0.15 | 2.21 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 783 ±64 | 4,401 | no clear change |
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 The Lakes?
The median resident of The Lakes is 62.7 years old; 10.6% are under 18 and 45.1% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 92.9%, then non-Hispanic residents of two or more races at 3.9%.
| Measure | The Lakes | Murray County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 62.7 ±2.0 | 46.5 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 10.6% ±3.4 pts | 21.7% | – |
| 65 years and over | 45.1% ±4.6 pts | 26.6% | – |
| Male | 48.7% ±3.3 pts | 50.1% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 3.0% ±3.3 pts | 5.2% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 92.9% ±3.5 pts | 89.1% | −4.1 pts |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±3.7 pts | 0.7% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±3.7 pts | 0.9% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.2% ±0.3 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±3.7 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 3.9% ±1.8 pts | 3.0% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±3.7 pts | 1.0% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 0.7% ±0.6 pts | 3.2% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 2.6% ±1.8 pts | 6.7% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 11.7% ±3.4 pts | 7.4% | – |
| With a disability | 13.6% ±3.2 pts | 13.4% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 1.5% ±1.2 pts | 5.0% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 99.6% ±0.9 pts | 91.9% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 28.3% ±5.0 pts | 23.5% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 9.0% ±2.4 pts | 5.7% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 96.8% ±1.2 pts | 92.1% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.7% ±0.5 pts | 1.1% | – |
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 The Lakes earn?
Half of The Lakes's 313 households earn less than $87,969 a year (±$7,617), against $74,033 in Murray County and $89,062 in Minnesota. In 2015-2019 it was $101,532 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 3.5% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | The Lakes | Murray County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $87,969 ±$7,617 | $74,033 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $108,937 ±$14,419 | $90,836 | – |
| Per capita income | $57,962 ±$5,711 | $40,935 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 3.5% ±1.5 pts | 9.3% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 3.2% ±5.4 pts | 10.1% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 1.3% ±1.1 pts | 6.2% | – |
| Households with a computer | 98.7% ±0.8 pts | 93.2% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 93.0% ±4.1 pts | 85.1% | – |
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 The Lakes?
Owners occupy 92.7% of The Lakes's occupied homes and renters 7.3%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $397,100 by its owner (±$24,718).
| Measure | The Lakes | Murray County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $397,100 ±$24,718 | $185,400 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 0.0% ±100.0 pts | 30.6% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $2,045 ±$190 | $1,384 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 92.7% ±4.4 pts | 82.2% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 7.3% ±4.4 pts | 17.8% | – |
| Housing units | 783 ±64 | 4,401 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.3% ±0.8 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 47.7% ±41.2 pts | 10.1% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 90.8% ±4.3 pts | 90.0% | – |
| Mobile homes | 5.9% ±2.9 pts | 3.0% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 1.9% ±1.6 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 6.1% ±2.2 pts | 3.4% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 13.9% ±4.4 pts | 25.8% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 3.2% ±2.0 pts | 4.5% | – |
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 The Lakes work and get to work?
68.8% of The Lakes's workers drive alone and 18.1% work from home. The average trip to work takes 30.1 minutes.
| Measure | The Lakes | Murray County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 52.8% ±4.4 pts | 62.5% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 1.4% ±1.1 pts | 2.7% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 68.8% ±7.9 pts | 74.3% | – |
| Carpooled | 5.4% ±2.2 pts | 9.9% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±7.8 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Walked | 2.5% ±1.9 pts | 4.1% | – |
| Worked from home | 18.1% ±5.4 pts | 9.9% | +11.3 pts |
| Mean travel time to work | 30.1 min ±3.8 | 21.0 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 The Lakes?
No census tract lies mostly in The Lakes; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9001Murray County | 1,833 | $81,685 |
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 The Lakes) · Census block assignment files
How does The Lakes compare with other places in Minnesota?
The Lakes 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.
The Lakes's figures with every place in Minnesota (CSV)
Every place in Minnesota, sortable · Compare The Lakes 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 The Lakes?
19 of the 56 figures for The Lakes 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 The Lakes 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.