Township · Minnesota
Thunder Lake Township, Minnesota
Thunder Lake Township, township, in Cass County, Minnesota. Thunder Lake Township had 242 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 4.3% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 225 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 238 (±33). GEOID 2702164876.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
242
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 225 · ACS 2020-2024: 238 ±33
Median household income
$77,188
±$11,263 (90% margin)
Minnesota: $89,062
Median home value
$403,600
±$65,737 (90% margin)
Minnesota: $329,300
Median gross rent
not published
Minnesota: $1,280
Where is Thunder Lake Township and what county is it in?
Thunder Lake Township is a township in Cass County, Minnesota. It covers 32.4 square miles of land, 7 residents per square mile in 2020.
Thunder Lake Township is in the Brainerd, MN micropolitan statistical area, which takes in 2 counties (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 Thunder Lake Township, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 242 people lived in Thunder Lake Township on July 1, 2025, up 4.3% since 2020, faster than Minnesota (+2.2%). The 2020 Census counted 225 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 238 (±33).
| Measure | Thunder Lake Township | Cass County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 238±33 | 30,992 | no clear change |
| Households | 135±19 | 12,874 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 1.76±0.17 | 2.38 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 616±54 | 24,470 | no clear change |
Thunder Lake Township's population since 2000
From 262 in 2000 to 242 in 2025: down 7.6%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Thunder 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 Thunder Lake Township?
The median resident of Thunder Lake Township is 67.9 years old. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 97.1%, then non-Hispanic Black residents at 2.5%.
| Measure | Thunder Lake Township | Cass County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 67.9±2.3 | 49.9 | +4.7 |
| Under 18 years | 2.1%±2.0 pts | 20.0% | – |
| 65 years and over | 56.7%±7.4 pts | 27.5% | – |
| Male | 52.9%±5.1 pts | 51.5% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 0.0%±9.0 pts | 1.8% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 97.1%±2.8 pts | 80.8% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 2.5%±2.8 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±9.0 pts | 0.5% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±9.0 pts | 8.7% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±9.0 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 0.4%±0.7 pts | 7.2% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±9.0 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 0.8%±1.0 pts | 1.4% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 0.0%±9.0 pts | 2.9% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 16.3%±4.8 pts | 9.5% | – |
| With a disability | 23.1%±6.2 pts | 15.7% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 0.4%±1.0 pts | 6.9% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 97.9%±1.8 pts | 94.3% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 38.6%±9.2 pts | 26.0% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 7.7%±3.2 pts | 7.5% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 90.3%±5.4 pts | 90.6% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 1.7%±1.9 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 Thunder Lake Township earn?
Half of Thunder Lake Township's 135 households earn less than $77,188 a year (±$11,263), against $68,874 in Cass County and $89,062 in Minnesota. In 2015-2019 it was $73,328 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 11.8% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Thunder Lake Township | Cass County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $77,188±$11,263 | $68,874 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $99,878±$11,448 | $90,608 | – |
| Per capita income | $55,648±$6,975 | $38,449 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 11.8%±5.0 pts | 12.8% | – |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 60.0%±51.5 pts | 18.0% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 3.0%±2.6 pts | 11.6% | – |
| Households with a computer | 97.0%±3.2 pts | 94.5% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 86.7%±6.0 pts | 89.3% | – |
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 Thunder Lake Township?
Owners occupy 97.8% of Thunder Lake Township's occupied homes and renters 2.2%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $403,600 by its owner (±$65,737).
| Measure | Thunder Lake Township | Cass County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $403,600±$65,737 | $288,300 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 0.0%±100.0 pts | 30.2% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,550±$320 | $1,535 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 97.8%±2.6 pts | 86.2% | +5.9 pts |
| Renter-occupied homes | 2.2%±2.6 pts | 13.8% | – |
| Housing units | 616±54 | 24,470 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0%±15.6 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0%±100.0 pts | 4.1% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 95.9%±2.8 pts | 85.8% | – |
| Mobile homes | 3.9%±2.8 pts | 8.3% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 1.8%±1.5 pts | 1.9% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 4.1%±1.9 pts | 9.7% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 5.4%±2.7 pts | 4.9% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 1.5%±2.1 pts | 4.2% | – |
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 Thunder Lake Township work and get to work?
58.0% of Thunder Lake Township's workers drive alone and 29.0% work from home. The average trip to work takes 29.2 minutes.
| Measure | Thunder Lake Township | Cass County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 30.9%±8.1 pts | 55.1% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 5.5%±5.9 pts | 6.6% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 58.0%±13.0 pts | 73.2% | – |
| Carpooled | 13.0%±8.5 pts | 9.7% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0%±27.2 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Walked | 0.0%±27.2 pts | 2.5% | – |
| Worked from home | 29.0%±12.3 pts | 12.3% | no clear change |
| Mean travel time to work | 29.2 min±7.6 | 25.2 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 Thunder Lake Township?
No census tract lies mostly in Thunder Lake Township; 2 tracts reach into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9602Cass County | 2,494 | $64,801 |
| Tract 9601Cass County | 2,144 | $59,327 |
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 Thunder Lake Township) · Census block assignment files
How does Thunder Lake Township compare with other places in Minnesota?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Thunder Lake Township is the 11,942nd-most populous of the 16,079 U.S. towns and townships that have one and the 982nd-most populous of 1,772 in Minnesota.
Thunder 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 | 982nd | 1,772 |
Thunder Lake Township's figures with every place in Minnesota (CSV)
Every place in Minnesota, sortable · Compare Thunder 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 Thunder Lake Township?
24 of the 56 figures for Thunder 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 Thunder 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.