City · Minnesota
Tower, Minnesota
Tower, city, in St. Louis County, Minnesota. Tower had 422 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 0.7% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 430 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 367 (±86). GEOID 2765272.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
422
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 430 · ACS 2020-2024: 367 ±86
Median household income
$65,893
±$13,740 (90% margin)
Minnesota: $89,062
Median home value
$109,600
±$27,256 (90% margin)
Minnesota: $329,300
Median gross rent
$586
±$36 (90% margin)
Minnesota: $1,280
Where is Tower and what county is it in?
Tower is a city in St. Louis County, Minnesota. It covers 2.9 square miles of land, 147 residents per square mile in 2020.
Tower is in the Duluth, MN-WI metropolitan statistical area, which takes in 3 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 Tower, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 422 people lived in Tower on July 1, 2025, down 0.7% since 2020, while Minnesota grew 2.2%. The 2020 Census counted 430 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 367 (±86).
| Measure | Tower | St. Louis County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 367 ±86 | 200,123 | no clear change |
| Households | 169 ±40 | 87,115 | −82 |
| Average household size | 2.11 ±0.37 | 2.20 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 250 ±50 | 104,263 | −86 |
Tower's population since 2000
From 479 in 2000 to 422 in 2025: down 11.9%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Tower 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 Tower?
The median resident of Tower is 55.4 years old; 14.4% are under 18 and 28.6% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 88.8%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 6.3%.
| Measure | Tower | St. Louis County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 55.4 ±9.4 | 41.2 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 14.4% ±7.9 pts | 18.6% | – |
| 65 years and over | 28.6% ±12.7 pts | 21.4% | – |
| Male | 53.1% ±7.1 pts | 50.3% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 6.3% ±9.8 pts | 1.9% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 88.8% ±10.3 pts | 89.5% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.5% ±0.7 pts | 1.6% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±5.9 pts | 1.0% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.3% ±0.4 pts | 1.5% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±5.9 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 4.1% ±4.8 pts | 4.1% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±5.9 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 0.0% ±5.9 pts | 1.9% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 0.0% ±6.1 pts | 3.2% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 4.8% ±3.0 pts | 7.3% | – |
| With a disability | 9.8% ±5.1 pts | 15.6% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 4.8% ±3.5 pts | 4.1% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 95.5% ±3.8 pts | 95.1% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 12.6% ±5.6 pts | 33.6% | −9.8 pts |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 5.2% ±3.8 pts | 12.2% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 84.5% ±8.1 pts | 86.2% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.0% ±5.9 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 Tower earn?
Half of Tower's 169 households earn less than $65,893 a year (±$13,740), against $70,069 in St. Louis County and $89,062 in Minnesota. In 2015-2019 it was $47,689 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart.
| Measure | Tower | St. Louis County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $65,893 ±$13,740 | $70,069 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $75,234 ±$13,901 | $93,368 | – |
| Per capita income | $34,860 ±$4,391 | $41,302 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 9.8% ±8.5 pts | 13.2% | – |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 5.7% ±8.6 pts | 12.5% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 5.9% ±6.5 pts | 10.2% | – |
| Households with a computer | 89.9% ±8.2 pts | 94.1% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 87.6% ±8.5 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 Tower?
Owners occupy 83.4% of Tower's occupied homes and renters 16.6%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $109,600 by its owner (±$27,256). The median renter pays $586 a month including utilities.
| Measure | Tower | St. Louis County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $109,600 ±$27,256 | $221,400 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $586 ±$36 | $1,013 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 30.8% ±30.5 pts | 41.6% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,181 ±$160 | $1,558 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 83.4% ±7.8 pts | 71.2% | +14.1 pts |
| Renter-occupied homes | 16.6% ±7.8 pts | 28.8% | – |
| Housing units | 250 ±50 | 104,263 | −86 |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±14.7 pts | 0.9% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 33.3% ±22.3 pts | 4.4% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 72.0% ±9.9 pts | 73.2% | – |
| Mobile homes | 4.8% ±5.1 pts | 3.8% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 5.2% ±5.6 pts | 0.8% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 0.0% ±8.6 pts | 5.1% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 26.4% ±7.6 pts | 28.4% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 4.1% ±6.4 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 many new homes is Tower building?
Builders took permits for 0 new housing units in Tower in 2025 (0 in single-family houses), 0.0 per 1,000 residents against 3.6 across Minnesota.
Counts of units in permits a local office issued; not every permitted unit is built. A year marked with months was reported for part of the year.
Source: Building Permits Survey, annual place files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey
How do people in Tower work and get to work?
79.4% of Tower's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 26.8 minutes.
| Measure | Tower | St. Louis County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 54.7% ±9.1 pts | 61.2% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 5.9% ±6.6 pts | 4.6% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 79.4% ±13.2 pts | 74.1% | – |
| Carpooled | 1.1% ±1.9 pts | 7.6% | – |
| Public transportation | 1.7% ±2.3 pts | 1.8% | – |
| Walked | 1.7% ±1.9 pts | 3.6% | – |
| Worked from home | 12.6% ±12.1 pts | 11.2% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 26.8 min ±7.2 | 19.9 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 Tower?
No census tract lies mostly in Tower; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 154.02St. Louis County | 1,314 | $69,250 |
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 Tower) · Census block assignment files
How does Tower compare with other places in Minnesota?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Tower is the 13,889th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 527th-most populous of 855 in Minnesota.
Tower 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 | 527th | 855 |
Tower's figures with every place in Minnesota (CSV)
Every place in Minnesota, sortable · Compare Tower 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 Tower?
27 of the 57 figures for Tower 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 Tower 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' public schools in Tower.