Tower Fire Hall · National Register of Historic Places
Tower’s story
137 years in pictures
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1889Tower is settled
TowerMN
A town of 367, settled in 1889. A regional job hub with 338 jobs.
Population
367
−14% since 2010
Typical home
$359K
+8.6% in a year
Household income
$66K
median
Median age
55.4
years
Jobs based here
338
A job hub
What makes Tower stand out
The thing Tower does most differently from other towns.
Small town
367 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
BreitungKuglerTower
Tower’s report card
Now in Tower
Be the first to start the conversation.
Residents weigh in
Live in Tower? Is a B for its schools right?
Your answer becomes a post in Tower’s Town Square.
Start a conversation
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Tower. Another town gets a different order.
Work & commute
About one in seven working residents works right in Tower
Most working residents leave Tower for work: only 15% work in town. The top destinations are Virginia (16%), Greenwood (14%) and Duluth (8%). Half commute less than 23 miles.
15%work in town
Where working residents work
In Tower15%
Virginia16%
Greenwood14%
Duluth8%
Mountain Iron5%
23 mi
median commute distance
338
jobs based in Tower
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACSCommute map →
Climate
Snowy winters, pleasant summers
Tower has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 78°, a January night drops to -5°, and about 69 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
69″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter-1–21°
Spring25–51°
Summer51–76°
Fall31–51°
+2.0°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →
Schools
Tower’s public schools outperform 60% of Minnesota districts
The public schools Tower’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, outperform 60% of Minnesota’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they sit near the middle.
BSchool Grade
| School | Grades | Students | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tower-Soudan Elementary | PK–6 | 95 | B− |
| Vermilion Country School | 7–12 | 50 | C− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MN on state tests and graduationAll 2 schools →
Health
How healthy Tower is
Tower beats the Minnesota average on 3 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 8.
32 measures vs. Minnesota
3 better21 too close to call8 worse
| What stands out | Tower | MN |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 81.9% | 76.1% |
| More adults getting a yearly checkup | 78.4% | 74.8% |
| More adults with heart disease | 8.4% | 5.9% |
Cook Hospital
19 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →
Outdoors
6.4% of Tower is conserved land
2.8 miles of trails across 0 parks and preserves.
6.4%conserved
6.4%
conserved · 118 of 1,855 acres
2.8 mi
of trails · 1 per sq mi
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-USParks & trails →
Natural hazards
Moderate risk, with cold waves at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 43% of U.S. communities.
43risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Cold wavesInland flooding
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →
Housing
A typical Tower home is worth about $359K
The typical Tower home is worth about $359,000, up 8.6% in a year, close to the Minnesota typical home.
$359KZillow home value
Typical home value
Tower$359K
Minnesota$351K
+8.6%
value change, 1 year
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →
A job hub
Every workday, about 318 people come to Tower for work
Where Tower’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
338jobs based in Tower
15%of working residents work in town
23 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Landmarks
2 places in Tower on the National Register of Historic Places.
About Tower
City in Minnesota, United States
Tower is a city located in Saint Louis County, Minnesota, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total population of 430. State Highways 1 (MN 1), 169 (MN 169), and 135 (MN 135) are three of the main routes in Tower. Tower is located on the southern shore of Lake Vermilion.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1889
- Population
- 430
- Area
- 3.4 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,394 ft
- ZIP code
- 55790
- Area code
- 218