The Town Files

Anoka, Minnesota

City in Anoka County · population 17,921 (2020 Census)

Map: where Anoka is in MinnesotaAnoka
Median home
$308,700
Household income
$75,948
Jan low / Jul high
2° / 82°
Snow a year
44 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
22
Median age
40.6

Anoka is a city of 17,921 people in Anoka County, Minnesota. The median home is worth $308,700, close to the typical Minnesota town ($301,800). It ranks more walkable than 97% of Minnesota towns, more vibrant than 97% of Minnesota towns, better transit than 95% of Minnesota towns.

How Anoka ranks

Percentile among Minnesota towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Minnesota towns.

Anoka lifestyle rankings vs other Minnesota townsRetirement31st pctFamilies6th pctQuiet2nd pctWalkability97th pctFirst-time buyers79th pctYoung professionals90th pctVibrancy97th pctHip & trendy87th pctCollege town84th pctUpscale44th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCycling82nd pctTransit95th pctDriving24th pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Anoka is worth $308,700, close to the typical Minnesota town ($301,800). Homes cost about 4.1 times the median household income of $75,948, which is more affordable than 20% of Minnesota towns. Median rent is $1,269 a month. 56.9% of households own their home.

Anoka vs Anoka County vs typical Minnesota townAnokaAnoka CountyTypical Minnesota townHome value$308,700$346,500$301,800Household income$75,948$101,869$87,375Monthly rent$1,269$1,464$991
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Minnesota towns with 500+ people.
HousingAnokaTypical Minnesota town
Median home value$308,700$301,800
Median rent$1,269$991
Median household income$75,948$87,375
Home value ÷ income4.1×3.4×
Homeownership56.9%88.6%
Median year built19731979
Seasonal / vacation homes0.0%—

Who lives in Anoka

PeopleAnokaTypical Minnesota town
Median age40.642.7
Age 65 and over18.9%20.0%
Under 1821.0%—
Bachelor's degree or higher26.6%26.2%
Below the poverty line8.3%6.9%
Veterans6.1%—
Born outside the U.S.10.2%—
Work from home11.8%11.1%
Average commute24.5 min24.5 min
Homes with broadband92.3%90.2%

Weather in Anoka

July highs average 82.2°F and January lows 2.4°F. About 28.8 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 44.1 inches of snow (typical Minnesota town: 47.0 in). Expect about 10 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 172 nights at or below freezing.

Anoka monthly temperatures and precipitation0°10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing22°2°Jan28°7°Feb41°19°Mar56°32°Apr68°45°May78°55°Jun82°60°Jul80°57°Aug72°48°Sep58°36°Oct41°23°Nov27°11°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue0.65.10.89.61.46.32.95.73.63.84.53.62.52.70.71.44.31.012.4
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Andover 1N station (5.5 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

22 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Anoka since 1950, compared with 14 for the typical Minnesota town. 10 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F4, struck on July 3, 1983 about 3.5 miles from the town center. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 5 deaths and 205 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on August 29, 2024.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Anoka by decade21950s31960s21970s51980s11990s62000s12010s22020s
NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 148 times; the largest was 3.00 inches on August 5, 2019.

Severe weather in Anoka County since 1996

Storm events in Anoka County since 1996 by typeHail228Tornado18Lightning7Heavy Rain16Heavy Snow14Flash Flood17Winter Storm72Excessive Heat9
NOAA Storm Events Database, Anoka County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 4 deaths recorded.

Anoka County has been included in 13 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, drought.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
April 7, 2020BiologicalDR-4531: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3453: Covid-19
June 7, 2011Severe StormDR-1990: Severe Storms And Tornadoes
September 13, 2005HurricaneEM-3242: Hurricane Katrina Evacuation
May 16, 2001FloodDR-1370: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Tornadoes

Jobs and pay in Anoka County

Anoka County had 133,130 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $65,235 a year. Unemployment was 2.8% in 2023; in Anoka itself the ACS puts it at 4.8%.

Largest industries in Anoka CountyManufacturing22,681 jobs · $91,431Health care & social assistan…20,554 jobs · $63,285Retail16,008 jobs · $37,229Hotels & restaurants10,932 jobs · $24,228Construction9,327 jobs · $85,895Wholesale trade7,074 jobs · $102,606
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Anoka County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%2000200420082012201620202023Anoka 2.8%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Public schools in Anoka

11 public schools with 6,493 students, about 16.7 students per teacher.

SchoolGradesStudentsPer teacher
Anoka High School9-122,35319.1
ANOKA MIDDLE SCHOOL FOR THE ARTS6-81,60416.7
EARLY CHILDHOOD/SPECIAL EDUCATIONPK-PK1,11225.3
WILSON ELEMENTARYK-556914.6
Lincoln Elementary School for ArtsK-542613.7
Anoka-Hennepin Regional High School9-1220310.7
Anoka-Hennepin Tech High School9-1215414.0
Secondary Technical Ed Prog S.T.E.P10-12593.0
Crossroads SchoolK-12112.2
Anoka-Hennepin Specialty Program6-122—
Elementary Virtual SchoolK-5——

Towns near Anoka

Anoka questions

Is Anoka, Minnesota a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Anoka scores better for retirees than 31% of Minnesota towns and quieter than 2%. 18.9% of residents are 65 or older (median age 40.6).

How much does a house cost in Anoka?

The median owner-occupied home in Anoka is valued at $308,700 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $75,948, so homes cost about 4.1 times income. Median rent is $1,269 a month.

What is the weather like in Anoka?

July highs average 82.2°F and January lows 2.4°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 28.8 inches of precipitation a year and 44.1 inches of snow.

Does Anoka get tornadoes?

22 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Anoka since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F4 on July 3, 1983. The typical Minnesota town has had 14.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Anoka's Census boundary (GEOID 2701720). Comparisons use the median of Minnesota towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-13.