Forest Lake, MN
Census place 2721770 · pop 20,729
Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median $214,900 · worse than most cities
$393,500 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
U.S. median 964/100k · worse than most cities
1480 property crimes per 100k · Burglary, theft, motor-vehicle theft and arson per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 14.6% · worse than most cities
13.5% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
U.S. median 24 min · worse than most cities
24 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
U.S. median 0.99% · better than most cities
0.95% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median 36.5% · better than most cities
34.5% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
U.S. median 77/100 · better than most cities
87/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median +2.4% · better than most cities
+3.6% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median $1,756/mo · better than most cities
$1,639/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).
U.S. median 90.0% · better than most cities
92.6% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median 24.3% · better than most cities
35.4% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median 152/100k · better than most cities
121 violent crimes per 100k · Violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median $67,857 · better than most cities
$92,944 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 26.5% · better than most cities
21.1% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
U.S. median 67.2% · better than most cities
72.9% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median 12.1% · better than most cities
7.0% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median 17.4% · better than most cities
15.1% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
U.S. median 9.3% · better than most cities
6.7% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
U.S. median 0.43 · better than most cities
Gini 0.39 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median 1 days · better than most cities
0 unhealthy-air days per year · Days per year with unhealthy air (AQI above 100). Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 42 AQI · better than most cities
35 median AQI · Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 3.6% · better than most cities
2.4% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
Frequently asked
- Is Forest Lake, MN a good place to live?
- By the numbers, Forest Lake scores 64/100 — a C (Meh) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 22 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is unemployment rate and its weakest is housing cost. Minnesota overall ranks #5 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
- How safe is Forest Lake, MN?
- Forest Lake reports 121 violent crimes per 100k and 1480 property crimes per 100k — better than most U.S. cities on violent crime.
- Is Forest Lake, MN expensive to live in?
- Forest Lake has a median home value of $393,500 and typical rent around $1,639/mo — pricier than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in Forest Lake, MN?
- Its weakest measured area is housing cost ($393,500) — 31/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
- What is Forest Lake, MN best at?
- Its strongest measured area is unemployment rate (2.4%) — 96/100, better than most U.S. cities. (A county-level figure.)
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.