Is Battle Lake, MN a Good Place to Live?
Battle Lake is a small town of 744 in Minnesota, with a median household income of $57,917 and a 8.3% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 97 (US average = 100), which is 3% below the national average.
Strengths: Battle Lake stands out for an affordable cost of living, below-average home prices, solid school ratings (B+), short average commutes.
Trade-offs: Potential downsides include an elevated unemployment rate. Whether Battle Lake is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Battle Lake city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.
Cost of Living
Index: 96.7Battle Lake's overall cost of living index is 96.7, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Battle Lake costs roughly 3% less than the average American city.
| Metric | Battle Lake, MN | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $222,200 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $919 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 67.5% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $57,917 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Very SafeBattle Lake's violent crime rate is 81.7 per 100,000 residents — 78% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Battle Lake is served primarily by BATTLE LAKE PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT. The student-to-teacher ratio is 12.6:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Battle Lake, MN | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | BATTLE LAKE PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT | — |
| Elementary Schools | 1 | — |
| Middle Schools | N/A | — |
| High Schools | 1 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 12.6:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 27.4% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 95.4% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Battle Lake sees average highs of 17.4°F in January and 78.6°F in July, with 27.4 inches of annual precipitation and 45.6 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Battle Lake, MN |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 17.4°F |
| Average High — July | 78.6°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 27.4" |
| Annual Snowfall | 45.6" |
Demographics
| Metric | Battle Lake, MN | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 744 | — |
| Median Age | 57.0 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 8.3% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 18.5 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 88.2% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 0.0% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 10.3% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 0.0% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 18.7% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 40.1% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Battle Lake
Battle Lake, MN is covered by 1 ZIP code: