Median Income
$100,188
household / year
Median Home Value
$266,600
owner-occupied
Median Rent
$1,282
gross / month
Cost of Living
104
national avg = 100

Is Big Lake, MN a Good Place to Live?

Big Lake is a small city of 11,857 in Minnesota, with a median household income of $100,188 and a 3.2% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 104 (US average = 100), which is 4% above the national average.

Strengths: Big Lake stands out for lower-than-average crime, solid school ratings (B-).

Trade-offs: Potential downsides include longer commutes. Whether Big Lake is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.

All Big 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: 104.5

Big Lake's overall cost of living index is 104.5, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Big Lake costs roughly 4% more than the average American city.

Metric Big Lake, MN National Avg
Median Home Value $266,600 $244,900
Median Monthly Rent $1,282 $1,163
Homeownership Rate 85.3% 65.9%
Median Household Income $100,188 $74,755

Crime & Safety

Very Safe

Big Lake's violent crime rate is 131.7 per 100,000 residents — 65% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.

Violent Crime
131.7 /100k
Property Crime
341.0 /100k

Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.

Schools & Education

Big Lake is served primarily by BIG LAKE PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT. The student-to-teacher ratio is 16.0:1 .

Metric Big Lake, MN National Avg
School District BIG LAKE PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT —
Elementary Schools 3 —
Middle Schools 1 —
High Schools 2 —
Student/Teacher Ratio 16.0:1 16:1
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 23.3% 35.4%
High School Diploma or Higher 94.4% 91.1%

Weather & Climate

Big Lake sees average highs of 22.5°F in January and 83.4°F in July, with 31.0 inches of annual precipitation and 35.7 inches of snow per year.

MetricBig Lake, MN
Average High — January22.5°F
Average High — July83.4°F
Annual Precipitation31.0"
Annual Snowfall35.7"

Demographics

MetricBig Lake, MNNational Avg
Population11,857—
Median Age31.738.9
Unemployment Rate3.2%3.7%
Avg Commute Time33.1 min26 min
White (non-Hispanic)89.0%59.3%
Black or African American3.1%13.6%
Hispanic or Latino4.5%18.9%
Asian0.3%6.3%
Under 1829.8%22.2%
65 and over5.7%16.8%

Nearby Cities

Monticello, MN 4 mi Becker, MN 8 mi Otsego, MN 8 mi Albertville, MN 8 mi Elk River, MN 9 mi

ZIP Codes in Big Lake

Big Lake, MN is covered by 1 ZIP code:

55309

Big Lake vs Other Cities

Big Lake, MN vs Monticello, MN Big Lake, MN vs Becker, MN Big Lake, MN vs Otsego, MN Big Lake, MN vs Albertville, MN Big Lake, MN vs Elk River, MN

Frequently Asked Questions

Big Lake's cost of living index is 104, where 100 is the national average. That puts Big Lake roughly 4% above the national average in cost. The median home price is $266,600 and median rent is $1,282/month.
Big Lake's violent crime rate is 131.7 per 100,000 residents — the national average is ~380 per 100,000. Property crime is 341.0 per 100,000 (national avg ~2,100). Data from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program.
Public schools in Big Lake are operated by BIG LAKE PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT. The district has 3 elementary, 1 middle, and 2 high schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 16.0:1. 23.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Big Lake, MN has a population of 11,857, a median household income of $100,188, and an unemployment rate of 3.2%. Whether it's right for you depends on your priorities — use the compare tool above to stack it against another city you're considering.
Big Lake averages 22.5°F in January and 83.4°F in July. Annual rainfall is 31.0 inches with about 35.7 inches of snow per year. Based on NOAA 30-year climate normals (1991–2020).
Big Lake, MN is covered by 1 ZIP code: 55309.
The population of Big Lake, Minnesota is 11,857 with a median age of 31.7. Source: US Census ACS 5-Year Estimates.
Key numbers for living in Big Lake: cost of living index 104 (100 = US average), median home $266,600, median household income $100,188, crime index 27 (100 = US average, lower is safer), schools rated B-. Whether these are benefits or drawbacks depends on where you're coming from — compare Big Lake side by side with your current city to see the trade-offs.