Is Howard Lake, MN a Good Place to Live?
Howard Lake is a small town of 1,852 in Minnesota, with a median household income of $85,677 and a 2.0% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 104 (US average = 100), which is 4% above the national average.
Strengths: Howard Lake stands out for below-average home prices, solid school ratings (A-).
Trade-offs: Potential downsides include longer commutes. Whether Howard Lake is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Howard 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: 104.5Howard Lake's overall cost of living index is 104.5, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Howard Lake costs roughly 4% more than the average American city.
| Metric | Howard Lake, MN | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $217,300 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $915 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 71.9% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $85,677 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Very SafeHoward Lake's violent crime rate is 64.3 per 100,000 residents — 83% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Howard Lake is served primarily by Meeker and Wright Special Education. The student-to-teacher ratio is 5.7:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Howard Lake, MN | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Meeker and Wright Special Education | — |
| Elementary Schools | 1 | — |
| Middle Schools | 1 | — |
| High Schools | 5 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 5.7:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 15.6% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 94.5% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Howard Lake sees average highs of 21.0°F in January and 82.3°F in July, with 28.7 inches of annual precipitation and 41.1 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Howard Lake, MN |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 21.0°F |
| Average High — July | 82.3°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 28.7" |
| Annual Snowfall | 41.1" |
Demographics
| Metric | Howard Lake, MN | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 1,852 | — |
| Median Age | 44.9 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 2.0% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 30.4 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 95.7% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 0.6% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 0.8% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 0.3% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 20.4% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 23.0% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Howard Lake
Howard Lake, MN is covered by 1 ZIP code: