Is Lake Elmo, MN a Good Place to Live?
Lake Elmo is a small city of 11,861 in Minnesota, with a median household income of $158,269 and a 3.3% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 104 (US average = 100), which is 4% above the national average.
Strengths: Lake Elmo stands out for solid school ratings (A-), a well-educated population, short average commutes.
Trade-offs: Potential downsides include high home prices. Whether Lake Elmo is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Lake Elmo 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: 104.5Lake Elmo's overall cost of living index is 104.5, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Lake Elmo costs roughly 4% more than the average American city.
| Metric | Lake Elmo, MN | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $546,700 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | N/A | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 91.7% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $158,269 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Very SafeLake Elmo's violent crime rate is 117.4 per 100,000 residents — 69% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Lake Elmo is served primarily by Stillwater Area Public Schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 17.7:1 (slightly above the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Lake Elmo, MN | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Stillwater Area Public Schools | — |
| Elementary Schools | 8 | — |
| Middle Schools | 2 | — |
| High Schools | 4 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 17.7:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 60.7% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 98.3% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Lake Elmo sees average highs of 22.3°F in January and 79.3°F in July, with 33.6 inches of annual precipitation and 40.4 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Lake Elmo, MN |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 22.3°F |
| Average High — July | 79.3°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 33.6" |
| Annual Snowfall | 40.4" |
Demographics
| Metric | Lake Elmo, MN | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 11,861 | — |
| Median Age | 40.9 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 3.3% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 24.9 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 89.2% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 4.7% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 1.4% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 2.1% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 27.3% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 16.1% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Lake Elmo
Lake Elmo, MN is covered by 1 ZIP code: