Is Moose Lake, MN a Good Place to Live?
Moose Lake is a small town of 3,282 in Minnesota, with a median household income of $49,722 and a 0.9% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 87 (US average = 100), which is 13% below the national average.
Strengths: Moose Lake stands out for an affordable cost of living, below-average home prices, lower-than-average crime, solid school ratings (B), short average commutes.
Trade-offs: No major red flags stand out in the available data. Whether Moose Lake is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Moose 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: 87.0Moose Lake's overall cost of living index is 87.0, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Moose Lake costs roughly 13% less than the average American city.
| Metric | Moose Lake, MN | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $164,100 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $846 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 53.9% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $49,722 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Very SafeMoose Lake's violent crime rate is 39.0 per 100,000 residents — 90% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Moose Lake is served primarily by MOOSE LAKE PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT. The student-to-teacher ratio is 12.6:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Moose Lake, MN | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | MOOSE 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 | 10.1% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 90.0% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Moose Lake sees average highs of 19.8°F in January and 80.2°F in July, with 31.5 inches of annual precipitation and 64.3 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Moose Lake, MN |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 19.8°F |
| Average High — July | 80.2°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 31.5" |
| Annual Snowfall | 64.3" |
Demographics
| Metric | Moose Lake, MN | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 3,282 | — |
| Median Age | 46.9 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 0.9% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 17.9 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 73.8% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 15.0% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 3.6% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 1.5% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 6.1% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 21.8% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Moose Lake
Moose Lake, MN is covered by 1 ZIP code: