Elk River, Minnesota Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Elk River, MN Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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A
Health Above average
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B
Income Around average
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C
Education Below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Elk River | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 27,601 | 5,724,000 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 630.0 | 65.8 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 1.25% | 0.64% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 37.6 | 37.1 | 37.3 |
| Households | 10,093 | 2,299,361 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Elk River grew by 20.9% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 27,601 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Elk River is Millennials, aged 29–44, at 25.0% of residents. That is 3.1 points above Minnesota as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 5,766 20.9% -0.4 pts
- Millennials 29–44 6,888 25.0% +3.1 pts
- Gen X 45–60 5,424 19.7% on par
- Boomers 61–79 3,499 12.7% -3.9 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Minnesota, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 49.7% of the people living in Elk River and men 50.3%.
- Women 49.7% Minnesota 50.0%
- Men 50.3% Minnesota 50.0%
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Economy
Elk River has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Elk River | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $109,389 | $89,852 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.97% | 4.43% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 1.5% | 4.1% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Elk River is about 22% higher than in Minnesota.
Housing
| Metric | Elk River | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $5,664 | $236,718 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,282 | $1,280 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 79.3% | 72.2% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Elk River is about 0.4 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,282 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Elk River spend about 53 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 219 hours, about 9.1 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Elk River | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 26.3 | 20.3 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 52.5 | 40.6 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 219 | 169 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $6,786 | $5,249 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 15.7% | 17.6% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 10,461 | 7,066 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,279 | 854 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Elk River is 26 minutes, longer than the 20 minutes in Minnesota.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Elk River has a education index of C, which means it is somewhat educated.
| Metric | Elk River | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 25.9% | 35.5% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.68 | 2.43 | 2.53 |
Health
Elk River has a health index of A, which means it is very healthy.
| Metric | Elk River | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 81.4 | 80.8 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 9.8% | 13.0% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 17.3% | 18.5% | 19.0% |
Elk River, MN Compared With Nearby Cities
How Elk River, MN compares with the 2 cities closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elk River, MN | 27,601 | $109,389 #3/3 | $5,664 #2/3 | 26.3 min #1/3 |
| Otsego, MN | 20,942 | $123,682 | $5,649 | 31.1 min |
| Ramsey, MN | 28,458 | $113,757 | $349,999 | 26.7 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Elk River, Minnesota.
How many people live in Elk River, Minnesota?
About 27,601 people live in Elk River, Minnesota, in 10,093 households of 2.7 people on average. The median age is 37.6, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
How densely populated is Elk River, Minnesota?
Averaged over its land area, Elk River, Minnesota has 630 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 7.3 times the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Elk River, Minnesota?
The median home costs 0.1 times the median household income ($5,664 against $109,389), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $1,282 a month takes about 14% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Elk River, Minnesota?
Unemployment in Elk River, Minnesota is only 1.5%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
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