Forest Lake, Minnesota Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Forest Lake, 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 | Forest Lake | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 20,728 | 5,724,000 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 583.5 | 65.8 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.96% | 0.64% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 38.2 | 37.1 | 37.3 |
| Households | 8,286 | 2,299,361 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Forest Lake grew by 19.5% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 20,728 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Forest Lake is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 22.5% of residents. That is 2.8 points above Minnesota as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 4,451 21.5% +0.2 pts
- Millennials 29–44 4,321 20.8% -1.0 pts
- Gen X 45–60 4,654 22.5% +2.8 pts
- Boomers 61–79 3,159 15.2% -1.3 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 51.5% of the people living in Forest Lake and men 48.5%.
- Women 51.5% Minnesota 50.0%
- Men 48.5% Minnesota 50.0%
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Economy
Forest Lake has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Forest Lake | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $94,349 | $89,852 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.24% | 4.43% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.3% | 4.1% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Forest Lake is about 5% higher than in Minnesota.
Housing
| Metric | Forest Lake | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $212,000 | $236,718 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,421 | $1,280 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 72.9% | 72.2% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Forest Lake is about 12.4 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,421 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Forest Lake spend about 47 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 197 hours, about 8.2 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Forest Lake | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 23.6 | 20.3 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 47.3 | 40.6 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 197 | 169 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $6,103 | $5,249 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 17.7% | 17.6% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 12,998 | 7,066 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,506 | 854 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Forest Lake is 24 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
Forest Lake has a education index of C, which means it is somewhat educated.
| Metric | Forest Lake | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 33.9% | 35.5% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.49 | 2.43 | 2.53 |
Health
Forest Lake has a health index of A, which means it is very healthy.
| Metric | Forest Lake | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 80.7 | 80.8 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 10.5% | 13.0% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 16.8% | 18.5% | 19.0% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Forest Lake, Minnesota.
How many people live in Forest Lake, Minnesota?
About 20,728 people live in Forest Lake, Minnesota, in 8,286 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 38.2, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
How densely populated is Forest Lake, Minnesota?
Averaged over its land area, Forest Lake, Minnesota has 583 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 6.7 times the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Forest Lake, Minnesota?
The median home costs 2.2 times the median household income ($212,000 against $94,349), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $1,421 a month takes about 18% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
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