Big Lake Watertower, 2010
Big Lake’s story
171 years in pictures
Census counts: 177 in 1900, 11,686 in 2020. The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 2010 and 3 maps from 1961 on.
- 1855Big Lake is settled
Photo: KAM32296 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
12,929
2025 Census estimate · +10.6% since 2020
Typical home
$375K
+2.4% in a year
Household income
$121K
median
Median age
32.5
years
Jobs based here
2,412
A commuter town
TownGrade
A
#43 of 271 in MN
Why does Big Lake grade so well?
Because it does well by almost any measure. Big Lake earns an A, 43rd among Minnesota's 271 graded towns. The median household earns $121K, it reports less crime per resident than 82% of U.S. towns, and its schools outperform 75% of the state's. Its lowest mark, a B, is in cost of living. 5.7% of residents are 65 or older in Big Lake, below both Minnesota’s towns (18%) and U.S. towns (18%). Only 27 of Minnesota’s 574 towns score lower on history. Big Lake's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 93% of U.S. towns.
What makes Big Lake stand out
Where Big Lake beats most towns.
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Big Lake0.9
Minnesota2.3
U.S.3.3
SafetyA−
61% less violent crime than MN
FBI data, 2025. Crimes reported to police.
32 measures vs. Minnesota
10 better17 too close to call5 worse
| Widest gap | Big Lake | MN |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults with heart disease | 4% | 5.9% |
HealthA−
Healthier than 75% of U.S. towns
Less healthyHealthier
CDC PLACES 2025 estimates.
BIG LAKE PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Independence Elementary | 3–5 | 758 |
| Liberty Elementary | PK–2 | 756 |
| Big Lake Online K-5 | K–5 | 24 |
SchoolsA−
On state tests and graduation
NCES · EDFacts.
A growing town
Big Lake has grown 29% since 2010
10,060 counted in 2010 and 11,686 in 2020; an estimated 12,929 in 2025.
Growth hasn’t slowed: 10.6% since 2020, after 16.2% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
How Big Lake grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Minnesota), ordered by how far Big Lake is from typical.
Jobs & income2,412 jobs based hereAOpen →SafetyA−Open →HealthCentracare Health - Monticello 3.4 miles awayA−Open →SchoolsA−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 6.1 of 20; 5.8% of households have no car; 1.5% of workers walk, bike or ride transitCOpen →Cost of livingBOpen →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 39% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listC+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market21 days on market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 32.5; 27% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Big Lake: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Big Lake, and how to reach them.
PowerConnexus Energy14.1¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterBig Lake water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers99% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpHire your ownNo town pickup: you hire a private haulerTown site
Register to voteOnlineIn Minnesota you can register online until 21 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (received 21 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereSherburne County AuditorSherburne County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Aug 2015
ZIP code5530955309 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Big Lake.
Big Lake pairs an A− for schools with modest home prices, trades lower home prices for longer drives to work and owes part of its health edge to its incomes.
SafetyA−
Big Lake’s grade for safety is an A−
Violent crime is rare: 12 reported in 2025, 0.9 per 1,000 residents.
Big Lake’s property crime rate is 4.9 per 1,000 residents.
82%of U.S. towns report more crimeA−Safety Grade
| Big Lake | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 4.9 per 1,000 residents | 8.7 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.9 per 1,000 residents | 1.1 | 1.6 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Big Lake0.9
Minnesota2.3
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Big Lake4.9
Minnesota14.3
U.S.15.5
82nd
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
80th
percentile among MN towns
12
violent crimes reported in 2025
64
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
SchoolsA−
Big Lake’s grade for schools is an A−
Its A− for schools comes with a B for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $375K.
Its public schools are run by the Big Lake Public School District. Two of its 6 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Big Lake Senior High, with 902 students.
75%of MN districts it outscoresA−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Independence ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades 3–5 | Grades 3–5 | 758 | B+ |
| Big Lake Senior HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 902 | B |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MN on state tests and graduation
HealthA−
Big Lake stands out in Minnesota and nationally: a smaller share of its adults have high blood pressure
Against the 5,670 U.S. towns with household incomes like Big Lake’s, it is less healthy than 56%: its national edge comes with its incomes.
25% of adults have high blood pressure in Big Lake. Big Lake beats the Minnesota average on 10 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 5. 7.5% of adults have diabetes in Big Lake.
75%healthier than U.S. townsA−Health Grade
| Big Lake | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 18% | 16% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 70% | 75% | 79% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 31% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 7.5% | 10% | 12% |
32 measures vs. Minnesota
10 better17 too close to call5 worse
| What stands out | Big Lake | MN |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults with heart disease | 4% | 5.9% |
| Fewer adults who have had a stroke | 2.2% | 3.1% |
| More binge drinkers | 23.9% | 17.8% |
Centracare Health - Monticello
3.4 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
52nd
percentile among MN towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A
With 0.4 jobs for every working resident, most of Big Lake’s workers commute out
The average commute for its 6,498 working residents takes 33.2 minutes, against 22.7 across Minnesota.
Most working residents leave Big Lake for work: only 7% work in town. The average trip to work in Big Lake is 33 minutes. The top destinations are Minneapolis (8%), Elk River (7%) and Monticello (7%).
7%work in town
| Big Lake | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 33 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $121,000 | $90,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 9.6% | 14% | 11% |
| Below the poverty line | 5.6% | 7.1% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Big Lake7%
Minneapolis8%
Elk River7%
Monticello7%
St. Cloud4%
25 mi
median commute distance
2,412
jobs based in Big Lake
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C
Walkability grade: more walkable than 35% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Big Lake has snowy winters and pleasant summers
Big Lake has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 81°, January nights drop to 4° and about 49 inches of snow falls in a winter.
49″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter8–25°
Spring34–54°
Summer58–79°
Fall37–56°
Sep 28
typical first frost
May 7
typical last frost
+1.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C+
Inland flooding leads a low hazard risk in Big Lake
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 61% of U.S. communities.
39risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesStrong wind
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
OutdoorsC+
Conserved land covers 1.1% of Big Lake
1.6 miles of trail in 12 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Big Lake River Oaks Park, at 27 acres.
#192for trails in MN
| Big Lake | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 1.1% | 4.7% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.2 miles per square mile | 0.5 | 0.4 |
1.1%
conserved · 57 of 5,187 acres
1.6 mi
of trails · 0.2 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Big Lake River Oaks Park | — | 27 |
| 2. Big Lake Lakeside Park | — | 13 |
| 3. Big Lake Highline Park | 0.1 mi | 5 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
HousingCost of living grade B
The typical home in Big Lake is valued at about $375K
Homes are within reach (about $375K for the typical one, B for cost of living), but half of working residents commute more than 25 miles.
The typical Big Lake home is worth about $375,000, up 2.4% in a year, 8% above the Minnesota typical home. 87% of Big Lake households own their home.
$375KZillow home value
| Big Lake | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 87% | 75% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,340 a month | $1,192 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Big Lake$375K
Minnesota$349K
Market temperature
21
days on market
100.3%
sale-to-list price
+2.4%
value change, 1 year
20
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Big Lake
19pages on Big Lake
The big questions
SchoolsA−Beat 75% of MN districts · 6 schoolsSafetyA−0.9 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthA−Better than MN on 10 of 32 CDC measuresCost of livingB$375K typical home · up 2.4% in a yearWork & commuteA$121K median household income · 2,412 jobs hereNatural hazardsC+FEMA risk higher than 39% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Big Lake; the nearest are
Anoka Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · Anoka18.1 mi$6,267 in-state tuitionSaint Cloud State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Saint Cloud24.6 mi$10,245 in-state tuition
About 4 of every 100 Big Lake residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Minnesota.
A commuter town
93% of working residents leave Big Lake for work
Where Big Lake’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
2,412jobs based in Big Lake
7%of working residents work in town
25 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Big Lake
City in Minnesota, United States
Big Lake is a city in Sherburne County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 11,686 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 7.8 sq mi
- Elevation
- 938 ft
- ZIP code
- 55309
- Area code
- 763
Questions about Big Lake
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Big Lake, MN a good place to live?
Yes, by almost any measure. Big Lake grades A overall, better than 94% of U.S. towns and #43 of 271 in Minnesota. It grades A− for health, A− for safety and A− for schools.
Is Big Lake, MN expensive?
That is 3.8 years of the area's median household income ($99,833 across the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.