Clear Lake Farm Sunset, 2016
Clear Lake’s story
173 years in pictures
The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 2016.
- 1853Clear Lake is settled
Clear LakeMN
Population
689
2025 Census estimate · +7.3% since 2020
Typical home
$419K
+3.9% in a year
Household income
$106K
median
Median age
32.7
years
Jobs based here
127
A commuter town
Is Clear Lake a good place to live?
31% of residents are under 18 in Clear Lake, where Minnesota’s towns sit at 23% and U.S. towns at 22%. Clear Lake has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What makes Clear Lake stand out
Where Clear Lake beats most towns.
Small town
689 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Clear Lake: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Clear Lake, and how to reach them.
PowerXcel Energy17.1¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterClear Lake water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Clear Lake’s trash rules yet
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 code5531955319 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 Clear Lake.
Work & commute
With 0.5 jobs for every working resident, most of Clear Lake’s workers commute out
Most working residents leave Clear Lake for work: only 2% work in town. At 29 minutes, Clear Lake’s average trip to work is above both Minnesota’s towns (23 minutes) and U.S. towns (25 minutes). Since 2013, Clear Lake has lost 55 jobs, to 127 in 2023.
2%work in town
| Clear Lake | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 29 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 1.7% | 9.8% | 8% |
| Median household income | $106,000 | $90,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 5% | 7% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Clear Lake2%
St. Cloud21%
Sartell4%
Becker4%
Minneapolis4%
16 mi
median commute distance
127
jobs based in Clear Lake
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazards
High risk in Clear Lake, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 69% of U.S. communities. Since 2022, 2 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Clear Lake.
69risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingDroughtTornadoes
2
paid flood claims since 2022
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
In Clear Lake, expect snowy winters and pleasant summers
Clear Lake has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. Clear Lake’s July high is 82°F.
48″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter7–25°
Spring33–54°
Summer58–79°
Fall37–56°
Sep 30
typical first frost
May 7
typical last frost
+1.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Housing
A typical Clear Lake home is worth about $419K
The typical Clear Lake home is worth about $419,000, up 3.9% in a year, 20% above the Minnesota typical home. The median rent in Clear Lake is $919 a month.
$419KZillow home value
| Clear Lake | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 84% | 75% | 73% |
| Median rent | $919 a month | $1,196 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Clear Lake$419K
Minnesota$349K
Market temperature
342
days on market
98.8%
sale-to-list price
+3.9%
value change, 1 year
7
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Health
Clear Lake stands out in Minnesota and nationally: a larger share of its adults binge drink
25% of adults binge drink in Clear Lake. Clear Lake beats the Minnesota average on 9 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 4. 29% of adults sleep under 7 hours in Clear Lake.
| Clear Lake | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 18% | 16% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 69% | 75% | 79% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 31% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 6.9% | 10% | 12% |
32 measures vs. Minnesota
9 better19 too close to call4 worse
| What stands out | Clear Lake | MN |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults with heart disease | 3.9% | 5.9% |
| Fewer adults who have had a stroke | 2.1% | 3.1% |
| More binge drinkers | 24.5% | 17.8% |
Centracare - St. Cloud Hospital
12 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Clear Lake
16pages on Clear Lake
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
3 within 15 miles of the center of Clear Lake
Saint Cloud State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Saint Cloud10.3 mi$10,245 in-state tuitionRasmussen University-MinnesotaUniversity or college · Private for-profit · St. Cloud12.1 mi$11,490 tuitionSt Cloud Technical and Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Saint Cloud12.4 mi$6,124 in-state tuition
About 3 of every 100 Clear Lake residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Minnesota.
A commuter town
98% of working residents leave Clear Lake for work
Where Clear Lake’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
127jobs based in Clear Lake
2%of working residents work in town
16 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Clear Lake
City in Minnesota, United States
Clear Lake is a city in Sherburne County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 641 at the 2020 census. U.S. Highway 10 and Minnesota State Highway 24 are two of the main routes in Clear Lake. Clear Lake is 13 miles southeast of St. Cloud and 24 miles northwest of Elk River.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.1 sq mi
- Elevation
- 994 ft
- ZIP code
- 55319
- Area code
- 320
Questions about Clear Lake
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Clear Lake, MN a good place to live?
Clear Lake has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.