Trip with Dad, 2009
Silver Bay’s story
72 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2005.
- 1954Silver Bay is settled
Photo: Myotus · CC BY 4.0
Population
1,767
2025 Census estimate · −4.9% since 2020
Typical home
$166K
+0.7% in a year
Household income
$69K
median
Median age
47.6
years
Jobs based here
423
A commuter town
Is Silver Bay a good place to live?
The best of Silver Bay’s subject grades are an A for safety, cost of living, and the outdoors; the weakest is a C− for incomes. 30% of residents are 65 or older in Silver Bay, where Minnesota’s towns sit at 18% and U.S. towns at 18%. Only 54 of Minnesota’s 575 towns score higher on hazard risk. Silver Bay’s trail density is 3.3 miles per square mile, where Minnesota’s towns sit at 0.5 and U.S. towns at 0.4. On history, just 3 of Minnesota’s 574 towns do worse. Tettegouche State Park, at 156 acres with 1.4 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve. Silver Bay has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Silver Bay stand out
Where Silver Bay beats most towns.
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Silver Bay0
Minnesota2.3
U.S.3.3
SafetyA
No violent crime reported in 2025
FBI data, 2025. Crimes reported to police.
Typical home value
Silver Bay$166K
Minnesota$349K
Cost of livingA
2.2 years of income buys a home
More affordable than 89% of U.S. towns
Zillow Home Value Index; area median household income, Census ACS.
How Silver Bay grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Minnesota), ordered by how far Silver Bay is from typical.
SafetyAOpen →Cost of livingAOpen →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 22% of U.S. communities; cold waves tops the listA−Open →Jobs & income$69K median household incomeC−Open →HealthAspirus Lake View Hospital 25.8 miles awayBOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 6.4 of 20; 2.6% of households have no car; 4.2% of workers walk, bike or ride transitBOpen →SchoolsC+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors12% conserved landAOpen →HistoryD−Open →Civic life9 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsB+Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
ClimateSnowy winters, 75° summer afternoons, 94″ of snow–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 47.6; 22% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Silver Bay: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Silver Bay, and how to reach them.
PowerMinnesota Power15.9¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterSilver Bay water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet3 providers99% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpWednesdayTrash dayTown 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 hereLake County CourthouseLake County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2023
ZIP code5561455614 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 Silver Bay.
SafetyA
Less crime per resident in Silver Bay than in 91% of U.S. towns
Silver Bay’s property crime rate is 0.6 per 1,000 residents.
91%of U.S. towns report more crimeASafety Grade
| Silver Bay | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.6 per 1,000 residents | 8.7 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0 per 1,000 residents | 1.1 | 1.6 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Silver Bay0
Minnesota2.3
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Silver Bay0.6
Minnesota14.3
U.S.15.5
91st
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
0
violent crimes reported in 2025
1
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
SchoolsC+
Silver Bay’s public schools trail 57% of Minnesota districts
Its public schools are run by the Lake Superior Public School District. Its two schools are below.
43%of MN districts it outscoresC+School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| William Kelley ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 143 | B |
| Wm. M. Kelley SecondaryLargest public high schoolGrades 6–12 | Grades 6–12 | 179 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MN on state tests and graduation
HousingCost of living grade A
Homes in Silver Bay are worth about $166K, by Zillow’s estimate
The typical Silver Bay home is worth about $166,000, up 0.7% in a year, 52% below the Minnesota typical home. 80% of Silver Bay households own their home.
$166KZillow home value
| Silver Bay | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 80% | 75% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,140 a month | $1,196 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Silver Bay$166K
Minnesota$349K
+0.7%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C−
Most of Silver Bay’s workers commute out: the town has 0.7 jobs for each of them
About one in 3 of Silver Bay’s working residents works in town. Since 2013, Silver Bay has lost 948 jobs, to 423 in 2023. The average trip to work in Silver Bay is 20 minutes.
30%work in town
| Silver Bay | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 20 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $69,000 | $90,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 9.9% | 7% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Silver Bay30%
Duluth8%
Two Harbors7%
Beaver Bay4%
Silver Creek Township4%
27 mi
median commute distance
423
jobs based in Silver Bay
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
B
Walkability grade: more walkable than 62% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade A−
Low risk in Silver Bay, with cold waves at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 78% of U.S. communities.
22risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Cold wavesInland floodingStrong wind
4
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Compared with most of Minnesota and the rest of the country, a typical July afternoon in Silver Bay is cooler
No town among the 275 in Minnesota we compare has a lower July high than Silver Bay. Silver Bay has cold, snowy winters and cool summers.
94″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter7–24°
Spring27–47°
Summer52–73°
Fall35–51°
Oct 1
typical first frost
May 15
typical last frost
+1.5°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HealthB
On CDC estimates, Silver Bay is healthier than 62% of U.S. towns
Silver Bay beats the Minnesota average on 3 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 8. 26% of adults sleep under 7 hours in Silver Bay.
62%healthier than U.S. townsBHealth Grade
| Silver Bay | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 30% | 36% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 16% | 17% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 30% | 33% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 36% | 31% | 35% |
32 measures vs. Minnesota
3 better21 too close to call8 worse
| What stands out | Silver Bay | MN |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 81.9% | 76.1% |
| More adults seeing a dentist | 70.9% | 67.5% |
| More adults with heart disease | 9.1% | 5.9% |
Aspirus Lake View Hospital
25.8 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
OutdoorsA
Silver Bay has set aside 11.5% of its land for conservation
26 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves.
11.5%conserved
11.5%
conserved · 591 of 5,124 acres
26 mi
of trails · 3.3 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Tettegouche State Park | 1.4 mi | 156 |
| 2. Mariner Mountain Park | 0.2 mi | 30 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Nearby attractions
All 18 attractions →Split Rock Lighthouse and 7 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Silver Bay. Close and well known come first.
8 mi LighthouseSplit Rock Lighthouse
36 mi Park & preserveBoundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness
5 mi State parkTettegouche State Park
25 mi National LakeshoreApostle Islands National Lakeshore261K visitors a year
13 mi State parkGooseberry Falls State Park
39 mi National forestSuperior National ForestSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Split Rock Lighthouse: Jim Sorbie, CC BY 2.0 · Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness: R27182818 at English Wikipedia (Original text: Reid Priedhorsky (R27182818)), CC BY-SA 3.0 · Tettegouche State Park: Desertson67 at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Apostle Islands National Lakeshore: NPS Photo, Public domain · Gooseberry Falls State Park: Chuck Kochmann, Copyrighted free use · Superior National Forest: No machine-readable author provided. MisterSquirrel~commonswiki assumed (based o, Public domain
.jpg){kind=link}
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Silver Bay
19pages on Silver Bay
The big questions
SchoolsC+Behind 57% of MN districts · 2 schoolsSafetyA0 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthBBetter than MN on 3 of 32 CDC measuresCost of livingA$166K typical home · up 0.7% in a yearWork & commuteC−$69K median household income · 423 jobs hereNatural hazardsA−FEMA risk higher than 22% of U.S. communities · cold waves
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Silver Bay; the nearest are
University of Minnesota-DuluthUniversity or college · Public · Duluth50.3 mi$14,610 in-state tuitionLake Superior CollegeCommunity college · Public · Duluth53.9 mi$5,785 in-state tuition
About 1 of every 100 Silver Bay residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Minnesota.
About Silver Bay
City in Minnesota, United States
Silver Bay is a city in Lake County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 1,857 at the time of the 2020 census. It is the largest population center in a natural tourism area which includes Tettegouche State Park and the Split Rock Lighthouse. While Silver Bay is a port along Lake Superior for iron ore, it does not have taconite mining facilities of its own. However, the town does have a processing plant ran by Cleveland-Cliffs. The North Shore National Scenic Drive runs through town.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 8.1 sq mi
- Elevation
- 764 ft
- ZIP code
- 55614
- Area code
- 218
Silver Bay’s neighbors
One town shares a border with Silver Bay.
Beaver Bay TownshipSilver Bay
How the neighbors grade
| Town | MN rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Silver Bay | — | — | A | A | C+ | B |
| Beaver Bay Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Silver Bay has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Beaver Bay Township isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Silver Bay with a neighbor →
Questions about Silver Bay
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Silver Bay, MN expensive?
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A.