American Legion, Post 141, 2024
Silver Lake’s story
159 years in pictures
Census counts: 321 in 1900, 866 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2024 and 2 maps from 1958 on.
- 1867Silver Lake is settled
Photo: Myotus · CC BY 4.0
Population
849
2025 Census estimate · −2.1% since 2020
Typical home
$309K
+0.6% in a year
Household income
$74K
median
Median age
43.7
years
Jobs based here
162
A commuter town
Is Silver Lake a good place to live?
11% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Silver Lake, below both Minnesota’s towns (33%) and U.S. towns (29%). Silver Lake has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
849 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 Silver Lake: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Silver Lake, and how to reach them.
PowerXcel Energy17.1¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterSilver Lake water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpThursdayTrash 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 hereMcLeod CountyMcLeod County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP code5538155381 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 Lake.
Natural hazards
Silver Lake faces a very low natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 84% of U.S. communities.
16risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes
5
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Schools
The schools Silver Lake’s kids attend
Its public schools are run by the Glencoe-Silver Lake School District. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lakeside ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades 3–6 | Grades 3–6 | 408 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts
Work & commute
Most of Silver Lake’s workers commute out: the town has 0.4 jobs for each of them
Most working residents leave Silver Lake for work: only 2% work in town. 4.8% of workers work from home in Silver Lake, below both the Minnesota town median (14%) and the median of U.S. towns (11%). Since 2013, Silver Lake has added 88 jobs, to 162 in 2023.
2%work in town
| Silver Lake | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 4.8% | 14% | 11% |
| Below the poverty line | 3.3% | 7% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 1.6% | 9.8% | 8% |
| Median household income | $74,000 | $90,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Silver Lake2%
Winsted10%
Hutchinson9%
Glencoe6%
Eden Prairie5%
20 mi
median commute distance
162
jobs based in Silver Lake
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Snowy winters and pleasant summers in Silver Lake
Silver Lake has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. Silver Lake’s July high is 82°F.
41″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter9–25°
Spring34–54°
Summer59–80°
Fall37–57°
Oct 8
typical first frost
Apr 28
typical last frost
+1.4°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
Silver Lake stands out in Minnesota and nationally, with more of its adults who have obesity
42% of adults have obesity in Silver Lake. Silver Lake beats the Minnesota average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 7. 34% of adults have high blood pressure in Silver Lake.
| Silver Lake | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 35% | 35% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 30% | 33% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 18% | 16% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 75% | 75% | 79% |
32 measures vs. Minnesota
0 better25 too close to call7 worse
| What stands out | Silver Lake | MN |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 13.9% | 8.9% |
| More adults with obesity | 41.7% | 33.5% |
| More adults with COPD | 6.6% | 5.4% |
Glencoe Regional Health
9 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Housing
Silver Lake’s typical home value is about $309K
The typical Silver Lake home is worth about $309,000, up 0.6% in a year, 11% below the Minnesota typical home. The median rent in Silver Lake is $844 a month.
$309KZillow home value
| Silver Lake | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $844 a month | $1,196 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 80% | 75% | 73% |
Typical home value
Silver Lake$309K
Minnesota$349K
+0.6%
value change, 1 year
3
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 261 acres
0.0 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Veterans Memorial Park | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Silver Lake
19pages on Silver Lake
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Silver Lake; the nearest are
Crown CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Saint Bonifacius22.3 mi$31,410 tuitionHennepin Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · Brooklyn Park41.3 mi$5,940 in-state tuitionSaint Cloud State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Saint Cloud44.9 mi$10,245 in-state tuition
About 3 of every 100 Silver Lake residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Minnesota.
A commuter town
98% of working residents leave Silver Lake for work
Where Silver Lake’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
162jobs based in Silver Lake
2%of working residents work in town
20 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Silver Lake
City in Minnesota, United States
Silver Lake is a city in McLeod County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 866 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.4 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,063 ft
- ZIP code
- 55381
- Area code
- 320
Questions about Silver Lake
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Silver Lake, MN a good place to live?
Silver Lake has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What is Silver Lake, MN known for?
2 notable people were born here, including William VanDeSteeg and D.D. Wozniak.