Big Lake, MN vs Elk River, MN

Side-by-side comparison from the latest government data.

MetricBig Lake, MNElk River, MN
Population12,36726,793
Median Household Income$120,549$108,741
Median Rent$1,340/mo$1,283/mo
Median Home Value$330,200$370,100
Cost of Living (US = 100)105105
Renters Paying 30%+ of Income46.9%39.6%
Poverty Rate5.6%3.4%
Unemployment Rate4.1% (county)3.7%
Violent Crime Rate /100k9186
Property Crime Rate /100k495724
Median AQI——
Good AQI Days /yr——
Summer Highs81°F81°F
Winter Lows7°F7°F
Snowfall36 in/yr36 in/yr
Avg Commute33.2 min27.4 min
Hospitals——
Avg Hospital Rating——
Students per Teacher15.419.1
College Degree Rate26.8%33.8%
Foreign-Born %5.2%5.8%
Population Growth (2020–2025)+10.6%+8.0%

Green = clearly better (more than 5% apart). Population, growth, weather, hospital count and foreign-born share aren’t scored.