East Bethel, MN vs Forest Lake, MN

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

MetricEast Bethel, MNForest Lake, MN
Population12,11520,729
Median Household Income$110,000$92,944
Median Rent$1,695/mo$1,421/mo
Median Home Value$363,900$393,500
Cost of Living (US = 100)105105
Renters Paying 30%+ of Income31.6%48.3%
Poverty Rate3.2%7%
Unemployment Rate3.9% (county)3.4% (county)
Violent Crime Rate /100k53*53
Property Crime Rate /100k446*1,159
Median AQI3834
Good AQI Days /yr269—
Summer Highs78°F81°F
Winter Lows9°F7°F
Snowfall64 in/yr52 in/yr
Avg Commute32.4 min24.2 min
Hospitals——
Avg Hospital Rating——
Students per Teacher14.119.4
College Degree Rate23.1%35.4%
Foreign-Born %4%5.2%
Population Growth (2020–2025)+7.0%+1.6%

Green = clearly better (more than 5% apart). Population, growth, weather, hospital count and foreign-born share aren’t scored.
* Rate of the agency that polices East Bethel (the city has no police department of its own), so it isn’t scored.