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Living in
Prior Lake.
About
Life in Prior Lake
If you're considering Prior Lake, understand upfront that you're buying into a bedroom community built for commuters—the average trip to work is about 25 minutes, and you'll definitely need a car for daily life. The median home price hovers around $450,000 with median household income at $130,000, so it's solidly upper-middle-class territory; housing inventory is tight with low vacancy rates. The community skews family-oriented with nearly 60 percent married-couple households and over a quarter of residents under 18, which shapes the school options and weekend culture significantly.
Prior Lake at a Glance
Population, income, housing and more
Median Age
39.6 yrs
Poverty Rate
3.1%
Foreign-Born
7.7%
Broadband Internet
96.0%
of households
Population Growth
+1.9%
recent change · Census Bureau
Median household income
Demographics7.7% foreign-born, most often from Vietnam
Who lives in Prior Lake: race and ethnicity, ages, households, languages and countries of origin
In Prior Lake, the largest foreign-born group is from Vietnam (10.1%), and 2.9% of residents speak Spanish at home.
Under 18
25.3%
of residents
65 and Older
15.7%
of residents
Households with Kids
38.7%
anyone under 18
Living Alone
20.4%
of households
Married Couples
65.2%
of households
Avg Household Size
2.79
people
Race & Ethnicity
Hispanic or Latino of any race; other groups are non-Hispanic
Top countries of origin (foreign-born)
Languages Spoken at Home
Cost of Livingrent 29% above MN average
Rent, home values, and income in Prior Lake
In Prior Lake, rent runs 29% above the MN average, and home values are 37% above the MN average.
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
Rent Burdened
57.5%
spending 30%+ of income on rent
Severely Rent Burdened
29.8%
spending 50%+
Cost of Living Index
104.8
metro area (BEA) · US avg = 100
Median Property Tax
$4,467
per year, owner-occupied homes
Homeowners
86.2%
of occupied homes are owned
Typical Home Built
1998
median year built
Vacant Homes
3.7%
of housing units
Home Value Trend
Latest: $528,456 (September 2026)
Jobs & Economyunemployment 0.7 pts below MN average
Unemployment in Prior Lake and typical pay across the metro area
Unemployment in Prior Lake is 0.7 percentage points lower than the MN average.
Unemployment rate
City-level rate · BLS annual average
Unemployment Rate — 10 Year Trend
City-level (BLS) · Annual averages
What Prior Lake Residents Do for Work · share of employed residents by industry
City residents, wherever they work
Median Salary by Occupation · metro area
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI metro area
Commute24.7 min avg
How Prior Lake residents get to work, and the nearest airports
In Prior Lake, most residents drive alone to work (64%), and 62% get there in under 30 minutes.
How People Get to Work
Commute Time Distribution
Nearest airports · with airline service
- 15 mi
Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport / Wold–Chamberlain Field (MSP)
Major hub17.5M passengers boarded in 2025
Straight-line distance. Size is the FAA’s hub category, based on passenger traffic: regional airports may have only a few flights a day.
Safetyviolent crime 60% below national average
Crime rates for 2025
Violent crime in Prior Lake runs 60% below the national average.
Violent Crime Rate
131.6
per 100,000 residents
Below average (329 national, 2025)
Property Crime Rate
1,010.1
per 100,000 residents
Below average (1,552 national, 2025)
Prior Lake Police Department
Natural DisastersWinter Storm most common — 16 events in 2025
Natural hazard risk, storms and earthquakes
FEMA National Risk Index
Relatively Low
76.6 / 100
Compares expected losses from natural hazards, social vulnerability and community resilience against every US county (higher = more risk).
Scott County, county-wide · FEMA NRI December 2025
In Scott County, which includes Prior Lake, the most common type is winter storm, with 16 recorded events in 2025.
Most common events:
Storm events by year
| Year | Events | Top Type | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 16 | Winter Weather | None reported |
| 2024 | 11 | Thunderstorm Wind | None reported |
| 2023 | 13 | Winter Storm | None reported |
| 2022 | 11 | Hail | $10,000 |
| 2021 | 13 | Thunderstorm Wind | $251,200 |
| 2020 | 10 | Winter Storm | None reported |
| 2019 | 18 | Thunderstorm Wind | $155,000 |
| 2018 | 11 | Winter Storm | None reported |
Property damage is the National Weather Service's estimate filed with each event. “None reported” means the events were logged with $0 damage; “Not estimated” means no estimate was filed. Storms covering several counties aren't counted here, since NOAA doesn't split their damage by county.
0 earthquakes of magnitude 2.5+ within 100 miles in the past year
Scott County, county-wide
Air Quality38 median AQI — Good
Days by air quality category (2025)
Air quality in Scott County, which includes Prior Lake, is typically good — 266 good-air days per year.
Median AQI
38
Good Days
266
per year
Moderate Days
91
per year
Unhealthy Days
4
per year
Scott County, county-wide
Climate81°F summers, 11°F winters
30-year climate averages (1991–2020) — monthly temperatures and precipitation
Prior Lake has warm summers (avg high 81°F) and very cold winters (avg low 11°F).
Spring (Mar–May)
56°/37°F
avg high / low
Summer (Jun–Aug)
81°/62°F
avg high / low
Fall (Sep–Nov)
58°/40°F
avg high / low
Winter (Dec–Feb)
27°/11°F
avg high / low
Annual Precipitation
33.8"
Annual Snowfall
54.7"
Hot Days/Year
14
days above 90°F
Freeze Days/Year
145
days below 32°F
Rainy Days/Year
107
Average month
Show month-by-month table ↓Hide table ↑
| Month | High | Low | Precip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 24°F | 8°F | 0.69" |
| Feb | 29°F | 12°F | 0.62" |
| Mar | 42°F | 24°F | 1.46" |
| Apr | 57°F | 37°F | 2.73" |
| May | 70°F | 49°F | 3.85" |
| Jun | 79°F | 59°F | 4.67" |
| Jul | 84°F | 64°F | 4.34" |
| Aug | 81°F | 62°F | 4.66" |
| Sep | 74°F | 53°F | 3.05" |
| Oct | 59°F | 40°F | 2.26" |
| Nov | 43°F | 27°F | 1.41" |
| Dec | 29°F | 14°F | 0.90" |
Healthcare
Hospitals, ratings, and health insurance in Prior Lake
Uninsured
2.7%
of residents
No hospitals inside Prior Lake's limits — nearest hospitals · within 15 miles
St Francis Regional Medical Center
Acute Care Hospitals · ER available · 4.4 mi away · Shakopee
M Health Fairview Ridges Hospital
Acute Care Hospitals · ER available · 8.4 mi away · Burnsville
M Health Fairview Southdale Hospital
Acute Care Hospitals · ER available · 12.5 mi away · Edina
Adult Health · vs. the typical US place
Share of adults. Modeled estimates, not counted cases. “US” = the typical US place.
Medicare-certified hospitals only. Doesn’t include clinics, urgent care, or freestanding ERs.
Education16.4:1 student/teacher ratio
Schools and degree attainment in Prior Lake
Prior Lake's student/teacher ratio is 16.4:1, close to the national average of 16:1, and 52.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Public Schools
10
within city limits
Private Schools
3
within city limits
College Degree Rate
52.4%
adults 25+ with bachelor's or higher
Student/Teacher Ratio
16.4:1
National avg 16:1
Schools located within city limits (2023) — school-level metrics change slowly year to year
Colleges Near Prior Lake (within 15 miles)
Public · 2-year · 7,044 students · in-state tuition $6,567 · 26% graduate · median earnings $55,051 (10 yrs after entry)
Northwestern Health Sciences University
10.8 mi awayPrivate nonprofit · 2-year · 271 students · in-state tuition $11,535 · 50% graduate · median earnings $51,002 (10 yrs after entry)
Degree-granting colleges with 100+ students, placed by campus location (main campuses only — branch campuses are reported under their parent school)
Parks & Recreationclosest: Mississippi National River & Recreation Area, 23 mi
Nearby national parks, recreation areas and public libraries for Prior Lake
Prior Lake has 2 nearby national parks or recreation areas, closest being Mississippi National River & Recreation Area (23 mi away).
Nearby National Parks & Recreation Areas
Mississippi National River & Recreation Area
National River & Recreation Area
23 mi awaySaint Croix National Scenic Riverway
National Scenic Riverway
85 mi awayPublic Libraries in Prior Lake
Prior Lake Branch Library
16210 Eagle Creek Avenue S.E., Prior Lake
Cities Near Prior Lake
The closest cities within 60 miles
Planning a move to Prior Lake?
Read our full moving guide — what it's really like to live here.
Prior Lake FAQ
Is Prior Lake, Minnesota affordable?⌄
Prior Lake's median rent is $1,654/month, which is above the national average. The median household income is $134,255/year. Median home value is $450,700.
Is Prior Lake, Minnesota safe?⌄
Prior Lake's violent crime rate was 132 per 100,000 residents in 2025, which is well below the national average — one of the safer cities in the country of 329/100k that year. Property crime rate is 1010 per 100,000. As with any city, crime rates vary by neighborhood.
What is the job market like in Prior Lake, Minnesota?⌄
Prior Lake has an unemployment rate of 3.2%, which is solid, slightly below the national average of 4.3%.
What is the cost of living in Prior Lake, Minnesota?⌄
The cost of living in Prior Lake is primarily driven by housing. Median rent is $1,654/month and median household income is $134,255/year. The median home value is $450,700. About 58% of renters spend more than 30% of their income on housing.
How is the commute in Prior Lake, Minnesota?⌄
The average commute in Prior Lake is 25 minutes, which is about average compared to the national average of 26 minutes.
Data from the US Census Bureau, BLS, FBI, NOAA, EPA, Zillow Research and other public sources. Where our data comes from