What it's like to live in Elk River
Elk River is a small city in Minnesota with rent below the national average, unemployment below the national average, household incomes running above the national average, and crime rates well below the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Elk River deals with larger class sizes than the national average, cold, harsh winters, snowy winters, and a car-dependent commute, with few people using transit.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Low unemployment
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Low crime rates
- Growing population
The not so good
- High student-teacher ratio
- Cold, harsh winters
- Snowy winters — 36" per year
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Elk River compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Elk River
Based on Elk River's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,566
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $51,320 a year
- 40% of Elk River renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$74,020
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $37,010
- Homes cost 3.4× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of livingNear US average
$1,283/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,283 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices run above average, with a median around $370,100. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.
Median home value $370,100 · 40% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▼ 14% below US
3.7% unemployment
Unemployment here is 3.7%, a little below the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 74% below US
86 violent crimes per 100k
Safety is genuinely one of the selling points here. Both violent and property crime run well below the national average, the kind of numbers that fade into the background after a week of living somewhere.
Property crime 724/100k · Elk River Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
27 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 27.4 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 16% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 81°F, and winters are cold and harsh, with lows dropping to 7°F.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforceNear US average
34% bachelor's degree or higher
Education levels run about average, with 34% college-educated. It's a mix of white-collar and blue-collar work, which can be an asset or a limitation depending on the field.
Schools
26 public schools inside the boundary
There are 26 public schools inside the boundary and 1 private school. The student-to-teacher ratio is 19:1, slightly above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Mississippi National River & Recreation Area (35 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Elk River's strongest points are rent below the national average and unemployment below the national average; the main tradeoffs are cold, harsh winters and snowy winters. A year of median rent ($1,283/mo) equals 14% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit anyone prioritizing low crime and remote workers (16% of workers here already work from home). It may be a harder fit for anyone who doesn't drive and anyone who dislikes long, cold winters.
Other places near Elk River
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