What it's like to live in Forest Lake
Forest Lake is a small city in Minnesota with county 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. Forest Lake deals with larger class sizes than the national average, cold, harsh winters, and snowy winters.
The good
- Low unemployment in the county
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Low crime rates
The not so good
- High student-teacher ratio
- Cold, harsh winters
- Snowy winters — 52" per year
How Forest Lake compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Forest Lake
Based on Forest Lake's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,842
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $56,840 a year
- 48% of Forest Lake renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$78,700
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $39,350
- Homes cost 4.2× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of livingNear US average
$1,421/mo median rent
Rent is pretty middle of the road, at $1,421 a month median. Not a bargain, not a budget-buster. About typical for a city this size. Home prices run above average, with a median around $393,500. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.
Median home value $393,500 · 48% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
3.4% county unemployment
Unemployment in Washington County is 3.4%, a little below the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Washington County (county-wide)
Safety▼ 84% below US
53 violent crimes per 100k
Pretty safe, all things considered. Violent crime sits below the national average, nothing alarming, just ordinary city-life awareness.
Property crime 1159/100k · Forest Lake Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
24 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 24.2 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; 18% 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
35% bachelor's degree or higher
Education levels run about average, with 35% 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
16 public schools inside the boundary
There are 16 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 (23 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Forest Lake's strongest points are county unemployment below the national average and household incomes running above the national average; the main tradeoffs are cold, harsh winters and snowy winters. A year of median rent ($1,421/mo) equals 18% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit job seekers (county-wide unemployment is low), anyone prioritizing low crime, and remote workers (18% of workers here already work from home). It may be a harder fit for anyone who dislikes long, cold winters.
Other places near Forest Lake
All Minnesota guides →Moving to Lino Lakes →
8 mi away · pop. 22,113
Rent $1,874/mo · Income $127,181
Compare with Forest Lake →Moving to Ham Lake →
12 mi away · pop. 16,702
Rent $1,173/mo · Income $120,135
Compare with Forest Lake →Moving to White Bear Lake →
13 mi away · pop. 23,908
Rent $1,601/mo · Income $83,554
Compare with Forest Lake →Not sure Forest Lake is the one?
Put it side by side with another city.