What percentage of people rent in Forest Lake, MN?

Name: Renters and owners in Forest Lake, MN, 2020–2024
Creator: US Census Bureau
License: https://www.census.gov/data/developers/about/terms-of-service.html

27.1% (±3.2 points) of the occupied homes in Forest Lake, MN are rented (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

That is 2,244 renting households against 6,042 that own their home.

In Forest Lake, the share of households that rent went from 27.8% in 2015–2019 to 27.1% in 2020–2024 (−0.7 percentage points), not a measurable change.

Figures last updated on November 12, 2026.

Households that rent: 27.1% (±3.2 points)
Renting households: 2,244 (±299)
Median renter income: $62,385 (±$12,079)

Who rents and who owns in Forest Lake

Tenure, estimate (90% margin of error)
	Forest Lake	Washington County	Minnesota	United States
Renter-occupied share	27.1% (±3.2 points)	18.7% (±1.0 points)	27.8% (±0.2 points)	34.8%
Renting households	2,244 (±299)	19,752 (±1,050)	641,268 (±4,528)	45,017,354
Owning households	6,042 (±322)	85,825 (±1,028)	1,666,687 (±7,556)	84,210,142
Average renter household size	2.2 (±0.3)	2.0 (±0.1)	2.0 (±0.0)	2.3
Average owner household size	2.6 (±0.1)	2.7 (±0.0)	2.6 (±0.0)	2.6
Median renter household income	$62,385 (±$12,079)	$65,980 (±$4,224)	$51,080 (±$531)	$52,966
Median owner household income	$112,155 (±$9,044)	$129,342 (±$2,893)	$108,214 (±$476)	$100,009

In Forest Lake, the renter share is higher than in Washington County (18.7%).

It is not measurably different from Minnesota (27.8%).

It is lower than the national figure (34.8%).

In Washington County, Forest Lake ranks 4 of 31 places with a published estimate, from highest to lowest renter share.

Statewide, it ranks 334 of 2,628.

Rankings use the estimates alone; where margins of error overlap, neighboring ranks may not truly differ.

How renting in Forest Lake has changed since 2015–2019

2015–2019 and 2020–2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates
	2015–2019	2020–2024	Amount of change	Verdict
Households that rent	27.8% (±3.2 points)	27.1% (±3.2 points)	−0.7 percentage points	Not a measurable change
Median gross rent	$1,117 (±$61)	$1,421 (±$74)	+27.2%	No measurable change after inflation
Median household income	$79,840 (±$8,430)	$92,944 (±$8,689)	+16.4%	No measurable change after inflation

The Census Bureau publishes 2015–2019 dollars in 2019 dollars and 2020–2024 dollars in 2024 dollars.

Prices (the CPI-U, US Bureau of Labor Statistics) rose 22.7% between 2019 and 2024, so a dollar figure’s verdict compares the two after raising the earlier one by that much, using the Census Bureau’s test for a difference.

The two periods do not overlap, as the Census Bureau recommends for 5-year estimates.

Households that rent in places near Forest Lake

Nearest places with a published estimate, compared with Forest Lake
Place	Distance	Households that rent	Compared with this place
Forest Lake	—	27.1% (±3.2 points)	—
Hugo	6.0 mi	10.5% (±3.3 points)	Lower
Wyoming	6.2 mi	13.2% (±4.9 points)	Lower
Scandia	6.5 mi	11.3% (±8.5 points)	Lower
Columbus	6.9 mi	11.3% (±6.6 points)	Lower
Centerville	7.2 mi	10.8% (±4.5 points)	Lower
Chisago City	8.7 mi	27.5% (±6.0 points)	Not measurably different
May Township (Washington County)	8.8 mi	1.6% (±1.5 points)	Lower
Lino Lakes	9.5 mi	7.9% (±2.5 points)	Lower

Nearby places with a measurably lower figure: Hugo, MN (10.5%), Wyoming, MN (13.2%), Scandia, MN (11.3%).

Distance is measured in a straight line between the Census Bureau’s internal points for each place.

Households that rent across Washington County, place by place

Rank	Place	Households that rent
1	Oak Park Heights	53.6% (±8.3 points)
2	Newport	33.1% (±7.0 points)
3	Willernie	29.9% (±15.3 points)
4	Forest Lake	27.1% (±3.2 points)
5	St. Paul Park	24.0% (±13.6 points)
6	Stillwater	23.3% (±4.2 points)
7	Oakdale	22.5% (±2.6 points)
8	Woodbury	22.4% (±2.0 points)
9	Mahtomedi	17.4% (±4.3 points)
10	Lakeland	13.4% (±7.3 points)

Showing 10 of 31 places in Washington County, ranked from highest to lowest.

Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.

Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.

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Questions about Forest Lake

How many renters are there in Forest Lake?

Forest Lake has an estimated 2,244 (±299) renting households, 27.1% of its occupied homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

Is renting growing in Forest Lake?

In Forest Lake, the share of households that rent went from 27.8% in 2015–2019 to 27.1% in 2020–2024 (−0.7 percentage points), not a measurable change.

How big are renting households in Forest Lake?

A renting household in Forest Lake has 2.2 people on average, against 2.6 in an owned home.

How much do renters earn in Forest Lake?

The median renting household in Forest Lake, MN has an income of $62,385 (±$12,079) a year, against $112,155 for households that own their home.

Sources

To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) and detailed tables (acs/acs5) for Forest Lake city, Minnesota (place:21770, in state:27).

Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).

The 2015–2019 figures are DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, B25064_001E, B25064_001M, B19013_001E, B19013_001M from the 2019 release.

The API needs a free key.

Request a Census API key.

DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, DP04_0047E, DP04_0047M, DP04_0046E, DP04_0046M, DP04_0049E, DP04_0049M, DP04_0048E, DP04_0048M, B25119_003E, B25119_003M, B25119_002E, B25119_002M

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.