Housing data for Lake Elmo, MN
Lake Elmo, MN has an estimated 13,140 residents and 4,897 homes (US Census Bureau, 2020–2024 American Community Survey).
It is a city in Washington County.
6.5% of households rent.
The median gross rent is $2,407 a month.
Its population grew measurably since 2015–2019 (+46.5%).
Figures last updated on .
- Residents
- 13,140 (±41)
- Housing units
- 4,897 (±266)
- Households that rent
- 6.5%
- Median gross rent
- $2,407
- Residents since 2015–2019
- +46.5%
What stands out in Lake Elmo
Households that rent: 6.5% (±2.9 points) in Lake Elmo, lower than in Washington County (18.7%).
Homes in buildings of 5 or more units: 2.6% (±1.4 points) in Lake Elmo, lower than in Washington County (12.6%).
Renters paying 30% or more of income: 78.7% (±21.7 points) in Lake Elmo, higher than in Washington County (51.2%).
Median home value: $597,000 (±$31,172) in Lake Elmo, higher than in Washington County ($422,000).
- Renters and owners in Lake Elmo
- Types of homes in Lake Elmo
- Rent burden in Lake Elmo
- Home values in Lake Elmo
Housing in Lake Elmo at a glance
- Median rent: $2,407 median gross rent a month (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Rent burden: 78.7% of renters pay 30% or more of income
- Renters and owners: 6.5% of households rent
- Income and affordability: $153,669 median household income
- Home values: $597,000 median home value
- Homeowner costs: $2,839 median monthly cost with a mortgage
- Property taxes: $4,841 median real estate taxes a year
- Types of homes: 2.6% of homes are in buildings of 5 or more units
- Bedrooms: 88.6% of homes have 3 or more bedrooms
- Age of homes: 25.0% of homes were built before 1980
- Vacancy rate: 15.7% rental vacancy rate (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Heating fuel: 75.6% heat with utility gas
- Commute and cars: 22.8 minutes average trip to work
- Growth: +46.5% residents since 2015–2019
- How long people stay: 21.2% moved in since 2020
- Crowding and facilities: 0.9% of homes have more than 1 person per room
Lake Elmo against Washington County, its state and the nation
| Lake Elmo | Washington County | Minnesota | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 13,140 (±41) | 276,238 (exact) | 5,739,445 (exact) | 334,922,499 |
| Housing units | 4,897 (±266) | 109,307 (±100) | 2,545,030 (±1,535) | 143,775,355 |
| Households that rent | 6.5% (±2.9 points) | 18.7% (±1.0 points) | 27.8% (±0.2 points) | 34.8% |
| Median gross rent | $2,407 (±$1,894) | $1,710 (±$45) | $1,280 (±$7) | $1,413 |
| Median household income | $153,669 (±$12,387) | $115,345 (±$2,183) | $89,062 (±$409) | $80,734 |
| Median home value | $597,000 (±$31,172) | $422,000 (±$5,583) | $329,300 (±$903) | $332,700 |
| Median real estate taxes (a year) | $4,841 (±$249) | $4,164 (±$64) | $3,357 (±$10) | $3,119 |
| Built before 1980 | 25.0% (±5.6 points) | 32.7% (±1.3 points) | 52.1% (±0.3 points) | 49.7% |
| Average commute | 22.8 minutes (±1.5) | 24.0 minutes (±0.5) | 22.7 minutes (±0.1) | 26.4 minutes |
| Households with broadband | 94.9% (±2.4 points) | 94.9% (±0.5 points) | 91.6% (±0.1 points) | 91.0% |
| Median age of residents | 40.8 years (±2.4) | 39.8 years (±0.3) | 38.8 years (±0.1) | 38.9 years |
Lake Elmo covers 22.1 square miles of land, about 595 residents per square mile (Census Bureau Gazetteer).
How Lake Elmo has changed since 2015–2019
| 2015–2019 | 2020–2024 | Amount of change | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 8,969 (±20) | 13,140 (±41) | +46.5% | Measurable increase |
| Housing units | 3,247 (±143) | 4,897 (±266) | +50.8% | Measurable increase |
| Median gross rent | $1,280 (±$372) | $2,407 (±$1,894) | +88.0% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median home value | $426,600 (±$14,187) | $597,000 (±$31,172) | +39.9% | Up after inflation |
| Median household income | $118,421 (±$16,072) | $153,669 (±$12,387) | +29.8% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median owner cost with a mortgage | $2,472 (±$126) | $2,839 (±$237) | +14.8% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median real estate taxes | $3,757 (±$154) | $4,841 (±$249) | +28.9% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Households that rent | 6.8% (±2.6 points) | 6.5% (±2.9 points) | −0.3 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% (±7.8 points) | 15.7% (±20.8 points) | +15.7 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
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.
Crime reported to police in Washington County
Lake Elmo has no police department of its own in the FBI’s figures, so this is the figure for Washington County as a whole.
In 2025, the police departments that report for Washington County recorded 75 violent and 867 property crimes per 100,000 residents.
A county-wide figure describes the whole county, not this place; crime varies from one community to the next.
ZIP codes in Lake Elmo
| ZIP code | Share of the ZIP’s land in this place | Residents | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 55042 | 89% | 13,705 | $2,407 | $602,100 | $154,341 |
A ZIP code is a mail route rather than a boundary, so the Census Bureau publishes figures for ZIP Code Tabulation Areas built from census blocks; the share column says how much of each one’s land lies in this place.
Places near Lake Elmo
| Place | Distance | Median gross rent | Median home value | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oakdale | 2.6 mi | $1,481 | $318,100 | 22.5% |
| Pine Springs | 4.1 mi | — | $626,600 | 0.0% |
| Landfall | 4.2 mi | — | $18,900 | 4.3% |
| Baytown Township | 4.4 mi | $1,719 | $795,100 | 4.5% |
| West Lakeland Township | 4.7 mi | — | $709,300 | 0.0% |
| North St. Paul | 4.8 mi | $1,352 | $298,500 | 31.8% |
| Willernie | 5.1 mi | $1,322 | $331,300 | 29.9% |
| Woodbury | 5.7 mi | $1,908 | $450,200 | 22.4% |
Places in Minnesota most like Lake Elmo
| Place | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring Lake Township | $2,197 | $629,600 | $146,953 | 8.3% |
| Andover | $2,037 | $410,200 | $137,593 | 5.9% |
| Elko New Market | $2,200 | $433,100 | $152,150 | 4.5% |
| Lino Lakes | $1,874 | $407,200 | $127,181 | 7.9% |
| Dayton | $1,651 | $511,300 | $148,947 | 7.0% |
| Lakeville | $1,806 | $452,500 | $139,041 | 12.2% |
Matched on rent, home value, income, the share who rent, the age of the homes, the share in apartment buildings and the commute, each measured against the spread across Minnesota.
HUD Fair Market Rent for Lake Elmo, fiscal year 2027
| Studio | 1 bedroom | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms | 4 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $1,265 | $1,427 | $1,734 | $2,264 | $2,538 |
HUD income limits for Lake Elmo, fiscal year 2026
| Household size | Extremely low (30%) | Very low (50%) | Low (80%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $27,650 | $46,050 | $73,650 |
| 2 people | $31,600 | $52,600 | $84,200 |
| 3 people | $35,550 | $59,200 | $94,700 |
| 4 people | $39,450 | $65,750 | $105,200 |
| 5 people | $42,650 | $71,050 | $113,650 |
| 6 people | $45,800 | $76,300 | $122,050 |
| 7 people | $50,040 | $81,550 | $130,450 |
| 8 people | $55,720 | $86,800 | $138,900 |
These are the limits HUD sets for its housing programs in the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI HUD Metro FMR Area, where HUD’s median family income for fiscal year 2026 is $131,500.
A program can use its own limits; tax-credit and local programs often do.
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 Lake Elmo
Are renters in Lake Elmo rent-burdened?
78.7% of renting households in Lake Elmo pay 30% or more of their income in gross rent, the share housing researchers usually call rent-burdened (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
How many renters are there in Lake Elmo?
Lake Elmo has an estimated 305 (±139) renting households, 6.5% of its occupied homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the median household income in Lake Elmo?
The median household income in Lake Elmo is $153,669 (±$12,387) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average home value in Lake Elmo, MN?
The Census Bureau publishes the median: $597,000 (±$31,172) for owner-occupied homes in Lake Elmo (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average mortgage payment in Lake Elmo?
The Census Bureau publishes total owner costs rather than the mortgage alone: the median for owners with a mortgage in Lake Elmo, MN is $2,839 (±$237) a month, including taxes, insurance and utilities.
How much are property taxes in Lake Elmo?
The median real estate tax paid by homeowners in Lake Elmo, MN is $4,841 (±$249) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Is Lake Elmo growing?
In Lake Elmo, the number of residents went from 8,969 in 2015–2019 to 13,140 in 2020–2024 (+46.5%), a measurable increase.
What ZIP codes are in Lake Elmo?
The ZIP code that covers Lake Elmo is 55042.
What is the median rent in ZIP code 55042?
The median gross rent in ZIP Code Tabulation Area 55042 is $2,407 (±$1,894) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Sources
- Demographic and Housing Estimates (DP05), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Lake Elmo city, Minnesota
- Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Lake Elmo city, Minnesota
- Selected Economic Characteristics (DP03), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Lake Elmo city, Minnesota
- Median Real Estate Taxes Paid by Mortgage Status (B25103), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Lake Elmo city, Minnesota
- Selected Social Characteristics (DP02), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Lake Elmo city, Minnesota
- Total Population (B01003), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Lake Elmo city, Minnesota
- Median Gross Rent (B25064), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Lake Elmo city, Minnesota
- HUD Fair Market Rents, fiscal year 2027: Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI HUD Metro FMR Area
- HUD Income Limits, fiscal year 2026: Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI HUD Metro FMR Area
- US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates for ZIP Code Tabulation Areas
- Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, all items, US Bureau of Labor Statistics: annual averages 2019 and 2024
- US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files
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) for Lake Elmo city, Minnesota (place:34244, in state:27).
Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).
The 2015–2019 figures are B01003_001E, B01003_001M, B25064_001E, B25064_001M from the 2019 release.
The API needs a free key.
DP05_0001E, DP05_0001M, DP04_0001E, DP04_0001M, DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, DP04_0134E, DP04_0134M, DP03_0062E, DP03_0062M, DP04_0089E, DP04_0089M
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.
Figures last updated on .