City · Minnesota
Forest Lake, Minnesota
Forest Lake, city, in Washington County, Minnesota. Forest Lake had 20,952 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 1.6% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 20,611 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 20,729 (±27). GEOID 2721770.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
20,952
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 20,611 · ACS 2020-2024: 20,729 ±27
Median household income
$92,944
±$8,689 (90% margin)
Minnesota: $89,062
Median home value
$393,500
±$19,271 (90% margin)
Minnesota: $329,300
Median gross rent
$1,421
±$74 (90% margin)
Minnesota: $1,280
Where is Forest Lake and what county is it in?
Forest Lake is a city in Washington County, Minnesota. It covers 30.5 square miles of land, 675 residents per square mile in 2020.
Forest Lake is in the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI metropolitan statistical area, which takes in 15 counties (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Forest Lake, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 20,952 people lived in Forest Lake on July 1, 2025, up 1.6% since 2020, slower than Minnesota (+2.2%). The 2020 Census counted 20,611 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 20,729 (±27).
| Measure | Forest Lake | Washington County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 20,729 ±27 | 276,238 | +725 |
| Households | 8,286 ±347 | 105,577 | +698 |
| Average household size | 2.49 ±0.10 | 2.58 | −0.13 |
| Housing units | 8,723 ±385 | 109,307 | +655 |
Forest Lake's population since 2000
From 6,798 in 2000 to 20,952 in 2025: up 208.2%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Forest Lake as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Forest Lake?
The median resident of Forest Lake is 39.6 years old; 23.2% are under 18 and 16.9% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 86.0%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 3.8%. 5.2% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Forest Lake | Washington County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 39.6 ±1.6 | 39.8 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 23.2% ±2.3 pts | 24.0% | – |
| 65 years and over | 16.9% ±2.2 pts | 16.6% | – |
| Male | 49.0% ±1.9 pts | 49.7% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 3.8% ±2.3 pts | 5.3% | no clear change |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 86.0% ±3.3 pts | 77.2% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 3.0% ±2.2 pts | 5.5% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 3.6% ±1.7 pts | 7.7% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.1% ±0.2 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.1 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 2.7% ±0.9 pts | 3.7% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.8% ±0.9 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 5.2% ±2.1 pts | 8.5% | no clear change |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 6.7% ±2.2 pts | 12.5% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 4.7% ±0.9 pts | 5.4% | – |
| With a disability | 10.9% ±2.1 pts | 9.9% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 4.5% ±1.5 pts | 3.5% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 94.6% ±2.3 pts | 96.1% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 35.4% ±3.8 pts | 49.1% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 11.7% ±2.7 pts | 17.4% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 90.1% ±3.1 pts | 88.9% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 1.4% ±0.9 pts | 1.7% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Forest Lake earn?
Half of Forest Lake's 8,286 households earn less than $92,944 a year (±$8,689), against $115,345 in Washington County and $89,062 in Minnesota. In 2015-2019 it was $98,259 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 7.0% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Forest Lake | Washington County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $92,944 ±$8,689 | $115,345 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $115,588 ±$7,394 | $148,415 | – |
| Per capita income | $46,249 ±$2,832 | $56,954 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 7.0% ±3.1 pts | 5.1% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 8.6% ±6.3 pts | 5.0% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 5.6% ±2.5 pts | 4.1% | – |
| Households with a computer | 96.3% ±1.6 pts | 97.6% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 92.6% ±2.3 pts | 94.9% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Forest Lake?
Owners occupy 72.9% of Forest Lake's occupied homes and renters 27.1%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $393,500 by its owner (±$19,271). The median renter pays $1,421 a month including utilities, and 37.6% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Forest Lake | Washington County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $393,500 ±$19,271 | $422,000 | +$58,505 |
| Median gross rent | $1,421 ±$74 | $1,710 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 37.6% ±11.9 pts | 41.0% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $2,141 ±$95 | $2,275 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 72.9% ±3.2 pts | 81.3% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 27.1% ±3.2 pts | 18.7% | – |
| Housing units | 8,723 ±385 | 109,307 | +655 |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.2% ±0.4 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 5.0% ±5.6 pts | 5.3% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 61.2% ±4.0 pts | 67.1% | – |
| Mobile homes | 2.0% ±1.3 pts | 1.8% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 2.2% ±1.0 pts | 4.3% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 12.3% ±2.6 pts | 11.5% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 7.2% ±3.2 pts | 6.1% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 3.8% ±1.3 pts | 3.8% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How many new homes is Forest Lake building?
Builders took permits for 86 new housing units in Forest Lake in 2025 (64 in single-family houses), 4.1 per 1,000 residents against 3.6 across Minnesota.
Counts of units in permits a local office issued; not every permitted unit is built. A year marked with months was reported for part of the year.
Source: Building Permits Survey, annual place files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey
How do people in Forest Lake work and get to work?
72.2% of Forest Lake's workers drive alone and 17.7% work from home. The average trip to work takes 24.2 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 4.3%.
| Measure | Forest Lake | Washington County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 70.7% ±2.7 pts | 68.3% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 4.3% ±2.3 pts | 3.4% | no clear change |
| Drove alone to work | 72.2% ±3.7 pts | 66.3% | – |
| Carpooled | 6.6% ±1.7 pts | 7.5% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.2% ±0.3 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Walked | 2.5% ±0.9 pts | 0.9% | – |
| Worked from home | 17.7% ±2.9 pts | 23.6% | +11.8 pts |
| Mean travel time to work | 24.2 min ±1.7 | 24.0 min | −4.5 min |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Forest Lake?
5 census tracts lie mostly in Forest Lake (2020 census blocks). Their median household incomes run from $65,972 (Tract 701.04) to $154,219 (Tract 701.05).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 701.03Washington County | 6,111 | $74,003 |
| Tract 701.05Washington County | 4,279 | $154,219 |
| Tract 701.07Washington County | 3,684 | $107,054 |
| Tract 701.08Washington County | 3,591 | $116,964 |
| Tract 701.04Washington County | 3,064 | $65,972 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Forest Lake) · Census block assignment files
How does Forest Lake compare with other places in Minnesota?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Forest Lake is the 1,864th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 59th-most populous of 855 in Minnesota.
Forest Lake ranks 257th of 558 places in Minnesota with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 59th | 855 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 285th | 556 |
| Residents per square mile | 277th | 562 |
| Median household income | 257th | 558 |
| Per capita income | 222nd | 562 |
| Median home value | 139th | 559 |
| Median gross rent | 105th | 465 |
| Poverty rate | 259th | 461 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 192nd | 559 |
| Median age | 352nd | 561 |
| Owner-occupied share | 395th | 561 |
| Work from home | 137th | 525 |
| Travel time to work | 265th | 562 |
Forest Lake's figures with every place in Minnesota (CSV)
Every place in Minnesota, sortable · Compare Forest Lake with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Forest Lake?
8 of the 57 figures for Forest Lake on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Forest Lake are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' public schools in Forest Lake.