City profile · Minnesota · Census ACS 2023

Gem Lake, MN

Gem Lake's Census ACS profile: residents, income, housing, and the joined public-record layers available for this place.

521
Residents
$146,250
Median income
$536,600
Median home
$1,125
Median rent (state)
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State rank, size-class rank, and four peer cities for Gem Lake.

Place dossier plate

Sheet MN-GEM-LAKE-MN · Gem Lake, MN 521 pop · income 94th pct

POP-VILLAGE · INC-TOP · COL-PAR · SAFE-UNK · RANK-TOP · PHOTO-FINISH · HOME-HIGH · BOOK-UNK

  • POP-VILLAGE 521
  • INC-TOP $146,250
  • COL-PAR 98.6
  • SAFE-UNK Safety pending
  • RANK-TOP 94th
  • PHOTO-FINISH ≈ North Great Riv…
  • HOME-HIGH $536,600
  • BOOK-UNK Tracts pending

Nearest income peer: North Great River, NY (+ $0 income $)

Instrument codes from this place’s ACS population and household income, BEA state COL, FBI safety, national income percentile, photo-finish peer city, home-value band, and matched Census-tract book - not a moving recommendation.

Income neighbourhood around Gem Lake

Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Gem Lake on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.

median HH income

What this shows Neighbourhood peers only - not a full nationwide city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the spread is wide.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2026-08-08

Compare beyond this state

Nationwide peers by population, income

Out-of-state nearest neighbors for Gem Lake on ACS population and median household income . Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not a forecast that peers share a labor market or climate.

Similar population

Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS population. This city: 521.

4 peers

Similar household income

Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS median household income. This city: $146,250. Population peers are excluded.

4 peers

Gem Lake - the verdict

Out of every US city with 1,000+ residents, Gem Lake places in the 94th percentile for household income. Source: Census ACS.

94th
percentile, household income
86th
percentile, home value
36th
percentile, median rent
📝 How we sourced this

Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.

Data Snapshot: Gem Lake, MN

521 people live in Gem Lake, Minnesota - a small town by U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Households in Gem Lake report a median income of $146,250 per year, placing it in the top quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 2.0%. Typical homes in Gem Lake are valued around $536,600, and the median resident age is 41.2 years. 52.6% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 63.1% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

The Census Building Permit Survey recorded 0 residential units authorized here in 2024 (No Permits), down 100% from five years earlier.

Minnesota tracks close to the national cost-of-living baseline: on BEA's 100-equals-national-average cost index, Minnesota scores 98.6 (Near Average), per the 2024 Regional Price Parities release. A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $1,125 per month statewide. Monthly utility costs average around $225 across Minnesota, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. Natural-hazard exposure scores 42.4 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Low).

A decision-led reading path

Useful questions to ask of Gem Lake's data

How this reading path is ordered

This is not a composite city score. It is a city-specific route through the available public records, ordered for this profile so the page starts with questions the joined data can actually answer. The route here runs from population change to work and mobility to housing and income to comparison shortlist; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.

For Gem Lake, city-specific coverage includes commute-mode shares, annual population history, local building permits. No matched row is reported here for within-city Census tract profiles, FBI reported-crime rates, matched public-school count; the page leaves those layers out instead of substituting a statewide or national value.

Question 1

Is Gem Lake growing, shrinking, or holding steady?

Census PEP estimates show the population declined by -21 residents from 2020 to 2025, a -3.9% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 0 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.

Recent estimates point downward. A falling count can reflect migration, household size, annexation boundaries, or estimation noise, so it is a prompt to inspect the full series rather than a claim about local economic health.

See the national growth ranking →

Question 2

What does the journey to work look like in Gem Lake?

Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 73.0%. A reliable mean commute time is not available for this row, so the mode shares carry the comparison.

Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. Remote work has a visible role in the local pattern. That can reduce commute exposure for some workers, but it says nothing about job availability or broadband quality; read it alongside income and housing rather than as a stand-alone lifestyle score.

Compare commute patterns →

3. Housing and income

How far does income reach against housing in Gem Lake?

This is a citywide price-to-income reference, not a mortgage-affordability test; it does not include interest rates, taxes, insurance, household size, or an individual buyer's down payment. Income and home value move within the same broad scale here. The useful next check is not a generic affordability label, but whether similar-size cities offer a materially different income, housing, or commute trade-off.

The home-value-to-income reference sits in a middle range: the ACS median home value is 3.7 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 2.0%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.

Compare the housing trade-off →

4. Comparison shortlist

Which cities make useful reference points for Gem Lake?

Use the in-state set to hold state policy and broad price conditions more nearly constant. Use the nationwide size set to ask whether cities with a similar resident count produce different housing, income, or commute outcomes. The income set is a third lens, deliberately separate from population matching.

Within Minnesota, the closest population matches are Sacred Heart (522 residents, $63,125 income); Stephen (524 residents, $63,750 income); Sturgeon Lake (526 residents, $77,500 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Hawkeye, IA (521 residents); Beaver Creek, MD (521 residents); Eckhart Mines, MD (521 residents). A third, income-matched reference set of 6 out-of-state cities sits in the income neighbourhood chart near the Place Dossier plate. These are mechanical peer sets, not claims that the places share a labor market, climate, culture, or metro context.

Open a side-by-side comparison →

Population

521 residents

Micro place (under 10k)

Median Household Income

$146,250 /yr

Top-decile income · poverty 2.0% (Low poverty)

Cost of Living Index (state)

98.6 (US=100)

Above-average cost · BEA RPP 2024, Minnesota average

City profile score · Gem Lake, MN

79/100

4 published dimensions · ACS/FBI 2023

Comparative score against U.S. cities with population of 1,000 or more on Census ACS medians (income, poverty, bachelor's share, cost of living) and FBI UCR violent-crime rates when published. Higher means a stronger standing on those published figures, not a livability rating, not a recommendation to move, buy, or pick a "best" city. Missing inputs drop out and redistribute weight. How it is calculated.

Household income A+
$146,250

Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.

Poverty rate A
2.0%

Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.

Bachelor's+ share A
52.6%

Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.

Cost of living D
98.6 index

BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.

Violent crime N/A
N/A

No FBI UCR violent-crime rate for this place (coverage is incomplete).

Gem Lake profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions) 4-axis radar comparing 1 series across Household income, Poverty rate, Bachelor's+ share, Cost of living. Household incomePoverty rateBachelor's+ shareCost of living 79 B+
Gem Lake profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)
Read the chart values
  • Household income: 95/100 (A+) · $146,250
  • Poverty rate: 86/100 (A) · 2.0%
  • Bachelor's+ share: 86/100 (A) · 52.6%
  • Cost of living: 46/100 (D) · 98.6 index

How does Gem Lake compare to other US cities?

Here's how Gem Lake stacks up against the full field of US cities (population 1,000+), computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 94% higher than other cities
Home value 86% pricier than other cities
Median rent 36% pricier than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

Each percentile compares Gem Lake against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Minnesota only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.

Minnesota-relative analysis

Median Gross Rent places Gem Lake near the bottom of Minnesota's cities

Among the 785 Minnesota cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Gem Lake ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Gem Lake only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.

Median Household Income
#25 of 775
97th percentile in Minnesota
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 785
0th percentile in Minnesota
Median Home Value
#27 of 774
97th percentile in Minnesota
Poverty Rate
#610 of 785
22nd percentile in Minnesota
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#51 of 784
93rd percentile in Minnesota
How in-state ranks are ordered

Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within Minnesota only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.

94thIncome percentile
Gauge source note

94th percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

How Gem Lake's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$536,600 14th percentile more affordable than 14% of 15,600 US cities

Show national distribution $0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Below this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). This entry sits in this band. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Gem Lake $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Gem Lake's home-value-to-income ratio: 3.7×

ACS median home value divided by median household income.

Band
moderate
3.0–5.0×
National rank
#9,611 of 15,516
More affordable than 38% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#7,666 of 11,323
Micro cities (under 10,000)

At 3.7×, Gem Lake sits in the moderate band: national rank #9,611 of 15,516 and #7,666 of 11,323micro cities (under 10,000). Income and home value move in the same broad scale; check same-state peers before treating the multiple as an advantage or a warning.

How this ratio is calculated

Ratio = Census ACS 2023 median home value ÷ median household income for cities with both fields and population ≥ 1,000. Rank 1 = lowest ratio (most compact). Bands match the fleet affordability thresholds used on guides (<3.0 / 3.0–5.0 / >5.0). This is not a mortgage payment estimate and does not include rates, taxes, insurance, or down payment.

Income distribution context

$146,250 Gem Lake, MN median household income (Census ACS)

Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Household income distribution - Gem Lake, MN Gem Lake, MN's median household income ($146,250) against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern. The Lorenz curve and quintile bars are national context, not Gem Lake, MN-specific shares. $ Household Income Distribution Gem Lake, MN median $146,250/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Gem Lake, MN median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for Gem Lake, MN.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 52.6%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 2.0%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 63.1%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
521
Median Income
$146,250
Median Home Value
$536,600
Median Age
41.2
Poverty Rate
2.0%
Labor force participation
63.1%
Bachelor's Degree+
52.6%

Population Change

PEP vintage

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
500 residents510 residents520 residents530 residents540 residents 202020212022202320242025 532 residents 511 residents ▼ -3.9%
Gem Lake's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.
Read the chart as text
Period Population
2020 532 residents
2021 529 residents
2022 516 residents
2023 512 residents
2024 512 residents
2025 511 residents

Housing Supply

BPS source

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized

Total Permits (2024)
0
housing units authorized
Single-Family
0
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 18
2020 4
2021 0
2022 0
2023 1
2024 0

Permit volume decreased 100% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

Commute source

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
73.0%
Carpool
3.3%
Public Transit
0.4%
Walk
1.6%
Work from Home
21.3%

Based on 244 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

Minnesota statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $225

EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across Minnesota at $225 (electricity about $95 , water and sewer about $45 ).

These are Minnesota statewide averages, not a meter reading for Gem Lake. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Minnesota's BEA cost-of-living index is 98.6 (Near Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around Gem Lake is $1,125/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to Minnesota statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 42.4 / 100 (Low).

Cost/risk geography note

Cost of living is a Minnesota statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county Gem Lake sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.

How Gem Lake compares to similar-size Minnesota cities

Same-state peer method

Closest same-state population matches, not geographic neighbors. Population + median household income come from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 and B19013.

City Population Median Household Income
Gem Lake (this city) 521 $146,250
Sacred Heart 522 $63,125
Stephen 524 $63,750
Sturgeon Lake 526 $77,500
Census BPS 2024
Primary sources on this page

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES. Joins use OMB Bulletin 23-01 / FIPS keys.

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Estimate caveats

ACS and UCR figures are citywide estimates with vintage lags; they do not replace a local visit, school visit, or insurance quote.

Editorial standards, provenance, and how to cite this page

Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

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