City profile · Minnesota · Census ACS 2023

Prior Lake, MN

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Prior Lake - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

27,832
Residents
$130,278
Median income
$429,900
Median home
$1,709
Median rent (state)

Prior Lake - the verdict

Prior Lake ranks in the 90th percentile for household income and the 57th percentile for safety nationally, out of every US city with at least 1,000 residents. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

90th
percentile, household income
80th
percentile, home value
68th
percentile, median rent
57th
percentile, safety
📝 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: Prior Lake, MN

Census ACS 2023 estimates count 27,832 residents in Prior Lake, a small city within Minnesota. The typical household in Prior Lake brings in $130,278 a year, placing it in the top quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 1.4%. Home values in Prior Lake run a median of $429,900, and the median resident age is 39.7 years. 51.5% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 72.2% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

The Census Building Permit Survey recorded 51 residential units authorized here in 2024 (Construction Slowdown), down 74% from five years earlier. Prior Lake reports a comparatively low crime rate: FBI UCR reporting places total crime at 1178.8 incidents per 100,000 residents, below the national average (voluntary agency reporting, reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score).

Minnesota tracks close to the national cost-of-living baseline: the state registers 98.6 on a 100-equals-national-average index (Near Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. Statewide, HUD pegs Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at $1,709 monthly. Monthly utility costs average around $225 across Minnesota, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. Natural-hazard exposure scores 76.6 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (High).

Population

27,832 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Minnesota

Median Household Income

$130,278 /yr

Poverty 1.4%

Cost of Living Index (state)

98.6 (US=100)

Near Average - BEA RPP 2024, Minnesota average

How does Prior Lake compare to other US cities?

Where Prior Lake sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 90% higher than other cities
Home value 80% pricier than other cities
Median rent 68% pricier than other cities
Safety 57% safer than other cities

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

A national percentile can hide a lot of local variation: narrowed to Minnesota alone, Prior Lake ranks #134 of 229 Minnesota cities by lowest crime rate - a different, more locally useful comparison than stacking it against the entire country.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

Each percentile compares Prior 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 Home Value is Prior Lake's strongest outlier among Minnesota cities

Among the 774 Minnesota cities PlainCities tracks with reported median home value data, Prior Lake ranks #50 - the 94th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Prior Lake only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.

Median Household Income
#42 of 775
95th percentile in Minnesota
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 785
77th percentile in Minnesota
Median Home Value
#50 of 774
94th percentile in Minnesota
Poverty Rate
#645 of 785
17th percentile in Minnesota
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#53 of 784
93rd percentile in Minnesota

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.

90thIncome percentile
57thSafety percentile

90th percentile nationally for median household income · 57th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Prior Lake's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Prior Lake's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown. 3-axis radar comparing 1 series across Income, Affordability, Safety. IncomeAffordabilitySafety 58 Avg. percentile National median
Prior Lake's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.

How Prior Lake's home value compares nationally

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

$429,900 20th percentile more affordable than 20% of 15,600 US cities

$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%). This entry sits in this band. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $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. Prior 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

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Prior Lake, MN Prior Lake, MN's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Prior Lake, MN-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Prior Lake, MN median $130,278/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%
Prior Lake, MN's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Prior Lake, MN. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 51.5%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 1.4%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 72.2%

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

Population
27,832
Median Income
$130,278
Median Home Value
$429,900
Median Age
39.7
Poverty Rate
1.4%
Labor force participation
72.2%
Bachelor's Degree+
51.5%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
1178.8
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
106.5
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
1072.3
per 100,000 residents

Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.

Schools

Total Schools
10
Public schools in this city

Population Change

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

See the fastest-growing cities →
27,400 residents27,600 residents27,800 residents28,000 residents28,200 residents28,400 residents 202020212022202320242025 27,631 residents 28,140 residents ▲ +1.8%
Prior Lake's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

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

📉 Construction Slowdown
Total Permits (2024)
51
housing units authorized
Single-Family
51
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
1.8
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 197
2020 157
2021 132
2022 105
2023 68
2024 51

Permit volume decreased 74% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
68.1%
Carpool
6.7%
Public Transit
1.0%
Walk
1.0%
Work from Home
22.0%
Other
1.2%

Based on 15,117 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for Minnesota - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$95
avg/month
Natural Gas
$85
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$45
avg/month
Total Utilities
$225
estimated/month

Estimates reflect Minnesota state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a Minnesota state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Prior Lake sits in

Cost of Living Index
98.6
Near Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,709/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
76.6 / 100
High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Minnesota

Ramsey
28,070 people
Oakdale
28,109 people
Chaska
28,146 people
Shoreview
26,724 people
Rosemount
26,509 people
Owatonna
26,462 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Prior Lake's 27,832 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Hamtramck, MI
27,830 people
Walnut, CA
27,857 people
Shirley, NY
27,807 people
Huntley, IL
27,859 people
Monsey, NY
27,787 people
Garden City, KS
27,781 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Prior Lake's $130,278 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

North Babylon, NY
$130,293 median income
Piermont, NY
$130,263 median income
Creekside, KY
$130,300 median income
Wakefield, MA
$130,320 median income
Story, WY
$130,227 median income
Royerton, IN
$130,217 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Prior Lake, MN Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Prior Lake, MN - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 83.4% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 5.0% White 83.4% Black or African American 1.6% Asian 5.5% American Indian 1.5% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 2.2% Two or more races 5.8% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Prior Lake compares to nearby Minnesota cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Prior Lake (this city) 27,832 $130,278
Ramsey 28,070 $112,060
Oakdale 28,109 $90,379
Chaska 28,146 $110,000
Census ACS 5-year FIPS MN FBI UCR NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Prior Lake, MN?

What is the population of Prior Lake, MN? +

The population of Prior Lake, MN stands at 27,832 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Prior Lake, MN? +

The median household income in Prior Lake is $130,278 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Prior Lake? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Prior Lake; the closest available measure is the Minnesota state average, a cost of living index of 98.6 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Near Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within Minnesota vary by metro area.

Is Prior Lake, MN safe? +

Prior Lake has a total crime rate of 1178.8 per 100,000 residents, which is below the national average. This reflects incidents reported to the FBI UCR program, not a definitive safety score -- agency reporting is voluntary and completeness varies by jurisdiction.

What is the median home value in Prior Lake, MN? +

The median home value in Prior Lake is $429,900, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NCES CCD, 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.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

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

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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.