City safety & data profile

Forest LakeMN

Forest Lake, MN is a 20K-resident city in Washington County with a median household income of $92,944.

Washington County, Minnesota. Federal health, economic, and safety indicators for Forest Lake, drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, CDC PLACES, and CMS Hospital Compare. Forest Lake has a population larger than 43% of the 4,640 U.S. cities Areazine tracks, and a median home value of $393,500.

Data updated 2026-07-20

20K
Population
Top 57%
By size
$92,944
Median income
$393,500
Median home
7%
Poverty rate

The read on Forest Lake

Forest Lake posts a median household income higher than 63% of U.S. cities Areazine tracks.

Top 37%
by median income, US cities

Where Forest Lake income ranks nationally

Median household income vs. every place Areazine profiles (place-level ACS)

$92,944 Top 37% higher than 63% of 3,889 places Areazine profiles

$0–$20,000: 0 places Areazine profiles (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 71 places Areazine profiles (2%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 788 places Areazine profiles (20%). Below this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 1,055 places Areazine profiles (27%). Below this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 768 places Areazine profiles (20%). This entry sits in this band. $100,000–$120,000: 515 places Areazine profiles (13%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 308 places Areazine profiles (8%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 171 places Areazine profiles (4%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 92 places Areazine profiles (2%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 47 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $220,000–$240,000: 18 places Areazine profiles (0%). Above this entry. $240,000–$260,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. MN $0 $260,000 every profiled place, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more places Areazine profiles. 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, American Community Survey (place-level) · 2024 ACS 5-year

The quick read

Reading Forest Lake, MN beyond the headline numbers

Forest Lake sits inside Washington County, Minnesota, at roughly 45.28°N, -92.99°W. Population 19,618, $92,944 median household income. Median home value $393,500, median rent $1,421. Poverty rate 7%, read against that income figure since two cities on the same median can differ underneath it.

CDC PLACES: Forest Lake's highest-prevalence health measure is obesity at 34.5%, then high blood pressure at 30%.

Sources: U.S. Census ACS, CDC PLACES, CMS Hospital Compare, plus live alerts for Forest Lake from FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC. Comparison bars benchmark each metric against the national reference.

Population
19,618
Forest Lake
Median Income
$92,944
+37% vs avg
Median Home Value
$393,500
+73% vs avg
Median Age
39.6
years

10-Year Trends 2013–2024

County-level trend (Washington County) - Forest Lake's own historical series isn't separately published by the Census Bureau, so these year-over-year figures track the surrounding county, not the city alone.

20132024
Population
276K+14%
Median Income
$115,345+41%
Median Home Value
$422,000+74%
Poverty Rate
5.1%-11%
Unemployment
3.4%-44%

Economics

Economics indicators for Forest Lake, MN
IndicatorValue
Median Rent
$1,421/mo
Poverty Rate
7% -51% vs avg
Unemployment 4.3%
Bachelor's Degree+ 35.4%
Work From Home 17.7%
Public Transit 0.2%

Population

White 86.4%
African American 3%
Asian 3.6%
Two or More Ethnicities 3.2%

Health Profile 15 measures

Health Indicators

Obesity
34.5%
High Blood Pressure
30%
Short Sleep Duration
26.8%
Physical Inactivity
21.1%
Binge Drinking
17%
Frequent Mental Distress
15.1%
Current Smoking
13.5%
Frequent Physical Distress
11.3%
Diabetes
10.6%
Current Asthma
10%

Preventive Care

Dental Visit 69.9%
Annual Checkup 75%

Other Measures

Lack of Health Insurance
6.7%
Coronary Heart Disease
5.7%
Stroke
3%

Frequently Asked Questions 5

What is the population of Forest Lake, MN? ▼
Forest Lake, MN has a population of 19,618 people, located in Washington County, Minnesota.
What is the median household income in Forest Lake? ▼
The median household income in Forest Lake, MN is $92,944 per year, per the U.S. Census ACS. The poverty rate is 7%.
What is the median home value in Forest Lake? ▼
The median home value in Forest Lake, MN is $393,500. Median rent is $1,421/month.
What are the top health concerns in Forest Lake? ▼
The top health indicators in Forest Lake include Obesity (34.5%), High Blood Pressure (30%), Short Sleep Duration (26.8%). Data from CDC PLACES.
What is the median age in Forest Lake? ▼
The median age in Forest Lake, MN is 39.6 years. 35.4% of residents have a bachelor's degree or higher.

Safety Context

Forest Lake, MN is located in Washington County, Minnesota. With a population of 20K and a $92,944 median household income, the community faces health challenges including obesity and high blood pressure. Safety alerts for the Forest Lake area are monitored from federal and state agencies including FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC.

Safety Guides

How Product Recalls Work

CPSC, FDA & NHTSA recall process explained

Understanding Weather Alerts

Watch vs warning vs advisory explained

Earthquake Magnitude Explained

What the numbers mean & when to act
All safety guides →

Primary source data

EPA Outdoor Air Quality Data

Federal monitoring network, every measurement we report

AirNow - Minnesota

Real-time AQI for every monitored Minnesota location

National Weather Service

NOAA active watches, warnings, advisories

CDC Air Quality & Health

Health-impact reference for every AQI category

EPA NAAQS standards

National Ambient Air Quality Standards, the regulatory thresholds

Nearby Cities 8

Hugo, MN 14K Lino Lakes, MN 21K White Bear Lake, MN 25K East Bethel, MN 12K North Branch, MN 10K Vadnais Heights, MN 13K Shoreview, MN 26K Ham Lake, MN 16K
All cities in Minnesota → Compare Forest Lake vs Hugo → All comparisons → Browse all cities

Using Forest Lake's profile

Use this as a starting research checklist, not a verdict on whether to live here.

  • Check live recalls, weather and hazard alerts scoped to the Forest Lake area before relying on national headlines. Check your area
  • Read the poverty rate alongside the income figure, two places with the same median can have very different realities.
  • Compare Forest Lake against Minnesota peers on any ranking lens. Explore Minnesota

Population and economics (income, home value, poverty, education) are place-level U.S. Census ACS; health is CDC PLACES; hospital counts reflect facilities in and around the city.

Data Sources

All data on this page comes from official U.S. government sources. Population and economic data from the Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates, place geography). Health data from the CDC PLACES program (2023). Hospital ratings from CMS Hospital Compare (2024). Climate data from NOAA. Education data from NCES. Cost of living from Bureau of Economic Analysis. Crime statistics, where referenced on Areazine, originate from the FBI Crime Data Explorer. Housing market figures referenced on Areazine come from HUD Fair Market Rents. Census economics and population are at place geography; some health and hospital indicators are reported at the county level (Washington County) where that is the smallest published unit.

Every figure on Areazine is published directly from official U.S. government sources, no number is typed in by an editor. City demographic and health figures are compiled directly from U.S. Census, CDC, and CMS releases, updated quarterly within 30 days of upstream release. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026.