Housing, rent, and a comparison to the US average.
The median home value in Forest Lake, MN is $427,459 as of 2026-04. That places Forest Lake above the US average for housing cost, with a cost index of approximately 120 versus a national baseline of 100.
Over the past 12 months, the median home value in Forest Lake has climbed 2.7%, and over the past five years it has averaged +3.5% annual growth. The current price sits +0.0% from its 5-year peak in 2026-04.
Renters pay a median of $1,620 per month in Forest Lake. Rents have changed +3.8% over the last year and averaged — per year over five years.
Beyond housing, day-to-day costs in Forest Lake are shaped by state and local taxes, utility rates, transportation, and groceries. This page focuses on the housing component, which is the largest single line in most household budgets and the easiest to compare across cities using consistent national data.
Housing
| Median home value | $427,459 |
| 1-year change | +2.7% |
| 5-year price growth | +3.5% |
| 10-year price growth | +5.3% |
| vs 5-year peak | +0.0% |
Source: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI).
How Forest Lake compares
| Cost index | 120 (above US) |
| Median home vs US (~$355k) | +20.4% |
| Population | 20,700 |
| Momentum score | 65 (Rising) |
Cost index is currently a housing-only proxy; full BLS basket coming with ACS pull.
Affordability reality
Prices only mean something against local pay. Here’s how Forest Lake’s housing lines up with what people here actually earn.
| Median rent vs income | 21% of local median income |
| Home price-to-income | 4.6× local median income |
At $1,620/mo, rent eats about 21% of the local median household income of $92,944 — within the 30% rule of thumb for affordable housing.
The median home runs about 4.6× the local median income (stretched).
Daily life in Forest Lake
Climate
Summers run mild (highs near 82°F) and winters are cold (highs near 22°F), with about 45″ of snow a year.
Natural-hazard & insurance risk
Insurance heads-up: in Forest Lake, severe-storm and tornado risk is reflected in higher wind/hail deductibles.
Getting around
The average commute is 26 min — about the US average of ~27 min; 18% of workers are remote; 73% own their home.
Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.