Cost of living in Lake Elmo, MN — Housing, Rent & Index

All states·Minnesota·Lake Elmo·Cost of living

Housing, rent, and a comparison to the US average.

$631,584
Median home value
/mo
Median rent
178
Cost index (US=100)
+1.5%
Home YoY change

The median home value in Lake Elmo, MN is $631,584 as of 2026-04. That places Lake Elmo above the US average for housing cost, with a cost index of approximately 178 versus a national baseline of 100.

Over the past 12 months, the median home value in Lake Elmo has moved sideways, and over the past five years it has averaged +3.6% annual growth. The current price sits -0.2% from its 5-year peak in 2026-02.

Beyond housing, day-to-day costs in Lake Elmo 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$631,584
1-year change+1.5%
5-year CAGR+3.6%
10-year CAGR+4.2%
vs 5-year peak-0.2%

Source: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI).

How Lake Elmo compares

Cost index178 (above US)
Median home vs US (~$355k)+77.9%
Population14,161
Momentum score70 (Rising)

Cost index is currently a housing-only proxy; full BLS basket coming with ACS pull.

Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.