top of page
Search
Jan 31, 2022

Tour of Forest Lake, Minnesota

Updated: Feb 8, 2023

Today we’re checking out Forest Lake, Minnesota!

The furthest north video we’ve done, Forest Lake is a quaint suburb northeast of St. Paul, it has an adorable small town feel while still being relatively close to the Twin Cities. Housing prices in the area are in line with the Twin Cities median and it has solid schools. If lake town vibes are up your alley, it’s a solid option to look at!

Let’s get it!


Forest Lake Vibes

About 30 minutes from downtown St. Paul and downtown Minneapolis, and just short of 40 minutes to MSP airport, Forest Lake as mentioned, is the furthest virtual tour we’ve done. As its name states, Forest Lake and the surrounding lakes offer residents all the lake activities you need year-round - fishing, boating, and swimming in the summer, and ice fishing in the winter. Another popular winter activity here is snowmobiling - so much so they even have snowmobile police - it doesn’t get much more Minnesotan than that!

With a population of about 22,000 residents, Forest Lake has grown about 20% in the past 10 years. As far as schools are concerned, they’re not top 10, but they are solid. Forest Lake is served primarily by the Forest Lake School District and most schools come in around a B for a rating*.

Home Price Statistics Around 78% of the residents in Forest Lake own, while 22% rent. The median home price here in Forest Lake is about $330k, just slightly below the Twin Cities median of about $350k. Basically the home prices range pretty dramatically. For single family homes, you can find them as low as $250k and as high as $1.5 million. A realistic barrier of entry is going to be about $300k.

Pros + Cons

Pros:

  • The beautiful outdoor spaces - whether we’re talking the lake or park spaces, they’re great

  • “Up North” feel only 30 minutes from either downtown with easy access via I-35

    • For the uninitiated, it just means northern Minnesota where people have cabins

  • Diverse housing stock - very affordable homes and homes that go for $1 million plus

  • All your suburban staples

Cons:

  • Schools are solid, but not excellent

  • The lake while absolutely beautiful, it can make it a pain getting to the amenities on the west side of the lake if you live on the east side of the lake

  • Some of the areas that aren’t cared for as well - “echoes of a rural past” as I like to say

To Sum Up Forest Lake in Three Points

  • Beautiful outdoor spaces and that “Up North” feel

  • Convenient to both downtowns despite the distance

  • All the suburban amenities you need

For Fans Of

Basically, if you like this neighborhood, you might want to check out these other neighborhoods 👇

  • White Bear Lake

    • Nearby geographically, somewhat similar vibes, cute little downtown, etc

  • Anoka and Elk River

    • Cute little downtown, relatively affordable, and “Up North” feel

  • Stillwater and Wayzata

    • Similar vibes, cute downtowns, but much better schools and higher home prices

As We Depart

Every day I help people, who are moving or relocating to the Twin Cities area, find the home of their dreams in one of the best metropolitan areas in the country! If you're looking for a full-service Real Estate company that specializes in these cross-country moves, or just across the city, look no further.

Welcome to the Twin Cities - Make Yourself at Home!

Jesse Lynch - The New Face of Real Estate

Brokered By REAL Broker LLC


Call/Text (612) 564-1868

*according to niche.com


Comments

bottom of page