Big Lake is a medium-sized city located in the state of Minnesota. With a population of 12,610 people and five associated neighborhoods, Big Lake is the 93rd largest community in Minnesota. Much of the housing stock in Big Lake was built relatively recently. The construction of new real estate can often be taken as an indication that the local Big Lake economy is robust, and that jobs or other amenities are attracting an influx of new residents. This seems to be the case in Big Lake, where the median household income is $113,333.00.

One interesting thing about the economy is that relatively large numbers of people worked from their home: 8.75% of the workforce. While this number may seem small overall, as a fraction of the total workforce this is high compared to the rest of the county. These workers are often telecommuters who work in knowledge-based, white-collar professions. For example, Silicon Valley has large numbers of people who telecommute. Other at-home workers may be self-employed people who operate small businesses out of their homes.

Big Lake is a good choice for families with children because of several factors. Many other families with children live here, making it a place where both parents and children are more likely to develop social ties with other families. The city’s good public school district and large population of college-educated adults provide an environment conducive to academic success. Many people own their own single-family homes, providing areas for children to play and stability in the community. Finally, Big Lake’s overall crime rate is lower than average for the country.

In Big Lake, however, the average commute to work is quite long. On average, people spend 33.02 minutes each day getting to work, which is significantly higher than the national average.

The percentage of people in Big Lake who are college-educated is somewhat higher than the average US community of 21.84%: 26.91% of adults in Big Lake have at least a bachelor's degree.

The per capita income in Big Lake in 2022 was $40,849, which is upper middle income relative to Minnesota and the nation. This equates to an annual income of $163,396 for a family of four.

Big Lake is a somewhat ethnically-diverse city. The people who call Big Lake home describe themselves as belonging to a variety of racial and ethnic groups. The greatest number of Big Lake residents report their race to be White, followed by Black or African-American. Important ancestries of people in Big Lake include German, Norwegian, Irish, Polish, and Swedish.

The most common language spoken in Big Lake is English. Other important languages spoken here include Spanish and Italian.