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. Big Lake has seen a significant amount of newer housing growth in recent years. Quite often, new home construction is the result of new residents moving in who are middle class or wealthier, attracted by jobs, a healthy local economy, or other amenities as they leave nearby or far away areas for greener pastures. This seems to be the case in Big Lake, where the median household income is $100,188.00.Unlike some cities where white-collar or blue-collar occupations dominate the local economy, Big Lake is neither predominantly one nor the other. Instead, it has a mixed workforce of both white- and blue-collar jobs. Overall, Big Lake is a city of sales and office workers, professionals, and service providers. There are especially a lot of people living in Big Lake who work in office and administrative support (11.15%), sales jobs (9.11%), and management occupations (8.67%). One interesting thing about the economy is that relatively large numbers of people worked from their home: 7.56% 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. Because of many things, Big Lake is a great place for families with children to consider. First of all, many other families with children live here, making Big Lake a place where both parents and children are more likely to develop social ties with other families, as well as find family-oriented services and community. The city’s good public school district and large population of college-educated adults provide an environment conducive to academic values. With regard to real estate, Big Lake has a high rate of owner-occupied single family homes, which tends to reflect stability in the local 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 34.03 minutes each day getting to work, which is significantly higher than the national average. The population of Big Lake overall has a level of education that is slightly above the US average for all US cities and towns of 21.84%. Of adults 25 and older in Big Lake, 23.25% have at least a bachelor's degree. The per capita income in Big Lake in 2022 was $37,677, which is upper middle income relative to Minnesota and the nation. This equates to an annual income of $150,708 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.
