Smart Movers Club

    Moving to Prior Lake, MN

    Is Prior Lake a good place to live?

    Watch Prior Lake

    Prior Lake ranks #3 of 43 Minnesota cities with 25,000+ people on the Smart Movers livability score (80/100), which weighs home affordability, unemployment, education and population growth. Population grew 0.8% in the latest Census year.

    Median home value
    $429,900
    +7.3% vs prior year
    Median rent
    $1,548
    per month
    Household income
    $130,278
    median
    Unemployment
    1.2%
    lower is better

    Cost of living in Prior Lake

    The median home value in Prior Lake is $429,900 and median rent is $1,548 a month, against a median household income of $130,278. Homes cost about 3.3× a year of income (under 3× is considered affordable).

    Prior Lake crime rate

    City-level FBI figures vary by agency; across Minnesota the 2025 rate was 226 violent and 1,429 property crimes per 100,000 people — #31 highest of 50 states. The full report breaks down local trends.

    Moving to Prior Lake, MN

    Prior Lake has about 27,832 residents, 1.2% unemployment and 36% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher.

    Compare Prior Lake with

    Prior Lake vs MinneapolisPrior Lake vs St. PaulPrior Lake vs RochesterPrior Lake vs BloomingtonPrior Lake vs DuluthPrior Lake vs Brooklyn ParkPrior Lake vs PlymouthPrior Lake vs Woodbury

    More: Where to move in Minnesota · Best counties in Minnesota

    Sources: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year estimates (2023, compared with 2022); FBI Crime Data Explorer.

    Home listings, local news, migration, schools, resources and the Smart Movers Grade & Verdict.

    See the full Smart Movers Club report