Ham Lake and Elk River receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
Ham Lake
Elk River
Opportunity
47 · Bottom 31%
vs46 · Bottom 27%
Growth
53 · Top 45%
vs53 · Top 45%
Climate
54 · Bottom 3%
vs54 · Bottom 3%
Physical resilience
57 · Bottom 48%
vs65 · Top 44%
Housing affordability
92 · Top 26%
vs95 · Top 18%
Schools
80 · Top 14%
vs66 · Top 32%
Access
87 · Bottom 33%
vs74 · Bottom 16%
Economic stability
76 · Top 16%
vs83 · Top 3%
Measured values
| Metric | Ham Lake | Elk River | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 16,702 | 26,793 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $120,135 | $108,741 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $53,119 | $50,113 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 485/sq mi | 633/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $442,500 | $370,100 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,173 | $1,283 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 93.7% | 79.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.7% | 4.8% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -2.0% | -1.9% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 36.9% | 33.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 4.0% | 3.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 46 | 109 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 2.8 | 4.1 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 21.1% | -14.2% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 83°F | 83°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 7°F | 7°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 30.7" | 30.7" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 26 mi | 35 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 31.5 min | 29.9 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 43.8 | 37.2 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 7 | 25 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 17.75 | 19.61 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 68.2% | 58.1% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 65.6% | 62.0% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 20.3% | 22.9% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Ham Lake
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind, hail, inland flooding.
Elk River
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind.
Full profiles: Ham Lake, MN · Elk River, MN · How this is calculated: methodology