Big Lake, Sherburne County, Minnesota Population and Demographics

In this article, we'll explore the population statistics for Big Lake, Minnesota, including popular demographics data like median age, number of households, household income, gender, employment and unemployment rates, occupations, religion, and more.

We are using the latest American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year survey data from the US Census Bureau, which is accurate up to 2021.

Table of Contents

Population

There is a lot of data that lets us see how many people live in Big Lake, Minnesota. The most basic data is the total population, which is the total number of people living in Big Lake, Minnesota. The estimated population of Big Lake, Minnesota is 7,886 people, with a median age of 41.

We can look at the total population in Big Lake over the last 5 years to see how much it has changed.

Year Population Change 5-Year Change
2021
7,886
-0.39% +3.48%
2020
7,917
+1.58%
-
2019
7,794
+1.3%
-
2018
7,694
+0.96%
-
2017
7,621
- -

Population of Big Lake, Minnesota by Race and Ethnicity

We can also look at how the population has changed over the last 5 years by each of the race/ethnicity types as defined by the US Census Bureau.

Race 2021 2017 Change
White
97.6%
96.9%
+0.72%
Black/African American
0%
0.1%
-100.00%
Native
0%
0%
0.00%
Hispanic
1.3%
0.6%
+116.67%
Asian
0.3%
1.2%
-75.00%
Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
0%
0%
0.00%
Two Or More Races
0.8%
1.3%
-38.46%
Other
0%
0%
0.00%

This data can be very important for a number of reasons, including social and economic research, planning and development, and marketing to a multi-cultural population.

Note that the Native group includes both Native American and Alaskan Native people.

Population of Big Lake, Minnesota by Age and Gender

The age and gender of a population is another interesting demographic statistic because it lets us track trends in the population over time. For example, we can see how the population has changed over the last 5 years by median age as a total, and also by male and female.

Year Total Male Female
2021 41 -7.45% 42.7 -3.83% 39 -11.56%
2020 44.3 +0.23% 44.4 +0.23% 44.1 +0.46%
2019 44.2 +2.31% 44.3 +1.14% 43.9 +4.03%
2018 43.2 +2.86% 43.8 +1.39% 42.2 +2.18%
2017 42 - 43.2 - 41.3 -

The median age of Big Lake, Minnesota gives you an idea of the age distribution, with half of the population being older than the median age and half being younger.

This can then be used to infer and compare against birth rates, parent ages, and more metrics to understand the population. For example, an increasing median age indicates an aging population, which can be a sign of a declining population in terms of birth rates and workforce participation.

Age 2021 2017
(Years) Male Female Male Female
0 to 9 454 -44.28% 589 -56% 274 304
10 to 19 364 +58.08% 487 +40.44% 544 658
20 to 29 315 +23.47% 348 +64% 351 492
30 to 39 589 +12.37% 497 +27.31% 590 615
40 to 49 538 +43.48% 541 -4.92% 706 499
50 to 59 816 -3.83% 723 +5.2% 750 751
60 to 69 467 2.81% 509 -1.99% 460 487
70+ 181 15.9% 203 +19.89% 180 225

Median Household Income

The latest median household income of Big Lake, Minnesota is $119,111.00.

In simple terms, the median income is the middle income of a group of people. Half of the people in the group make more than the median income, and half make less. The median income is a good indicator of the overall income of a group of people, and can be used to compare against other metrics such as the average income, per capita income, and more.

Median Income by Age

We can also look at the median income by age to see how the median income varies by age, and how it compares to the overall median income for Big Lake.

  • Under 25
    $0.00
  • 25 to 44
    $145,167.00
  • 45 to 64
    $135,450.00
  • 65 and over
    $57,833.00

Average Household Income

Whenever we ask what is the average household income in Big Lake, we are actually talking about the mean household income.

This is calculated by adding up all the incomes of all the households in Big Lake, and then dividing that number by the total number of households. This is a good way to get a general idea of the average income of a group of people, but it can be skewed by a very high or very low incomes.

The average household income of Big Lake, Minnesota is currently $128,542.00.

In terms of accurately summarizing income at a geographic level, the median income is a better metric than the average income because it isn't affected by a small number of very high or very low incomes.

If you had an area where the average income was greater than the median, it can mean that there is significant income inequality, with income being concentrated in a small number of wealthy households.

15.75% of households in Big Lake are classed as high income households (making $200,000+ per year).

Household Income Tiers

The US Census Bureau divides households into income tiers based on the median income for the area. This is a good way to compare the income of Big Lake against other areas.

  • Less than $24,999
    1.73%
  • $25,000 to $49,999
    13.35%
  • $50,000 to $74,999
    12.71%
  • $75,000 to $99,999
    13.95%
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    23.91%
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    18.61%
  • $200,000 or more
    15.75%

Per Capita Income

The per capita income in Big Lake is $46,718.00.

Per capita income is the average income of a person in a given area. It is calculated by dividing the total income of Big Lake by the total population of Big Lake.

This is different from the average or mean income because it includes and accounts for all people in Big Lake, Minnesota, including people like children, the elderly, unemployed people, retired people, and more.

Education Levels

We can also look at the education levels in Big Lake to see how many people have a high school degree, a bachelor's degree, or a graduate degree.

Educational attainment is a good indicator of the overall education level of a population, and can be used to compare against other metrics such as the average income, per capita income, and more to see how education levels affect income, unemployment rates, and more.

  • Master's degree or higher
    12.40%
  • Bachelor's degree
    34.02%
  • Some college or associate's degree
    12.12%
  • High school diploma or equivalent
    40.24%
  • Less than high school diploma
    1.22%

Employment

Employment rates are all based around the total population in Big Lake that are over the age of 16.

The total population of Big Lake over the age of 16 is 6,461.

Of those people, a total of 75.60% are working or actively looking for work. This is called the labor force participation rate.

The participation rate is a useful market measure because it shows the relative amount of labor resources available to the economy.

The employment to total population rate in Big Lake is 74.30%.

Employment by Age

We can look at the employment rates by age to see how it compares to the overall employment rate.

Age Population Participation Unemployment Rate
16 to 19 years 355 77.20% 7.30%
20 to 24 years 651 64.10% 0.00%
25 to 29 years 192 64.10% 0.00%
30 to 34 years 575 97.40% 0.00%
35 to 44 years 1,182 91.70% 0.60%
45 to 54 years 1,234 95.00% 3.20%
55 to 59 years 920 82.60% 3.00%
60 to 64 years 566 60.20% 0.00%
65 to 74 years 707 22.10% 0.00%
75 years and over 79 0.00% 0.00%

Employment by Race

Another very interesting employment statistic we can look at is the employment and unemployment rates by race in Big Lake. The table below shows the rates for each of the ethnicity groups types defined by the US Census Bureau.

Age Population Participation Unemployment Rate
White 6,339 76.20% 1.80%
Black or African American 1 100.00% 0.00%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0 0.00% 0.00%
Asian 23 100.00% 0.00%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 0 0.00% 0.00%
Other 70 2.90% 0.00%
Two or more races 28 100.00% 0.00%
Hispanic or Latino 105 35.20% 0.00%
Not Hispanic or Latino 6,304 76.10% 1.80%

Occupations

In this section we can look at the most common occupations in Big Lake as well as the gender breakdown and earnings of them.

The total population of civilian employees that are 16 years old or older in Big Lake is 4,801, with median earnings of $53,921.00.

Women in Big Lake, Minnesota earning approximately 60.10% of the men's earnings.

Population Earnings
Total 4,801 $53,921.00
Male 2,567 $66,920.00
Female 2,234 $40,189.00

Occupations by Category

In the table below, we can break down the population and earnings even further by occupation. The list of occupation categories below will show you how many people are employed in each category and the median earnings of each profession.

Occupation Employed Earnings
Management 627 $85,250.00
Business and Financial 334 $74,679.00
Computer and Mathematical 151 $51,628.00
Architecture and Engineering 215 $99,926.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 25 $0.00
Community and Social Service 49 $61,827.00
Legal 30 $0.00
Educational and Library 284 $53,320.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 75 $22,250.00
Healthcare Practitioners 244 $80,417.00
Healthcare Support 139 $33,702.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 8 $0.00
Law Enforcement 4 $0.00
Food Preparation and Serving 292 $6,806.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 63 $14,628.00
Personal Care and Service 112 $35,449.00
Sales 447 $58,229.00
Office and Administrative Support 484 $36,452.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 0 $0.00
Construction and Extraction 241 $67,772.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 369 $78,104.00
Production 543 $44,803.00
Transportation and Material Moving 16 $0.00

Occupations by Gender

The table below shows the same occupations from the list above, but we have split them by male and female to see how many male and females work in each occupation, the median earnings, and the male to female ratio of earnings.

That last metric is important because it can be used to look at the gender pay gap between men and women.

Occupation Male Female
Population Earnings Population Earnings
Management 443 $115,477.00 184 $55,132.00
Business and Financial 69 $71,917.00 265 $74,804.00
Computer and Mathematical 119 $51,211.00 32 $0.00
Architecture and Engineering 179 $104,583.00 36 $0.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 0 $0.00 25 $0.00
Community and Social Service 0 $0.00 49 $61,827.00
Legal 17 $0.00 13 $0.00
Educational and Library 69 $72,083.00 215 $52,637.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 9 $0.00 66 $37,647.00
Healthcare Practitioners 71 $69,267.00 173 $82,188.00
Healthcare Support 19 $0.00 120 $32,788.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 0 $0.00 8 $0.00
Law Enforcement 4 $0.00 0 $0.00
Food Preparation and Serving 93 $6,287.00 199 $7,044.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 38 $0.00 25 $0.00
Personal Care and Service 0 $0.00 112 $35,449.00
Sales 248 $66,096.00 199 $8,646.00
Office and Administrative Support 38 $108,611.00 446 $35,806.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 0 $0.00 0 $0.00
Construction and Extraction 241 $67,772.00 0 $0.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 355 $78,301.00 14 $0.00
Production 490 $50,833.00 53 $0.00
Transportation and Material Moving 16 $0.00 0 $0.00

Households and Family Size

A household defined bu the US Census Bureau is a group of people who occupy a housing unit. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, group of rooms, or single room occupied as separate living quarters.

There are currently 2,832 households in Big Lake, with an average household size of 2.78 people.

A family is defined as a group of two or more people related by birth, marriage, or adoption who live together in the same household.

There are 2,509 families in Big Lake with an average family size of 2.94 people.

Households by Marital Status

The four categories of household by marital status are:

  • Married-couple family
  • Male householder with no spouse present
  • Female household with no spouse present
  • Nonfamily household

The table below shows the total number of households and families, with the average sizes of each.

Married Male Female Nonfamily
Total Households 2,166 186 157 323
Average Household Size 3.05 2.4 2.83 1.16
Total Families 2,166 186 157 0
Average Household Size 3.02 2.31 2.5 0

Poverty

Of the 2,509 families in Big Lake, 0.60% are considered to be below the poverty threshold.

The table below shows the latest poverty thresholds in Big Lake:

Household Size Poverty Threshold
1 Person $14,580.00
2 People $19,720.00
3 People $24,860.00
4 People $30,000.00
5 People $35,140.00
6 People $40,280.00
7 People $45,420.00
8 People $50,560.00

Housing

There are 2,895 housing units in Big Lake, Minnesota.

The table below shows the split between occupied and vacant units:

Total Percentage
Occupied 2,832 97.82%
Vacant 63 2.18%

5.98% of the total 2,895 housing units in Big Lake are rental units. This is approximately 173 properties.

For owner-occupied housing units, a total of 2,659 are occupied by the owner - or 91.85% of the total.

Rental Rates

The median rent for a property in Big Lake is $1,223.00.

In the chart below, we can look at the number of rental properties in Big Lake that fall into a particular rent range. These can then be used to compare with other areas, or to see how they have changed over time.

  • No rent paid
    0
  • Less than $500
    0
  • $500 to $999
    49
  • $1,000 to $1,499
    90
  • $1,500 to $1,999
    34
  • $2,000 to $2,499
    0
  • $2,500 to $2,999
    0
  • $3,000 or more
    0

Property Value

The median value of a property in Big Lake is $329,000.00.

Just like with rental rates, we can look at the number of properties in Big Lake that fall into a particular value range.

  • Less than $50,000
    59
  • $50,000 to $99,999
    0
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    49
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    128
  • $200,000 to $299,999
    817
  • $300,000 to $499,999
    1,376
  • $500,000 to $999,999
    230
  • $1,000,000 or more
    0

Property Age

We can also look at the age of properties in Big Lake. The chart below shows the number of properties in Big Lake that fall into a particular age range.

  • 1939 or earlier
    33
  • 1940 to 1949
    0
  • 1950 to 1959
    37
  • 1960 to 1969
    125
  • 1970 to 1979
    538
  • 1980 to 1989
    648
  • 1990 to 1999
    818
  • 2000 to 2009
    614
  • 2010 to 2013
    82
  • 2014 or later
    0

Vehicles per Household

The number of vehicles available per household can be a good indicator of the level of affluence in an area. The chart below shows the number of households in Big Lake that have a particular number of vehicles available.

  • No vehicles available
    29
  • 1 vehicle available
    156
  • 2 vehicles available
    858
  • 3 or more vehicles available
    1,789

Commuting to Work

In this section, we can also look at how people in Big Lake get to work. The chart below shows the number of people in Big Lake that commute to work in a particular way.

31.8 minutes is the average travel time to work for people in Big Lake.

These commute times can be compared to other date like income and educational levels to see how they relate to each other and if there are any trends in the data that might suggest a correlation.

  • Less than 5 minutes
    0
  • 5 to 9 minutes
    266
  • 10 to 14 minutes
    368
  • 15 to 19 minutes
    617
  • 20 to 24 minutes
    294
  • 25 to 29 minutes
    258
  • 30 to 34 minutes
    407
  • 35 to 39 minutes
    374
  • 40 to 44 minutes
    409
  • 45 to 59 minutes
    789
  • 60 to 89 minutes
    343
  • 90 or more minutes
    28

Summary

We've covered a LOT of demographic and population data for Big Lake, Minnesota in this article! Hopefully you have found it very useful in your research of the area.

If you use any of the data found on this page, please consider linking back to USPopulation.org as the source and if you have any feedback or data requests, click here to contact us.