Big Lake is a medium-sized city located in the state of Minnesota. With a population of 12,855 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 $120,549.00.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 managers. There are especially a lot of people living in Big Lake who work in office and administrative support (13.22%), management occupations (11.56%), and healthcare (7.45%). Telecommuters are a relatively large percentage of the workforce: 9.64% of people work from home. While this number may seem small overall, as a fraction of the total workforce it is high relative to the nation. 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. One downside of living in Big Lake, however, is that residents on average have to contend with a long commute, spending on average 34.04 minutes every day commuting to work. In terms of college education, Big Lake is somewhat better educated than the 21.84% who have a 4-year degree or higher in the typical US community: 26.76% of adults 25 and older in the city have at least a bachelor's degree. The per capita income in Big Lake in 2022 was $42,522, which is upper middle income relative to Minnesota and the nation. This equates to an annual income of $170,088 for a family of four. However, Big Lake contains both very wealthy and poor people as well. 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 English. The most common language spoken in Big Lake is English. Other important languages spoken here include Spanish and Italian.
