Silver Lake, Minnesota Demographics & Population 2026

A note before these figures: with a population of 815, Silver Lake's ACS estimates come from a small number of survey responses and carry wide margins of error. Individual percentages below — particularly rates that round to 0% or 100% — are approximations, not precise measurements. See data.census.gov for the published margins of error.

Population Overview

Silver Lake is a small community located in Minnesota, within McLeod County. The total population is 815. It ranks as the 392nd most populous out of 914 Census-designated places in Minnesota.

Age Demographics

The median age in Silver Lake is 43.7 years. This is 13% higher than the state median of 38.8 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Silver Lake is $74,432. This is 16% lower than the state median of $89,062. It is also 8% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 3.3%. This is 65% lower than the state poverty rate of 9.3%. This exceptionally low poverty rate indicates strong economic prosperity across the community. The unemployment rate is 5.3%. This is 31% higher than the state rate of 4.1%. The median home value is $202,600. Housing costs are 38% lower than the state median of $329,300. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 2.7x, Silver Lake is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 80.2% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 11% higher than the state average of 72.2%.

Race & Ethnicity

Silver Lake has a predominantly White (non-Hispanic) population, comprising 93.3% of all residents. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 2.5%. The Black or African American population (0.5%) is well below the state average of 7.0%. The Hispanic or Latino population (2.5%) is well below the state average of 6.4%.

Education

10.8% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 73% lower than the state rate of 39.4%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 84.9%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for Silver Lake, Minnesota is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates. The ACS collects data from approximately 3.5 million households annually and pools five years of responses so that even small communities can be measured, though the margin of error widens as the population falls. Comparisons are made against Minnesota state averages and national averages calculated from the same dataset. Rankings reflect the city's position among all 914 Census-designated places in Minnesota. Read more about how these figures are produced on our methodology page, or visit data.census.gov for official data.