Population 3,928 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Ely
Household size in Ely
| Period | Ely | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.01 | 2.52 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.00 | 2.54 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 1.95 | 2.55 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 1.80 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.21 | +0.00 | −0.03 |
Ely is a place of small households, averaging 1.80 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Household size has dropped from 2.01 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Ely
| Period | Ely | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 44.2 | 37.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 46.7 | 38.9 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 50.5 | 39.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 52.9 | 40.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | +8.7 | +2.1 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 52.9, Ely is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Ely
| Period | Ely | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.1% | 9.9% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 8.0% | 10.2% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 5.7% | 9.7% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.4% | 9.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | +0.4 pts | −0.3 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 5.4% of households in Ely, well below the national share of 11.6%.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Ely
Renters in Ely
| Period | Ely | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 25.8% | 25.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 25.0% | 27.9% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 24.4% | 28.4% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 29.4% | 27.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | +3.6 pts | +2.0 pts | +1.5 pts |
About three in ten households in Ely rent their homes (29.4%), a little below the national share of 34.8%; the rest own. Minnesota as a whole looks much the same. Among homeowners, 57.4% have no mortgage at all, well above the national share of 39.8%.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Ely
| Period | Ely | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 25.4% | 9.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 28.2% | 9.0% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 31.2% | 8.7% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 23.8% | 8.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | −1.7 pts | −0.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Ely: 23.8% of homes are empty, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Ely
| Period | Ely | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1955 | 1973 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1959 | 1974 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1957 | 1975 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1956 | 1978 | 1980 |
| Change | +1 | +5 | +6 |
Ely is a place of older homes: half were built before 1956, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Ely
| Period | Ely | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $501 | $882 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $591 | $953 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $611 | $1,099 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $770 | $1,404 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$269 | +$522 | +$606 |
Rent in Ely runs $770 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent takes 30.0% of the typical renter's income, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Ely
Bachelor's degrees in Ely
| Period | Ely | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 29.8% | 32.1% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 32.9% | 33.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 33.5% | 36.2% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 35.7% | 39.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +5.9 pts | +7.4 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are about as common in Ely as nationally: 35.7% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%. The share is lower than in Minnesota overall (39.6%).
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Ely
| Period | Ely | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 93.4% | 91.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 94.0% | 92.2% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 95.7% | 93.0% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 94.1% | 93.7% | 89.3% |
| Change | +0.8 pts | +2.3 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Ely is above the national rate: 94.1% of adults have a diploma, against 89.3%. That is in line with the rest of Minnesota.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Ely
| Period | Ely | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.6% | 6.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 5.4% | 6.5% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.2% | 3.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 2.6% | 4.1% | 5.4% |
| Change | −5.0 pts | −2.4 pts | −2.7 pts |
The job market in Ely has been strong: just 2.6% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Ely compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ely | 1.80 | 52.9 | 5.4% | 29.4% | 23.8% | 1956 | $770 | 35.7% | 94.1% | 2.6% |
| Section Thirty | 1.88 | 58.7 | 4.1% | 17.3% | 39.5% | 1967 | $808 | 40.6% | 96.0% | 3.7% |
| Robinson | 2.00 | 64.8 | 0.6% | 0.6% | 61.8% | 1979 | $933 | 41.8% | 99.7% | 0.0% |
| Winton | 2.03 | 56.5 | 4.0% | 8.2% | 35.2% | 1974 | $953 | 30.3% | 94.5% | 3.5% |
| Babbitt | 2.04 | 56.8 | 5.2% | 9.7% | 31.3% | 1964 | $800 | 23.3% | 93.7% | 3.6% |
| Soudan | 2.07 | 57.4 | 6.7% | 13.8% | 52.7% | 1977 | $714 | 29.8% | 97.1% | 6.9% |
| Isabella | 1.99 | 63.6 | 4.2% | 5.5% | 70.8% | 1982 | $814 | 51.3% | 96.4% | 9.9% |
| Tower | 2.09 | 61.7 | 7.3% | 10.6% | 59.5% | 1980 | $731 | 35.3% | 97.4% | 4.9% |
| Embarrass | 2.11 | 51.5 | 5.0% | 3.6% | 18.3% | 1971 | $1,027 | 18.2% | 92.8% | 4.0% |
| Colby | 2.06 | 52.5 | 5.4% | 3.4% | 19.1% | 1969 | $828 | 18.0% | 93.5% | 3.4% |
| Hoyt Lakes | 2.43 | 45.6 | 7.0% | 4.3% | 12.2% | 1956 | $1,159 | 17.1% | 95.5% | 12.4% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: St. Helen, MI · Billings, MO · Weston Lakes, TX · Gowen, MI · Piggott, AR · Mesa, WA · Lexington, IN · Marlette, MI · Riverton, IL · O'Brien, FL
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Ely. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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