Population 488 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Gem Lake
Household size in Gem Lake
| Period | Gem Lake | Minneapolis area | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.74 | 2.58 | 2.52 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.54 | 2.61 | 2.54 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.94 | 2.63 | 2.55 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.15 | 2.58 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.59 | −0.00 | +0.00 | −0.03 |
Households in Gem Lake are small: just 2.15 people on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. That is typical of places where many people live alone or as couples, and fewer have children at home. Household size has dropped from 2.74 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, much of that may be survey noise rather than real change.
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 Gem Lake
| Period | Gem Lake | Minneapolis area | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 31.9 | 36.8 | 37.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 35.0 | 37.8 | 38.9 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 34.7 | 38.6 | 39.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 40.2 | 39.2 | 40.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | +8.3 | +2.5 | +2.1 | +2.3 |
At 40.2, the median age in Gem Lake is close to the national median of 40.1, so its age mix looks much like the country's.
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 Gem Lake
| Period | Gem Lake | Minneapolis area | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 16.4% | 10.2% | 9.9% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 9.2% | 10.6% | 10.2% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 14.8% | 9.9% | 9.7% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 8.4% | 9.8% | 9.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | −8.0 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.3 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 8.4% of households in Gem Lake, 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 Gem Lake
Renters in Gem Lake
| Period | Gem Lake | Minneapolis area | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 37.8% | 27.3% | 25.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 30.8% | 29.6% | 27.9% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 25.9% | 30.0% | 28.4% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 35.2% | 29.3% | 27.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | −2.6 pts | +2.0 pts | +2.0 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting in Gem Lake is about as common as it is nationally: 35.2% of households rent, against 34.8%. Renters make up a bigger share here than in the Minneapolis area overall (29.3%). Among homeowners, 41.0% have no mortgage at all, about the same as nationally.
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 Gem Lake
| Period | Gem Lake | Minneapolis area | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1.2% | 7.0% | 9.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 2.8% | 6.2% | 9.0% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.2% | 5.5% | 8.7% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 1.7% | 5.7% | 8.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | +0.5 pts | −1.3 pts | −0.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
Only 1.7% of homes in Gem Lake are vacant, far below the national rate of 9.6%, which usually means strong demand for housing.
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 Gem Lake
| Period | Gem Lake | Minneapolis area | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1983 | 1975 | 1973 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1975 | 1976 | 1974 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1975 | 1977 | 1975 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1968 | 1980 | 1978 | 1980 |
| Change | −15 | +4 | +5 | +6 |
The housing in Gem Lake is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1968, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates.
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 Gem Lake
| Period | Gem Lake | Minneapolis area | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $834 | $1,007 | $882 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $908 | $1,077 | $953 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,064 | $1,258 | $1,099 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,564 | $1,603 | $1,404 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$730 | +$597 | +$522 | +$606 |
Rent in Gem Lake runs $1,564 a month at the median, utilities included, close to the U.S. median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 16.8% of household income on rent, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally.
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 Gem Lake
Bachelor's degrees in Gem Lake
| Period | Gem Lake | Minneapolis area | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 33.0% | 37.2% | 32.1% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 36.6% | 39.1% | 33.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 36.4% | 41.8% | 36.2% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 41.3% | 45.4% | 39.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +8.2 pts | +8.1 pts | +7.4 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are a bit more common in Gem Lake than nationally: 41.3% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%. Locally, though, the share is lower than in the Minneapolis area as a whole (45.4%).
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 Gem Lake
| Period | Gem Lake | Minneapolis area | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 86.8% | 92.4% | 91.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 94.8% | 92.9% | 92.2% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 92.4% | 93.5% | 93.0% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 98.4% | 94.0% | 93.7% | 89.3% |
| Change | +11.6 pts | +1.6 pts | +2.3 pts | +4.3 pts |
Finishing high school is nearly universal in Gem Lake: 98.4% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%.
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 Gem Lake
| Period | Gem Lake | Minneapolis area | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.9% | 6.7% | 6.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 3.8% | 6.8% | 6.5% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 0.4% | 3.6% | 3.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 1.9% | 4.0% | 4.1% | 5.4% |
| Change | −6.0 pts | −2.7 pts | −2.4 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Gem Lake has been low: just 1.9% 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).
Gem Lake 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gem Lake | 2.15 | 40.2 | 8.4% | 35.2% | 1.7% | 1968 | $1,564 | 41.3% | 98.4% | 1.9% |
| White Bear Lake | 2.28 | 43.8 | 11.5% | 30.7% | 6.2% | 1973 | $1,580 | 41.8% | 95.9% | 4.2% |
| Vadnais Heights | 2.29 | 39.7 | 12.6% | 20.9% | 4.0% | 1986 | $1,463 | 42.3% | 94.8% | 4.3% |
| Birchwood Village | 2.65 | 38.6 | 13.0% | 14.1% | 5.5% | 1975 | $1,707 | 61.4% | 98.4% | 2.1% |
| Little Canada | 2.48 | 41.9 | 11.9% | 31.7% | 9.0% | 1981 | $1,525 | 40.0% | 91.8% | 6.6% |
| North Oaks | 2.75 | 50.5 | 6.4% | 12.0% | 11.2% | 1985 | $3,329 | 72.3% | 97.3% | 2.9% |
| Mahtomedi | 2.69 | 42.4 | 6.7% | 18.4% | 8.6% | 1985 | $1,769 | 64.0% | 98.6% | 4.6% |
| North St. Paul | 2.67 | 36.0 | 15.1% | 31.8% | 4.0% | 1971 | $1,386 | 31.2% | 88.7% | 2.8% |
| Willernie | 2.52 | 47.0 | 6.2% | 24.2% | 6.2% | 1982 | $1,307 | 47.6% | 98.2% | 10.4% |
| Dellwood | 2.92 | 42.5 | 2.9% | 3.5% | 6.6% | 1982 | $2,697 | 68.4% | 99.9% | 0.6% |
| Pine Springs | 2.77 | 45.2 | 4.7% | 4.7% | 2.8% | 1981 | $1,875 | 52.1% | 95.2% | 2.1% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Topeka, MS · Cove, MN · Cutler, IL · Dakota, MN · Denmark, AR · Taylor, LA · Taylorsville, TN · Texas, OH · Thomas Landing, NC · Cold Spring, TN
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 Gem Lake. 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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