Affordable Big Lake Storage Units

Moving and storage go hand in hand. Whether traveling across town or the country, moving is an exciting and fresh start. While Storage Rentals of America is here to help you with all your storage needs, we also want to help you get familiar with the area. That's why we put together this resource guide for Big Lake.

About Big Lake, MN

Big Lake is in Sherburne County, in the middle of the state, about 41 miles northwest of Minneapolis. The population is 11,686 (2020 U.S. Census).

Historically, the town was called “Humboldt” until 1867, then it became known as “Big Lake” for the locals' work harvesting ice from the town’s two lakes. A railway station was built in 1871 to transport the ice more efficiently to the big cities. This effort was during the time when modern refrigerators had not yet become popular, and each house had an icebox instead.

This town is best known for being recognized in 2019 as the safest place to live in the state with the lowest property crime rate. Each summer, before the pandemic, it hosted the “Spud Fest,” a festival about everything related to potatoes. Now, the Spud Fest is back on the calendar again, with a softball tournament that brings the best teams from all over the state.

What to do in Big Lake, MN

Big Lake is all about having fun outdoors and enjoying activities on the lake. Summertime is really fun with many activities to enjoy.

• Shopping: The Lake Shopping Center and Big Lake Town Square are the two shopping centers.
• Destination: Lakeside Park has a boat launch, fishing, picnic areas, a skate park, volleyball, and a water fountain.
• Features: The Sherburne National Refuge is 30,700 acres of forest and wetlands. It is about 14 miles north of Big Lake.

Working in Big Lake, MN

The local economy depends on retail, health care, and educational services. The unemployment rate is 4.9%, compared to the national average of 6.0%. The median household income is $87,197 per year. The predicted job growth rate over the next ten years is 38.1%, which is favorable compared to the national average growth rate of 33.5%. The average commute time is 30 minutes.

The most popular industries are building construction (9.4%), health care (6.3%), education (5.9%), metal products (5.4%), hospitality and restaurant services (5.0%), machinery (4.2%), and miscellaneous manufacturing (4.0%).

Big Lake, MN Neighborhoods

This city has established neighborhoods mixed with newer developments.

Here are three popular areas with the nicest homes:

• Orrock: The median home price in this area is $408,177. This amount is close to the median price of a home in America, which is $423,600. Most homes in this area are owner-occupied. This area is a newer neighborhood, with most homes built after 1970 and many built after 2000. You will find medium-sized, three- and four-bedroom homes mixed with apartment buildings. The average rent is $1,526, with a vacancy rate of 4.1%, so an extensive hunt is usually required to find places to rent.
• Big Lake North: The median home price is $395,649. The average rent is $1,526, with a vacancy rate of 4.2%. This low rate may make finding a nice place to rent somewhat challenging. This neighborhood is popular with families that like suburban living.
• City Center: This area is more expensive than 58.7% of the rest of the state. Most of the houses were built after 1970. The median home price is $346,578. The average rent is $1,318, with a vacancy rate of 6.6%, making it a little easier to find a place to rent.

Big Lake, MN School District

The public schools are administrated by the Big Lake Public School District. The district spends around $11,265 per student annually. The student-to-teacher ratio is 22 to one, which is not very good.

There are a few private schools in the area, but not many in Big Lake proper. The best one in Big Lake for PK to 5th grade is Heritage Montessori School.

There are 108 colleges and universities within 100 miles for higher education. There are no universities in Big Lake. The nearest ones are in Duluth, which is 22 miles away. In Duluth, you can find Lake Superior College, and a four-year public school, the University of Minnesota.

Moving to Big Lake, MN

To help set up your new place and get used to the area, here is the contact information for the utilities and information about municipal services.

Big Lake Municipal offers water and sewer service. Two options for electricity are Connexus Energy and Xcel Energy. Xcel Energy also provides natural gas.

TV, telephone, and Internet connections are provided by many companies, including Windstream Communications, CenturyLink, Spectrum, and others.

The Public Works of the city manages the Parks & Trails division. There are 215 acres of parks, 20 miles of trails, and nearly four acres of greenway. You can enjoy playgrounds for the kids, ball fields for sports, a disc golf course, a pier for fishing on the lake, and a beach for swimming.

The local government consists of an elected mayor and five elected members serving on the city council. Public meetings are held twice monthly, on the second and fourth Wednesdays. The meetings are held at Big Lake City Hall, located at 160 Lake Street North.

Big Lake, MN Housing

The median home price in this area is $364,900, trending up by 13.4% year-over-year. The moderate home prices, which are 13% below the national average, help keep the cost of living down, but the higher costs for health care, food, and other goods and services drive the cost of living back up. The cost of living is on par with other communities in Minnesota and 3% higher than the national average.