Prior Lake is a city of 28,016 people in Minnesota. The population has risen by half since 2000, adding 12,099 people. 86% of homes are owner-occupied. That is roughly 51% ahead of the Minnesota median. This is an unusually credentialed place: 52% of adults have a four-year degree. That puts it in the top 3% of US cities for household income.
At a glance
Wealthier
median household income $134,255, above the US median
US median: $82,259
Mid-age
median age 39.6
US median: 38.9
More educated
52% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 41%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place
What stands out about Prior Lake
What changed most since 1990
Population11,482 → 28,016(+144%)US over the same years: +35%
Adults with a bachelor's degree25.7% → 52.4%(+26.7 pts)US over the same years: +15.3 pts
Median age30.0 → 39.6(+9.6 years)US over the same years: +6.0 years
Prior Lake's population equals 18% of Scott County's. Its number of residents living in poverty equals 12% of the county's. Its number of foreign-born residents equals 14% of the county's.
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans
Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)21.4%(279)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)25.2%(329)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era40.8%(533)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War4.4%(58)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.5%(6)
US avg: 1%
Share of the 1,306 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Over time
Prior Lake, decade by decade
Prior Lake population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
Year
Population
Median household income
Median home value
Bachelor's degree+
Diversity score
1990
11,482
$109,177
$239,767
25.7%
7.5
2000
15,917
$137,285
$320,611
32.8%
14.5
2010
22,796
$129,989
$431,284
42.5%
24.3
2020
27,617
$131,483
$398,034
48.3%
39.0
2024
28,016
$134,255
$450,700
52.4%
45.1
Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.
