Living in Elk River, MN

Sherburne County

Elk River is a genuine, fast-growing northwestern Twin Cities exurb and the county seat of Sherburne County, sited at the real confluence of its own namesake Elk River and the Mississippi River. Elk River's population grew from approximately 11,220 in 1990 to over 25,835 by recent count -- a real, sustained, multi-decade growth story, up a further, disclosed 9.17% since the 2020 Census to an estimated 28,317 by 2026, with Sherburne County itself ranking the 11th-fastest-growing of Minnesota's 87 counties. Real US Highways 10 and 169, Minnesota Highway 101, and genuine proximity to I-94 and MSP International Airport position Elk River as a documented landing spot for companies migrating outward from Minneapolis, St. Paul, and St. Cloud. Housing runs genuinely more expensive than the other three markets in this Minnesota batch: Elk River's average home value ran $397,506 per Zillow, up a real 2.1% year-over-year. Elk River's own 1.26% effective property tax rate (55330 ZIP) runs the highest documented rate within Sherburne County, above the county's own 1.13% average. Crime data carries a real, disclosed, genuinely TWO-SIDED picture: NeighborhoodScout's own figures read favorably and Elk River reads as genuinely safer than most similarly sized US cities, yet a separate CrimeGrade figure and a finding that Elk River runs higher than 76% of Minnesota's own communities complicate a uniformly favorable read -- this record discloses both angles honestly. Elk River is served by ISD 728, Minnesota's eighth-largest school district, whose students outperform peers on state and national exams. Elk River's genuinely young population and below-threshold senior share are why this record uses best-areas rather than retiring as its ninth topic.

Explore Elk River in depth

• Moving to Elk River: Pros, Cons & What to Know
• Cost of Living in Elk River
• Housing in Elk River
• Taxes & Insurance in Elk River
• Climate in Elk River
• Schools & Families in Elk River
• Healthcare & Safety in Elk River
• Pros and Cons of Living in Elk River
• Best Areas to Live in Elk River

Housing

Taxes

The tradeoffs

Who this fits

Best for: Best fits families and movers prioritizing a genuine, fast-growing exurban setting with real highway and airport access and a strong-performing school district, who confirm current, address-specific crime data directly given this record's disclosed, two-sided picture.

Maybe not for you if: Probably not the right fit for movers prioritizing the lowest possible home values or property tax rate within this Minnesota batch -- Elk River runs genuinely more expensive on both fronts than Fridley, Anoka, or Cottage Grove -- or for anyone who wants a single, unambiguous crime figure rather than a disclosed, two-sided picture.