City · Lake County, Minnesota

Silver Bay, Minnesota

Silver Bay is a city in Lake County, Minnesota. It has 1,769 residents. Silver Bay, Minnesota has a quality-of-life score of 87 out of 100 (very high), ranking #2,027 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within Minnesota it ranks #154 of 364 cities and towns. It ranks best on fine particulate matter (PM2.5) (low), property crime rate (low) and hot days (low). It ranks worst on comfortable days (low), pharmacies (low) and distance to an airport (high).

87Very high

Quality-of-life score: #2,027 of 15,651 cities and towns
Minnesota: #154 of 364 in MN
Population: 1,769 (2020-2024)
Land area: 8 mi²
Density: 231.9 /mi²
FIPS code: 2760250

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 75 of 80 indicators, with the default “Explorer” weights.

Open in the map

Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety83#2,678/15,637
Economy50#7,746/15,631
Housing84#2,467/14,977
Health62#6,006/15,609
Healthcare46#8,455/15,650
Environment94#968/15,453
Education81#3,031/15,649
Infrastructure46#8,404/15,650
Community99#193/15,651
Leisure & amenities87#2,106/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Silver Bay, Minnesota ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Lake County value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) · low3.6 µg/m³
100/100Minnesota 6.3 µg/m³United States 8.0 µg/m³2022Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyLake County value
Property crime rate · low135 /100k
100/100Minnesota 1,412 /100kUnited States 1,535 /100k2025Federal Bureau of InvestigationCovers part of the area: some reporting agencies or member counties have no figureLake County value
Hot days · low1 days
98/100Minnesota 5 daysUnited States 42 days2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationLake County value
Arts, entertainment and recreation · high14.0 /10k
98/100Minnesota 6.8 /10kUnited States 5.5 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsLake County value
Public EV charging ports · high19.5 /10k
96/100Minnesota 5.6 /10kUnited States 7.6 /10kOct 2026U.S. Department of EnergyLake County value
High school diploma or higher · high96.7%
95/100Minnesota 93.9%United States 89.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B15003

Weaknesses

Comfortable days · low20.6%
0/100Minnesota 23.6%United States 26.8%2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationLake County value
Pharmacies · low0.0 /10k
1/100Minnesota 1.7 /10kUnited States 1.8 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsLake County value
Distance to an airport · high178 mi
1/100Minnesota 43 miUnited States 33 mi2025Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauLake County value
Distance to an Amtrak station · high164 mi
4/100Minnesota 32 miUnited States 43 mi2026Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauLake County value
Gyms and fitness centers · low0.0 /10k
4/100Minnesota 1.4 /10kUnited States 1.3 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsLake County value
Distance to an emergency room · high17.4 mi
5/100Minnesota 6.2 miUnited States 5.5 miJul 2026Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesLake County value

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

New homes permittedImproving
0.6 /1k (2021) → 4.0 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
+534%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k
Rent-burdened householdsImproving
62.0% (2015-2019) → 38.9% (2020-2024)
−23 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Rent as share of incomeImproving
32.9% (2015-2019) → 19.3% (2020-2024)
−14 pts5 yearsCensus table B25071US 29.8% → 30.6%
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
78.5% (2015-2019) → 88.8% (2020-2024)
+10 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Median household incomeImproving
$47,639 (2015-2019) → $69,489 (2020-2024)
+46%5 yearsCensus table B19013US $65,712 → $81,604
Uninsured residents (under 65)Improving
9.1% (2015-2019) → 2.5% (2020-2024)
−6.6 pts5 yearsCensus table B27010US 10.8% → 9.8%

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Silver Bay, Minnesota improved on 4 of 12 measures with a comparison and declined on 0. 8 moved within the margin of error and 0 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved4

Rent / income−14 points32.9% → 19.3%
Rent burden−23 points62.0% → 38.9%
Household income+46%$47,639 → $69,489
Broadband+10 points78.5% → 88.8%

Declined0

No measure declined by more than its margin of error.

All 12 measures

Change of every measure of Silver Bay, Minnesota between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	15.9 min2015-2019	20.4 min2020-2024	+4.5 min	Within the margin of error	12%
Bachelor's degree or higher	27.4%2015-2019	21.8%2020-2024	−5.6 points	Within the margin of error	6%
Broadband subscriptions	78.5%2015-2019	88.8%2020-2024	+10 points	Improved	61%
Effective property tax rate	0.81%2015-2019	0.93%2020-2024	+0.1 points	Within the margin of error	6%
High school diploma or higher	94.3%2015-2019	96.6%2020-2024	+2.4 points	Within the margin of error	62%
Home price to income ratio	2.0×2015-2019	2.3×2020-2024	+0.3×	Within the margin of error	62%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4262015-2019	0.4212020-2024	−0.004	Within the margin of error	54%
Median household income	$47,6392015-2019	$69,4892020-2024	+46%	Improved	81%
Poverty rate	5.1%2015-2019	9.9%2020-2024	+4.8 points	Within the margin of error	13%
Public transit commuters	0.0%2015-2019	0.0%2020-2024	0 points	Within the margin of error	60%
Rent as share of income	32.9%2015-2019	19.3%2020-2024	−14 points	Improved	96%
Rent-burdened households	62.0%2015-2019	38.9%2020-2024	−23 points	Improved	95%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 14640 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like Silver Bay, Minnesota five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Silver Bay, Minnesota in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Silver Bay, Minnesota itself moved +10 points in standing on average over the same 10 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

1,769 residents (±168)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79†
60–69†

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

869 households (±83)

Silver Bay, Minnesota
Minnesota share

Under $25k20%†177
$25k–50k21%†181
$50k–75k

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

869 households (±83)

Silver Bay, Minnesota
Minnesota share

Own80%696
Rent20%†173

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

718 workers (±97)

Silver Bay, Minnesota
Minnesota share

Drive alone78%563
Carpool4.9%†35
Public transit0.0%0

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Lake County, the county holding most of Silver Bay's residents.

Lake County has 340 employer establishments, 312 for every 10,000 residents (1.26× the US rate of 248; 1.16× Minnesota's), with 3,213 paid employees at an average annual pay of $45,422. The Census Bureau also counts 894 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 340; 894 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 312; US 248 · Minnesota 268
Paid employees: 3,213
Average annual pay: $45,422; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Lake County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Restaurants and other eating places	26	23.9	1.30×More than typical	316	$22,544	—
Traveler accommodation	25	23	12.7×More than typical	322	$27,478	13
Specialty trade contractors	20	18.4	1.19×About typical	61	$48,492	80
Full-service restaurants	15	13.8	1.79×More than typical	144	$30,354	—
Religious organizations	14	12.9	2.32×More than typical	48	$14,938	—
Amusement, gambling and recreation industries	11	10.1	3.80×More than typical	115	$38,417	17
Ambulatory health care services	10	9.2	0.44×Fewer than typical	61	$45,082	30
Construction of buildings	10	9.2	1.22×About typical	17	$53,353	42
Other amusement and recreation industries	10	9.2	3.79×More than typical	114	$37,886	16
RV parks and recreational camps	10	9.2	38.7×More than typical	17	$131,882	3
Services to buildings and dwellings	10	9.2	1.36×More than typical	76	$28,684	65
Building equipment contractors	9	8.3	1.37×Too few to compare	28	$39,607	7

Rank places for an industry Open Lake County

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 10,884 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

In FY2026, an estimated $0 of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Silver Bay, Minnesota: $0 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $0
Per resident: $0; US $1,994
Sole-source: —; US 30%
Single offer: —; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

421.5FY2017
-30.5FY2018
1.7KFY2021
292.1FY2024

What was bought

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

How this is estimated

Agencies report each contract action's place of performance as a county and a ZIP code. A ZIP code's money is split among the cities it covers by the share of its land inside each (Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation areas); the part outside city limits stays with the county.

The place of performance is what the contracting agency reports, often the contractor's office rather than where the work happens.
Shares are of land, not of people or businesses: a ZIP code that is mostly rural land but has its offices in town gives the town less than it should.
ZIP codes that are not mapped areas (post office boxes, the unique ZIP codes of large federal sites and companies) stay with their county, unless one city covers nearly all of it.
Counts of actions and awards include those only partly in Silver Bay, Minnesota, so they do not add up across cities.

Silver Bay, Minnesota's figures are part of those of Lake County, MN ($30K in FY2026), never added to them: 0.0% of that total.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Silver Bay is mostly in Lake County.

See federal money in Lake County

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Silver Bay, Minnesota is represented in the 119th Congress by these members.

House

Pete StauberR-MN-8 · 100% of residentsWith party 97%Missed 1.6%

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

County

A city can lie in several counties. Some indicators are published for counties only: the page marks them.

Lake County93100% of residents

Other cities and towns in Lake County

Largest first.

Similar cities and towns

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/2760250

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends