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Buying a home in Lakefield, Minnesota

The typical owner-occupied home in Lakefield is worth about $133,800, 59% below the Minnesota median of $329,300 and 60% below the national median of $332,700. Owners pay a median $1,396 a year in property taxes, about 1.04% of their home's value, close to the Minnesota rate of 1.02%. The median household earns $71,648 a year, so the median home costs 1.9 times the median income (3.7 times for Minnesota). 90% of occupied homes here are lived in by their owners, and 54% of those owners still have a mortgage.

Lakefield at a glance

Lakefield Minnesota U.S.
Median home value $133,800 $329,300 $332,700
Median property tax paid per year $1,396 $3,357 $3,119
Property tax as a share of value 1.04% 1.02% 0.94%
Median household income $71,648 $89,062 $80,734
Homes lived in by their owners 90% 72% 65%
Owner homes with a mortgage 54% 64% 61%
Median monthly costs, owners with a mortgage $1,133 $1,947 $1,963
Those costs as a share of the owners' income 17.4% 19.7% 21.0%
Median rent $770 $1,280 $1,413
Rent as a share of renters' income 17.2% 29.2% 30.6%
Median year homes were built 1959 1979 1980
Vacant homes 12.3% 9.3% 10.1%
Population 1,507 5,739,445 334,922,499

What a typical home costs per month in Lakefield

At this week's average 30-year rate of 7.11%, buying the median Lakefield home of $133,800 with 20% down costs about $892 a month, including property taxes and insurance. With an FHA loan and 3.5% down, it's about $1,115, because the loan is bigger and FHA adds mortgage insurance.

Lenders usually want housing costs under about 28% of gross income, which means an income of roughly $38,219 for the 20%-down payment. That payment is 15% of the median Lakefield household income of $71,648; at that income and 20% down, the 28% guideline points to a home of about $251,000.

The median rent here is $770 a month, so owning the median home costs about $122 a month more than renting, before you count the equity you build and any tax benefits.

20% down, 30-year conventional loan
Down payment$26,760
Loan amount$107,040
Principal and interest$720
Property taxes (1.04% a year)$116
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$56
PMI$0
Total per month$892

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3.5% down, 30-year FHA loan
Down payment$4,683
Loan amount$131,377
Principal and interest$884
Property taxes (1.04% a year)$116
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$56
FHA mortgage insurance$59
Total per month$1,115

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Questions about home buying in Lakefield

What is the median home value in Lakefield?

About $133,800 for owner-occupied homes, according to the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey.

How much are property taxes in Lakefield?

Homeowners pay a median $1,396 a year, which is about 1.04% of the median home value. Your bill depends on your home's assessed value and local rates.

What income do you need to buy a home in Lakefield?

For the median home with 20% down at 7.11%, the payment is about $892 a month. Keeping that under 28% of gross income takes about $38,219 a year.

More about Lakefield

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates; Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey, week of November 12, 2026. Estimates for small places have wide margins of error. About our data