Pioneer Mine Buildings and A Headframe · National Register of Historic Places
Ely’s story
Ely in pictures
5 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
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ElyMN
A town of 3,240. A typical home worth about $285K.
Photo: ShakataGaNai · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
3,240
−5.5% since 2010
Typical home
$285K
+6.7% in a year
Household income
$44K
median
Median age
52.1
years
Jobs based here
1,297
Balanced
What makes Ely stand out
The 3 things Ely does most differently from other towns.
$285Ktypical home
Housing
$285K typical home
19% below the MN typical home
Up 6.7% in a year.
Outdoors
#21 most trails in MN
4.3 miles of trails across 3 parks and preserves
2.4% of the town is conserved land.
100 U.S. towns● Ely
Health
Healthier than 50%
of U.S. towns on CDC estimates
Better than MN on 1 measures, worse on 11.
Get outside
4 miles of trails in Ely
2.4% of the town is conserved land, across 3 parks and preserves.
Trails © OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Ely’s report card
Housing$285K19% below the MN typical homeCommute4 miHalf of commuters travel lessOutdoors4 mi#21 for trails in MNHazards5/100Very low risk of storm & flood damageHealthB−Healthier than 50% of U.S. townsClimate78°/-5°Summer high · winter low · 65″ snowSafetyBLess crime than 60% of U.S. townsSchoolsBBeats 59% of MN districts
Now in Ely
What neighbors are saying. Town Square →
Residents weigh in
Ely is #274 of 275 in MN for “Highest income”. Fair?
Your answer becomes a post in Ely’s Town Square.
TT Weaver · 1d · Town talk
Ely's Name Origin
I was reading about our town and wondered, does anyone know the story behind how Ely got its name? I found that it's pronounced EE-lee, but I couldn't…
Or start one of these
Weather
Forecast →62°
Cloudy
H 63° · L 57°
Local news
All →- Ely 2026 Election GuideKAXE · Sep 28
- Wildfire responder who died near Ely identifiedStar Tribune · Aug 12
- Wildland Firefighter Fatality On The July Lighting Complex Outside Ely, Minnesota, After Medical Emergency.The Hotshot Wake Up · Aug 11
Upcoming events
Nothing on the calendar.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Ely. Another town gets a different order.
Housing
A typical Ely home is worth about $285K
The typical Ely home is worth about $285,000, up 6.7% in a year, 19% below the Minnesota typical home.
$285KZillow home value
Typical home value
Ely$285K
Minnesota$351K
+6.7%
value change, 1 year
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →
Work & commute
About half of working residents work right in Ely
45% of Ely’s working residents work right in town. The top destinations are Morse (7%), Virginia (6%) and Tower (6%). Half commute less than 4 miles.
45%work in town
Where working residents work
In Ely45%
Morse7%
Virginia6%
Tower6%
Duluth5%
4 mi
median commute distance
1,297
jobs based in Ely
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACSCommute map →
Outdoors
2.4% of Ely is conserved land
4.3 miles of trails across 3 parks and preserves.
#21for trails in MN
2.4%
conserved · 44 of 1,862 acres
4.3 mi
of trails · 1.5 per sq mi
#30
most walkable in MN
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Whiteside Park | 0.3 mi | 7 |
| 2. Superior National Forest | — | 18 |
| 3. Semer's Park | — | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-USParks & trails →
Natural hazards
Very low risk, with cold waves at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 5% of U.S. communities.
5risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Cold wavesInland flooding
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →
Health
Healthier than 50% of U.S. towns
Ely beats the Minnesota average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 11.
B−Health Grade
32 measures vs. Minnesota
1 better20 too close to call11 worse
| What stands out | Ely | MN |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 80.4% | 76.1% |
| More adults with COPD | 7.7% | 5.4% |
Ely - Bloomenson Community Hospital
1 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
20th
percentile among MN towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →
Climate
Snowy winters, pleasant summers
Ely has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 78°, a January night drops to -5°, and about 65 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
65″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter-1–20°
Spring25–50°
Summer51–76°
Fall32–50°
Sep 29
typical first frost
May 14
typical last frost
+1.9°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →
Safety
Less crime per resident than 60% of U.S. towns
Ely reports less crime per resident than 60% of the U.S. towns and cities we grade.
BSafety Grade
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Ely1.9
Minnesota2.3
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Ely9.7
Minnesota14.3
U.S.15.5
60th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
47th
percentile among MN towns
6
violent crimes reported in 2025
31
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeFull safety report →
Schools
Ely’s public schools outperform 59% of Minnesota districts
The public schools Ely’s kids attend outperform 59% of Minnesota’s districts on state tests. Among towns with similar incomes, they sit near the middle.
BSchool Grade
| School | Grades | Students | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington Elementary | PK–5 | 201 | B+ |
| Memorial Middle School | 6–8 | 146 | C |
| Memorial High School | 9–12 | 181 | B+ |
| Ely ISD 696 Credit Recovery | 9–12 | 1 | Not graded |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MN on state testsAll 4 schools →
Landmarks
5 places in Ely on the National Register of Historic Places.
About Ely
City in Minnesota, United States
Ely ( EE-lee) is a city in St. Louis County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 3,268 at the 2020 census. Located on the Vermilion iron range, Ely once had several iron ore mines. It is an entry point for campers and canoers into the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and Canada's Quetico Provincial Park wilderness area. The International Wolf Center and the North American Bear Center are nearby. Ely's main street has nature outfitters, outdoor clothing stores, and restaurants. MN 1, MN 169, and County Road 21 (Central Avenue) are Ely's main routes. The city is 16 mi (26 km) south of the Canadian border and is within the Superior National Forest.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Population
- 3,268
- Area
- 2.9 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,427 ft
- ZIP code
- 55731
- Area code
- 218
More about Ely
Still missing for Ely:archive photosupcoming events