Lake Crystal, MN housing market
The typical Lake Crystal home is worth about $295,000, up 3.6% in a year, 16% below the Minnesota typical home.
Home values, sales, trends and how Lake Crystal compares with the towns next door — updated as new data is published.
Lake Crystal at a glance
Typical home value, 2016–2026
Show as a table
| January | Lake Crystal | Minnesota |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $164,000 | $217,000 |
| 2018 | $170,000 | $232,000 |
| 2019 | $178,000 | $246,000 |
| 2020 | $191,000 | $259,000 |
| 2021 | $208,000 | $282,000 |
| 2022 | $230,000 | $313,000 |
| 2023 | $254,000 | $325,000 |
| 2024 | $261,000 | $331,000 |
| 2025 | $275,000 | $341,000 |
| 2026 | $294,000 | $349,000 |
| August 2026 | $295,000 | $351,000 |
5 new homes permitted in 2025
Builders were permitted 5 new homes in Lake Crystal in 2025, all single-family houses, worth about $1.3 million to build. That's 1.9 per 1,000 residents, slower than across Minnesota (3.8). Over the past 10 years, Lake Crystal has permitted 56 homes in all.
Homes vs. people, 2010–2020
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, Lake Crystal's population fell by 10 even though 46 new homes were permitted. Homes are holding fewer people: households are getting smaller, or more homes are used part of the year. Across Minnesota: 2.2 new residents per new home.
Residents: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 and 2020 censuses. New homes: permits issued 2010–2019.
Show as a table
| Year | New homes | Single-family | 2+ per building | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (Jan–Aug) | 7 | 7 | 0 | $1.4 million |
| 2025 | 5 | 5 | 0 | $1.3 million |
| 2024 | 7 | 7 | 0 | $3 million |
| 2023 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $320,000 |
| 2022 | 4 | 4 | 0 | $1.2 million |
| 2021 | 4 | 4 | 0 | $1 million |
| 2020 | 8 | 8 | 0 | $2 million |
| 2019 | 7 | 7 | 0 | $1.6 million |
| 2018 | 9 | 9 | 0 | $2.6 million |
| 2017 | 7 | 7 | 0 | $1.1 million |
| 2016 | 4 | 4 | 0 | $1.1 million |
| 2015 | 4 | 4 | 0 | $760,000 |
| 2014 | 6 | 4 | 2 | $890,000 |
| 2013 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $280,000 |
| 2012 | 4 | 4 | 0 | $1.2 million |
| 2011 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $180,000 |
| 2010 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $670,000 |
| 2009 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $325,000 |
| 2008 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $100,000 |
| 2007 | 3 | 3 | 0 | $469,000 |
| 2006 | 12 | 12 | 0 | $1.8 million |
| 2005 | 29 | 21 | 8 | $3.8 million |
| 2004 | 24 | 24 | 0 | $3.5 million |
| 2003 | 29 | 29 | 0 | $3.6 million |
| 2002 | 26 | 26 | 0 | $3.4 million |
| 2001 | 17 | 17 | 0 | $2 million |
| 2000 | 17 | 17 | 0 | $2.1 million |
How Lake Crystal ranks on new homes being built →
Homes authorized by building permits, counted in the year the permit was issued. U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, through August 2026.
Lake Crystal and its neighbors
| Town | Typical value | 1-yr change | 2-bed rent | New homes 2025 | Median income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Crystal | $295K | +3.6% | $1,060 | 5 | $83,317 |
| Judson | — | −0.4%† | $1,070 | — | $98,250 |
| Garden City | $286K | +7.4% | $1,060 | — | $85,469 |
† FHFA price index change, where Zillow has no home value for the town.
3.5 years of income
The typical Lake Crystal home costs about 3.5 years of the town's median household income, less than across Minnesota (3.9 years).
How Lake Crystal ranks on affordability →
Home value ÷ ACS median household income.
Owners, rent & taxes
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,060
HUD's Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Lake Crystal is $1,060 a month, utilities included: roughly what a modest, recently rented unit costs. Renters already in Lake Crystal pay a median of $825, so moving in tends to cost more than staying put. A two-bedroom takes about 15% of the town's median household income.
Studio $870 · 4 bedrooms $1,780
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, FY2026 Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (56055; Mankato, MN MSA), weighted by land area. A Fair Market Rent is the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research, August 2026. Sales, days on market and supply: Redfin Data Center. Income, ownership, taxes and rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. New homes: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey. Fair Market Rents: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Listings link to their publishers.