Ely is a city in St. Louis County, Minnesota, home to about 3,240 people across 2.9 square miles. Its ZIP code is 55731.
Homes sold for a median of $274 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a buyer’s market.
Mostly Ely; also Morse Township (St. Louis County) and Fall Lake
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Ely. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Ely’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
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| Nearest major airport | Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport / Wold–Chamberlain Field (MSP)219 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Range Regional Airport (HIB)58 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | St. Paul, MN212 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Chicago, IL466 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Ely; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
Ely had 3,268 residents in the 2020 census, down 12% since 2000.
It’s the 237th largest of 2,727 towns in Minnesota by population.
St. Louis County grew from 82,932 residents in 1900 to 200,231 in 2020.
St. Louis County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 79°F in summer, and winter lows average -7°F. About 31.3 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 65 inches of snow.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Ely, MN weather station (about a mile away).
84,223 jobs at 5,360 businesses in St. Louis County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
32 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Ely.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 12 |
|---|---|
| Specialist doctors | 1 |
| Dentists | 5 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 5 |
| Mental health providers | 2 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 2 |
| Optometrists | 1 |
| Chiropractors | 4 |
| Pharmacies | 3 |
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.
Parks (2 nearby)
Grocery stores (2 nearby)
Pharmacies (1 nearby)
Libraries (1 nearby)
Museums (2 nearby)
Counts are within about 1.5 miles of the center of town.
Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.
Public schools here are run by Ely Public School District, Northland Learning Center. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington ElementaryEly | Pre-K–5 | 201 | Public | 0.2 mi |
| Memorial Middle SchoolEly | 6–8 | 146 | Public | 0.2 mi |
| Ely ISD 696 Credit RecoveryEly | 9–12 | 1 | Alternative Education | 0.2 mi |
| Memorial High SchoolEly | 9–12 | 181 | Public | 0.2 mi |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.
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Shares ZIP codes with Morse Township (St. Louis County), Fall Lake, Eagles Nest, Breitung, Northeast St. Louis UT, Crystal Bay, Birch Lake UT, Stony River, Lake No. 1 UT and Winton.
Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.