Financial Literacy in Ely, MN
With a population of roughly 3,214, Ely, Minnesota is among the larger communities in Minnesota, ranking 207th of 855 by population. The population has declined 1.5% since 2020, from 3,262 to 3,214. The median age is 50.7, skewing older, where the pressing questions shift toward retirement income, medical costs and passing things on.
34.1% of Ely residents 25 and older have completed a bachelor's degree or more. That runs 14 points above the Minnesota average of 20.1%. Put the other way round: of the 2,465 adults 25 and over counted in the 2019–2023 ACS, roughly 1,624 — 65.9% — are building their financial lives without a four-year degree behind them.
The typical household here earns $46,042 a year. That is $22,648 below the Minnesota median. About 15.9% of residents live below the poverty line. The median home is valued at $150,800 — about 3.3× the median household income, a ratio that makes the arithmetic of a mortgage worth understanding before signing one.
Ely by the numbers
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Population (2024) | 3,214 |
| Change since 2020 | -1.5% |
| Median household income | $46,042 |
| Adults 25+ with a bachelor’s degree | 34.1% |
| Adults 25+ with a high school diploma | 90% |
| Median age | 50.7 |
| Poverty rate | 15.9% |
| Unemployment rate | 2.7% |
| Median home value | $150,800 |
| Land area | 2.924 sq mi |
| Population density | 1,099 / sq mi |
What Minnesota teaches — and to whom
Minnesota has committed to 1 semester of personal finance as a graduation requirement, phasing in with the class of 2028 — so today's middle schoolers will be the first cohort held to it. That covers students still in the system. It does nothing for the adults already out of it — which, in Ely, is most of the people reading this.
LearnLife organises this the way the decisions actually arrive: Legal literacy — leases, contracts, employment rights and what a signature actually commits you to; Money — budgeting, credit, debt and taxes — the mechanics nobody is formally taught; Emotional regulation — the self-management that decides whether the other skills ever get used.
Where to start in Ely
Shift from accumulating to drawing down
With a median age of 50.7, a large share of Ely is closer to drawing on savings than building them. The skills that matter shift accordingly: sequencing withdrawals, understanding Medicare's enrolment windows, and getting beneficiary designations and a will actually filled in.
Questions people ask about Ely
Do high school students in Ely, Minnesota have to take a personal finance class?
Yes — Minnesota has adopted a standalone requirement, phasing in with the graduating class of 2028. Students graduating before then are not covered.
How many adults in Ely, Minnesota have a college degree?
34.1% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, based on the Census Bureau's 2019–2023 American Community Survey. The remaining 65.9% are managing their finances without one.
What is the median household income in Ely, Minnesota?
$46,042, per the Census Bureau's 2019–2023 American Community Survey.
Where can adults in Ely, Minnesota learn personal finance?
Graduation requirements only ever reach people still in school. For adults, LearnLife covers the same ground on demand — money, legal literacy and the self-management that decides whether either gets used.
Start with whichever one is costing you money right now.
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