St. Francis real estate.
Twenty-three square miles on the Rum River, where half the housing stock has gone up since 2000.
St. Francis sits on the northern edge of Anoka County: 23.3 square miles of land stretched about 12 miles east to west and under three miles north to south, with the Rum River cutting through the middle. Stanford and Athens townships in Isanti County line the north edge, Livonia Township in Sherburne County the west, Oak Grove and Nowthen the south, and East Bethel and Bethel the east. The 2020-2024 ACS counted 8,372 residents.
The housing stock is unusually new for this metro. The median St. Francis home was built in 2001, against 1986 for Anoka County and 1981 for the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro, all per the 2020-2024 ACS. Of the city's 3,029 units, 1,577 went up in 2000 or later and 1,145 of those in 2000-2009 alone. Only 39 predate 1940. Median owner-estimated value was $327,600, about $46,000 under the metro's $374,000.
What gets traded for that is access. Metro Transit's schedule feed published July 25, 2026 contains no stop anywhere inside the city, so trips start in a car, and the ACS mean commute runs 32.3 minutes. The city is not uniform on paper either: the western end, just under 30 percent of its area, falls in the 55330 Elk River ZIP area rather than 55070, and Census boundaries put the far southwest corner in the Elk River school district.
The housing
Of 3,029 units in the 2020-2024 ACS, 2,169 are single-family detached, 415 attached and 245 mobile homes. Owner occupancy runs 86 percent, 2,576 of 2,989 occupied units. A median build year of 2001 puts the stock two decades newer than the metro's 1981; only 39 units predate 1940. Median value was $327,600 and median gross rent $1,287.
Schools
Two districts. St. Francis Area Schools (ISD 15) covers all but the southwest corner and runs every public school in the city: St. Francis Elementary (K-5) at 22919 St. Francis Blvd, St. Francis Middle at 23065 St. Francis Blvd NW, St. Francis High at 3325 Bridge St NW, and Saints Academy with the online and transition programs at 4111 Ambassador Blvd NW. Elk River Area (ISD 728) covers the rest.
Getting around
Highway 47, St. Francis Boulevard, is the spine, and Bridge Street runs east-west through downtown. Downtown Minneapolis is 28 miles almost due south in a straight line; the 2020-2024 ACS mean travel time to work is 32.3 minutes, and 26 percent of commutes run 45 minutes or longer. The nearest park-and-rides sit about 12 miles out: Ramsey on Route 888, Elk River on Route 882, both running downtown.
Parks & things to do
Rum River North County Park, 23100 Rum River Blvd NW, has a canoe and kayak launch, fishing pier and canoe-in campsites; the Rum is a state-designated Wild and Scenic River. City parks include Smith Lake Park at 23800 Palm St NW and the St. Francis Bark Park. The county library is at 3519 Bridge St NW. The Farmers Market runs Wednesdays 3-7 p.m. at Community Park through September 30, 2026.
Neighborhoods in St. Francis
- Rivers Edge
- Bluffs of Rum River
- Turtle Ponds
- Serenity at Seelye Brook
- Downtown Bridge Street
- The Highway 47 corridor
Buying or selling in St. Francis.
Which school district will my St. Francis address be in?
Almost certainly St. Francis Area Schools (ISD 15), which covers all but the southwest corner of the city and operates every public school in it: St. Francis Elementary, St. Francis Middle, St. Francis High, and Saints Academy with the online and transition programs on Ambassador Boulevard. Census school-district boundaries put the far southwest corner in Elk River Area (ISD 728). Confirm the parcel with the district before writing an offer.
Can I get to Minneapolis by bus or train from St. Francis?
Not from inside the city. Metro Transit's schedule feed published July 25, 2026 contains no stop in St. Francis. Northstar commuter rail no longer exists: the last trains ran January 4, 2026 and buses replaced it the next day. The nearest park-and-rides are Ramsey, served by Route 888, and Elk River, served by Route 882, both roughly 12 miles out. Transit Link, the metro's weekday dial-a-ride, covers areas without regular routes.
Does St. Francis have city water and sewer?
Not everywhere. The city runs a municipal system, but says it was built in 1973 for a population of just 900 and now struggles to support more than 8,300 residents. The city has not published a map of the service area, and parcels outside it run on private well and septic. A trunk replacement and expansion along Highway 47 is anticipated for construction June 2027 to June 2028. Ask which system an address uses.
Why does a St. Francis listing show an Elk River or Anoka ZIP code?
Because the city spans several ZIP areas. Measured against 2020 Census ZIP Code Tabulation Areas, 55070 covers about 67 percent of the city's land, the 55330 Elk River area just under 30 percent, and 55303 and 55040 under 2 percent each. About 200 acres at the north end also sit in Isanti County rather than Anoka. A mailing address alone will not tell you the school district or whose taxes apply.
Explore other communities.
East Bethel
Forty-eight square miles of acreage lots along Highway 65, most of it on well and septic.Elk River
Where the Elk River meets the Mississippi: county offices, one school district, no Northstar.Ramsey
Twenty-nine square miles between the Rum and the Mississippi, with a downtown built from scratch.Andover
Two markets in one city: sewered subdivisions south of the MUSA line, 2.5-acre lots north.Thinking about St. Francis?
Whether you're buying or selling here, we'll pull the current numbers and put together a plan. No obligation.