Home inspection in Gem Lake.

What we see in Gem Lake homes.

Gem Lake was incorporated on June 30, 1959, out of White Bear Township, and it remains one of the smallest cities in the area at 1.11 square miles and 528 people in 2020. The 2010 census counted 161 housing units. Houses sit on large wooded lots, with newer infill mixed in. U.S. Highway 61 passes through, and the city shares borders with White Bear Lake, Maplewood, Little Canada and Vadnais Heights.

Big lots change the inspection. Mature trees close to roofs and foundations, long driveways, drainage across a large yard, and detached garages or outbuildings all get real attention. With so few houses, no two are alike, and additions over the decades are common, so how old and new framing, roofing and mechanical systems meet deserves close attention. On acreage-size parcels, ask early whether the house is on municipal service or on a private well and septic system, since each needs its own testing.

Local facts checked September 2026 against: Wikipedia, Wikipedia.