Big Lake, MN vs Monticello, MN

Side-by-side comparison from the latest government data.

MetricBig Lake, MNMonticello, MN
Population12,36714,858
Median Household Income$120,549$79,534
Median Rent$1,340/mo$1,405/mo
Median Home Value$330,200$323,700
Cost of Living (US = 100)105105
Renters Paying 30%+ of Income46.9%42.7%
Poverty Rate5.6%6.7%
Unemployment Rate4.1% (county)3.8% (county)
Violent Crime Rate /100k9140*
Property Crime Rate /100k495320*
Median AQI—39
Good AQI Days /yr—255
Summer Highs81°F79°F
Winter Lows7°F7°F
Snowfall36 in/yr40 in/yr
Avg Commute33.2 min26.1 min
Hospitals—1
Avg Hospital Rating——
Students per Teacher15.414.8
College Degree Rate26.8%23.5%
Foreign-Born %5.2%7.6%
Population Growth (2020–2025)+10.6%+8.3%

Green = clearly better (more than 5% apart). Population, growth, weather, hospital count and foreign-born share aren’t scored.
* Rate of the agency that polices Monticello (the city has no police department of its own), so it isn’t scored.