Big Lake, MN vs St. Michael, MN

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

MetricBig Lake, MNSt. Michael, MN
Population12,36720,010
Median Household Income$120,549$131,274
Median Rent$1,340/mo$1,483/mo
Median Home Value$330,200$390,100
Cost of Living (US = 100)105105
Renters Paying 30%+ of Income46.9%25.7%
Poverty Rate5.6%3.2%
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 min29 min
Hospitals——
Avg Hospital Rating——
Students per Teacher15.418
College Degree Rate26.8%43.7%
Foreign-Born %5.2%5.2%
Population Growth (2020–2025)+10.6%+23.5%

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 St. Michael (the city has no police department of its own), so it isn’t scored.