Brainerd, MN vs St. Cloud, MN

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

MetricBrainerd, MNSt. Cloud, MN
Population14,46870,629
Median Household Income$56,111$61,374
Median Rent$827/mo$1,003/mo
Median Home Value$192,500$225,000
Cost of Living (US = 100)—88
Renters Paying 30%+ of Income36.5%46.2%
Poverty Rate15%20.2%
Unemployment Rate4.8% (county)4.4%
Violent Crime Rate /100k250361
Property Crime Rate /100k1,5832,520
Median AQI3737
Good AQI Days /yr284270
Summer Highs78°F79°F
Winter Lows2°F6°F
Snowfall48 in/yr48 in/yr
Avg Commute19.8 min19.8 min
Hospitals12
Avg Hospital Rating3.0 / 54.0 / 5
Students per Teacher14.913.6
College Degree Rate20.3%30.4%
Foreign-Born %1%13.5%
Population Growth (2020–2025)+0.4%+4.4%

Green = clearly better (more than 5% apart). Population, growth, weather, hospital count and foreign-born share aren’t scored.