Ham Lake, MN vs North Branch, MN

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

MetricHam Lake, MNNorth Branch, MN
Population16,70211,565
Median Household Income$120,135$90,456
Median Rent$1,173/mo$1,308/mo
Median Home Value$442,500$322,300
Cost of Living (US = 100)105105
Renters Paying 30%+ of Income51.6%55.6%
Poverty Rate4%7.7%
Unemployment Rate3.9% (county)4.4% (county)
Violent Crime Rate /100k53*51
Property Crime Rate /100k446*557
Median AQI38—
Good AQI Days /yr269—
Summer Highs80°F80°F
Winter Lows7°F4°F
Snowfall44 in/yr52 in/yr
Avg Commute28.6 min30.7 min
Hospitals——
Avg Hospital Rating——
Students per Teacher16.418.9
College Degree Rate36.9%18.4%
Foreign-Born %3.7%2.4%
Population Growth (2020–2025)+3.8%+14.5%

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