Monticello, MN vs Big Lake, MN

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

MetricMonticello, MNBig Lake, MN
Population14,85812,367
Median Household Income$79,534$120,549
Median Rent$1,405/mo$1,340/mo
Median Home Value$323,700$330,200
Cost of Living (US = 100)105105
Renters Paying 30%+ of Income42.7%46.9%
Poverty Rate6.7%5.6%
Unemployment Rate3.8% (county)4.1% (county)
Violent Crime Rate /100k40*91
Property Crime Rate /100k320*495
Median AQI39—
Good AQI Days /yr255—
Summer Highs79°F81°F
Winter Lows7°F7°F
Snowfall40 in/yr36 in/yr
Avg Commute26.1 min33.2 min
Hospitals1—
Avg Hospital Rating——
Students per Teacher14.815.4
College Degree Rate23.5%26.8%
Foreign-Born %7.6%5.2%
Population Growth (2020–2025)+8.3%+10.6%

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.