St. Michael, MN vs Big Lake, MN

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

MetricSt. Michael, MNBig Lake, MN
Population20,01012,367
Median Household Income$131,274$120,549
Median Rent$1,483/mo$1,340/mo
Median Home Value$390,100$330,200
Cost of Living (US = 100)105105
Renters Paying 30%+ of Income25.7%46.9%
Poverty Rate3.2%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 Commute29 min33.2 min
Hospitals——
Avg Hospital Rating——
Students per Teacher1815.4
College Degree Rate43.7%26.8%
Foreign-Born %5.2%5.2%
Population Growth (2020–2025)+23.5%+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 St. Michael (the city has no police department of its own), so it isn’t scored.