St. Michael, MN vs Buffalo, MN

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

MetricSt. Michael, MNBuffalo, MN
Population20,01016,499
Median Household Income$131,274$88,820
Median Rent$1,483/mo$1,182/mo
Median Home Value$390,100$314,400
Cost of Living (US = 100)105105
Renters Paying 30%+ of Income25.7%43.8%
Poverty Rate3.2%8.9%
Unemployment Rate3.8% (county)3.8% (county)
Violent Crime Rate /100k40*53
Property Crime Rate /100k320*356
Median AQI3939
Good AQI Days /yr255255
Summer Highs79°F79°F
Winter Lows7°F7°F
Snowfall40 in/yr40 in/yr
Avg Commute29 min26.5 min
Hospitals—1
Avg Hospital Rating—5.0 / 5
Students per Teacher1818.4
College Degree Rate43.7%32%
Foreign-Born %5.2%4.3%
Population Growth (2020–2025)+23.5%+4.3%

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.