St. Michael, MN vs Elk River, MN

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

MetricSt. Michael, MNElk River, MN
Population20,01026,793
Median Household Income$131,274$108,741
Median Rent$1,483/mo$1,283/mo
Median Home Value$390,100$370,100
Cost of Living (US = 100)105105
Renters Paying 30%+ of Income25.7%39.6%
Poverty Rate3.2%3.4%
Unemployment Rate3.8% (county)3.7%
Violent Crime Rate /100k40*86
Property Crime Rate /100k320*724
Median AQI39—
Good AQI Days /yr255—
Summer Highs79°F81°F
Winter Lows7°F7°F
Snowfall40 in/yr36 in/yr
Avg Commute29 min27.4 min
Hospitals——
Avg Hospital Rating——
Students per Teacher1819.1
College Degree Rate43.7%33.8%
Foreign-Born %5.2%5.8%
Population Growth (2020–2025)+23.5%+8.0%

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.