About

Life in St. Michael

This northwest suburb of the Twin Cities has transformed dramatically over the past two decades—the population has more than doubled since 2000, which tells you something important: families are choosing to move here and stay. St. Michael sits in Wright County with easy access to both the metro job market and quieter, more rural corners of the region, making it work for people who want suburban convenience without feeling completely disconnected from nature.

St. Michael at a Glance

Population, income, housing and more

Median Age

37.6 yrs

Poverty Rate

3.2%

Foreign-Born

5.2%

Broadband Internet

94.6%

of households

Population Growth

+23.5%

recent change · Census Bureau

Median household income

St. Michael$131,274
Minnesota avg$89,062
US$80,734

Demographics5.2% foreign-born, most often from Ecuador

Who lives in St. Michael: race and ethnicity, ages, households, languages and countries of origin

In St. Michael, the largest foreign-born group is from Ecuador (17.7%), and 2.3% of residents speak Other at home.

Under 18

27.6%

of residents

65 and Older

10.3%

of residents

Households with Kids

43.7%

anyone under 18

Living Alone

17.9%

of households

Married Couples

65.0%

of households

Avg Household Size

2.78

people

Race & Ethnicity

White85.5%
Black5.1%
Asian2.7%
Hispanic or Latino2.6%

Hispanic or Latino of any race; other groups are non-Hispanic

Top countries of origin (foreign-born)

Ecuador17.7%
Cameroon17.2%
Kenya14.0%
Laos7.7%
Liberia6.7%
Philippines6.2%
Ethiopia6.0%
India4.9%
Vietnam4.9%
Thailand3.2%

Languages Spoken at Home

English only93.4%
Other2.3%
Spanish1.9%
Other Asian/Pacific1.0%
Other Indo-European0.4%
Tagalog/Filipino0.3%
Vietnamese0.3%
German/Germanic0.2%

Cost of Livingrent 16% above MN average

Rent, home values, and income in St. Michael

In St. Michael, rent runs 16% above the MN average, and home values are 18% above the MN average.

Median rent (per month)

St. Michael$1,483
Minnesota avg$1,280
US$1,413

Median home value

St. Michael$390,100
Minnesota avg$329,300
US$332,700

Rent Burdened

25.7%

spending 30%+ of income on rent

Severely Rent Burdened

18.5%

spending 50%+

Cost of Living Index

104.8

metro area (BEA) · US avg = 100

Median Property Tax

$4,205

per year, owner-occupied homes

Homeowners

90.1%

of occupied homes are owned

Typical Home Built

1998

median year built

Vacant Homes

1.6%

of housing units

Jobs & Economyunemployment about average for MN

Unemployment in St. Michael and typical pay across the metro area

Unemployment in Wright County, which includes St. Michael, is close to the MN average.

Unemployment rate

St. Michael3.8%
Minnesota avg3.9%
US4.3%

St. Michael: Wright County rate (county-wide) · BLS annual average

Unemployment Rate — 10 Year Trend

3.8%
3.4%
3%
3.2%
5.5%
3.2%
2.2%
2.7%
3.1%
3.8%
2016201720182019202020212022202320242025

Wright County (county-wide) · Annual averages

What St. Michael Residents Do for Work · share of employed residents by industry

Education & health care23.5%
Manufacturing13.4%
Retail11.4%
Professional & business services10.6%
Finance & real estate9.4%
Construction7.4%
Arts, hospitality & food service5.6%
Wholesale trade5.5%

City residents, wherever they work

Median Salary by Occupation · metro area

Management$127,570
Healthcare$92,930
Business & Finance$81,780
Education$58,630
Office & Admin$49,210
Production$47,230
Transportation$46,500
Sales$40,720

Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI metro area

Commute29 min avg

How St. Michael residents get to work, and the nearest airports

In St. Michael, most residents drive alone to work (73%), and 49% get there in under 30 minutes.

How People Get to Work

Drive alone72.6%
Carpool7.6%
Public transit0.2%
Walk0.3%
Work from home19.1%
Other0.3%

Commute Time Distribution

Under 15 min20.7%
15–29 min28.2%
30–44 min33.7%
45–59 min12.1%
60+ min5.4%

Nearest airports · with airline service

  • Saint Cloud Regional Airport (STC)

    Regional airport · few flights29k passengers boarded in 2025

    30 mi
  • Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport / Wold–Chamberlain Field (MSP)

    Major hub17.5M passengers boarded in 2025

    31 mi

Straight-line distance. Size is the FAA’s hub category, based on passenger traffic: regional airports may have only a few flights a day.

Safetyviolent crime 88% below national average

Crime rates for 2025

Violent crime in the area policed by the Wright County Sheriff's Office, which covers St. Michael, runs 88% below the national average.

Violent Crime Rate

39.8

per 100,000 residents

Below average (329 national, 2025)

Property Crime Rate

320

per 100,000 residents

Below average (1,552 national, 2025)

Policed by Wright County Sheriff's Office (county-wide rate)

Natural DisastersHail most common — 24 events in 2025

Natural hazard risk, storms and earthquakes

FEMA National Risk Index

Relatively Low

68.4 / 100

Compares expected losses from natural hazards, social vulnerability and community resilience against every US county (higher = more risk).

Strong wind · HighHail · ModerateLightning · ModerateInland flooding · ModerateTornado · Moderate

Wright County, county-wide · FEMA NRI December 2025

In Wright County, which includes St. Michael, the most common type is hail, with 24 recorded events in 2025.

Most common events:

HailWinter StormThunderstorm WindWinter WeatherExtreme Cold/Wind Chill

Storm events by year

YearEventsTop TypeProperty Damage
202524Winter WeatherNone reported
202412Thunderstorm WindNone reported
202323HailNone reported
202217Thunderstorm Wind$500
20214HailNone reported
20207Winter Storm$150,000
201915Winter Storm$265,000
20188Winter Storm$1,000

Property damage is the National Weather Service's estimate filed with each event. “None reported” means the events were logged with $0 damage; “Not estimated” means no estimate was filed. Storms covering several counties aren't counted here, since NOAA doesn't split their damage by county.

0 earthquakes of magnitude 2.5+ within 100 miles in the past year

Wright County, county-wide

Air Quality39 median AQI — Good

Days by air quality category (2025)

Air quality in Wright County, which includes St. Michael, is typically good — 255 good-air days per year.

Median AQI

39

Good Days

255

per year

Moderate Days

84

per year

Unhealthy Days

4

per year

Wright County, county-wide

Climate79°F summers, 7°F winters

30-year climate averages (1991–2020) — monthly temperatures and precipitation

St. Michael has mild summers (avg high 79°F) and very cold winters (avg low 7°F).

Spring (Mar–May)

54°/34°F

avg high / low

Summer (Jun–Aug)

79°/59°F

avg high / low

Fall (Sep–Nov)

56°/37°F

avg high / low

Winter (Dec–Feb)

25°/7°F

avg high / low

Annual Precipitation

32.6"

Annual Snowfall

39.8"

Hot Days/Year

6

days above 90°F

Freeze Days/Year

163

days below 32°F

Rainy Days/Year

92

Average month

High °FLow °FPrecip (in)
-10°10°30°50°70°90°4.5"Jan: 0.69" precipitationFeb: 1.02" precipitationMar: 1.43" precipitationApr: 2.57" precipitationMay: 4.23" precipitationJun: 4.41" precipitationJul: 4.33" precipitationAug: 4.50" precipitationSep: 3.39" precipitationOct: 2.51" precipitationNov: 1.52" precipitationDec: 1.14" precipitation3°JJan: high 21°F, low 3°FFFeb: high 27°F, low 7°FMMar: high 39°F, low 21°FAApr: high 54°F, low 35°FMMay: high 67°F, low 47°FJJun: high 77°F, low 57°F81°JJul: high 81°F, low 61°FAAug: high 79°F, low 59°FSSep: high 71°F, low 51°FOOct: high 57°F, low 37°FNNov: high 40°F, low 24°FDDec: high 27°F, low 11°F
Show month-by-month table ↓
MonthHighLowPrecip
Jan21°F3°F0.69"
Feb27°F7°F1.02"
Mar39°F21°F1.43"
Apr54°F35°F2.57"
May67°F47°F4.23"
Jun77°F57°F4.41"
Jul81°F61°F4.33"
Aug79°F59°F4.50"
Sep71°F51°F3.39"
Oct57°F37°F2.51"
Nov40°F24°F1.52"
Dec27°F11°F1.14"

Healthcare

Hospitals, ratings, and health insurance in St. Michael

Uninsured

1.6%

of residents

No hospitals inside St. Michael's limits — nearest hospitals · within 15 miles

Centracare Health - Monticello

Critical Access Hospitals · ER available · 8 mi away · Monticello

Not rated

Buffalo Hospital

Acute Care Hospitals · 8.7 mi away · Buffalo

Maple Grove Hospital

Acute Care Hospitals · ER available · 11.3 mi away · Maple Grove

Adult Health · vs. the typical US place

Obesity34.3%US 36.8%
Diabetes8.1%US 12.6%
High blood pressure28.3%US 37.1%
Current smoking11.2%US 15.0%
No leisure-time physical activity17.7%US 26.6%
Depression24.1%US 23.0%
Asthma10.0%US 10.7%
Routine checkup in past year75.0%US 78.2%

Share of adults. Modeled estimates, not counted cases. “US” = the typical US place.

Medicare-certified hospitals only. Doesn’t include clinics, urgent care, or freestanding ERs.

Education18.0:1 student/teacher ratio

Schools and degree attainment in St. Michael

St. Michael's student/teacher ratio is 18.0:1 (higher than the national average of 16:1), and 43.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

Public Schools

10

within city limits

Private Schools

2

within city limits

College Degree Rate

43.7%

adults 25+ with bachelor's or higher

Student/Teacher Ratio

18.0:1

National avg 16:1

Schools located within city limits (2023) — school-level metrics change slowly year to year

Parks & Recreationclosest: Mississippi National River & Recreation Area, 34 mi

Nearby national parks, recreation areas and public libraries for St. Michael

St. Michael has 2 nearby national parks or recreation areas, closest being Mississippi National River & Recreation Area (34 mi away).

Nearby National Parks & Recreation Areas

Mississippi National River & Recreation Area

National River & Recreation Area

34 mi away

Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway

National Scenic Riverway

73 mi away

Public Libraries in St. Michael

St. Michael Public Library

11800 Town Center Drive Ne, St Michael

Branch~45 hrs/week

Cities Near St. Michael

The closest cities within 60 miles

Planning a move to St. Michael?

Read our full moving guide — what it's really like to live here.

Moving to St. Michael →

St. Michael FAQ

Is St. Michael, Minnesota affordable?⌄

St. Michael's median rent is $1,483/month, which is close to the national average. The median household income is $131,274/year. Median home value is $390,100.

Is St. Michael, Minnesota safe?⌄

St. Michael is policed by the Wright County Sheriff's Office, whose violent crime rate across its service area was 40 per 100,000 residents in 2025, which is well below the national average — one of the safer cities in the country of 329/100k that year. Property crime rate is 320 per 100,000. As with any city, crime rates vary by neighborhood.

What is the job market like in St. Michael, Minnesota?⌄

Wright County, which includes St. Michael, has an unemployment rate of 3.8%, which is close to the national average of 4.3%.

What is the cost of living in St. Michael, Minnesota?⌄

The cost of living in St. Michael is primarily driven by housing. Median rent is $1,483/month and median household income is $131,274/year. The median home value is $390,100. About 26% of renters spend more than 30% of their income on housing.

How is the commute in St. Michael, Minnesota?⌄

The average commute in St. Michael is 29 minutes, which is about average compared to the national average of 26 minutes.

Data from the US Census Bureau, BLS, FBI, NOAA, EPA, Zillow Research and other public sources. Where our data comes from