What it's like to live in Hutchinson
Hutchinson is a small city in Minnesota with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, crime rates well below the national average, and commutes that run shorter than most cities. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Hutchinson deals with cold, harsh winters, snowy winters, fewer dining and entertainment options than a bigger city, and a car-dependent commute, with few people using transit.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Low crime rates
- Short commutes
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Cold, harsh winters
- Snowy winters — 50" per year
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Hutchinson compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Hutchinson
Based on Hutchinson's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$1,880
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $37,600 a year
- 42% of Hutchinson renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$45,920
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $22,960
- Homes cost 3.2× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 33% below US
$940/mo median rent
Rent here is genuinely low, with median rent around $940 a month. Factoring in local incomes, the value gets even better. Money stretches further here than in most of the country. Home prices here are genuinely accessible, with a median around $229,600. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $229,600 · 42% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
4.3% county unemployment
Unemployment in McLeod County is 4.3%, close to the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
McLeod County (county-wide)
Safety▼ 55% below US
149 violent crimes per 100k
Safety is genuinely one of the selling points here. Both violent and property crime run well below the national average, the kind of numbers that fade into the background after a week of living somewhere.
Property crime 1038/100k · Hutchinson Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 28% below US
19 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 18.7 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 10% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 81°F, and winters are cold and harsh, with lows dropping to 9°F.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 3.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▼ 27% below US
26% bachelor's degree or higher
College degree attainment runs below average at 26%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.
Schools
12 public schools inside the boundary
There are 12 public schools inside the boundary and 3 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 15:1, well below the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Mississippi National River & Recreation Area (63 miles away).
Bottom line
Hutchinson's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are cold, harsh winters and snowy winters. A year of median rent ($940/mo) equals 15% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget, anyone prioritizing low crime, and people who want short commutes. It may be a harder fit for anyone who doesn't drive and anyone who dislikes long, cold winters.
Other places near Hutchinson
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