What it's like to live in Mankato
Mankato is a small city in Minnesota with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, unemployment 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. Mankato deals with household incomes below the national average, air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, a poverty rate above the national average, and cold, harsh winters.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Low unemployment
- Short commutes
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Below-average household incomes
- Air quality concerns
- High poverty rate
- Cold, harsh winters
- Snowy winters — 39" per year
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
How Mankato compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Mankato
Based on Mankato's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,264
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $45,280 a year
- 48% of Mankato renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$52,340
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $26,170
- Homes cost 3.9× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 20% below US
$1,132/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,132 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $261,700. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $261,700 · 48% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▼ 26% below US
3.2% unemployment
Unemployment here is 3.2%, a little below the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
SafetyNear US average
301 violent crimes per 100k
Crime runs about typical for a city this size. Some neighborhoods are safer than others, and one overall rate doesn't tell the whole story, so a neighborhood-level look matters more than the headline stat.
Property crime 2186/100k · Mankato Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 47% below US
14 min average commute
Commutes run short here, averaging 13.9 minutes. That's an underrated perk of living in a smaller or well-planned city, where time isn't lost sitting in traffic. 9 in 10 workers drive to work; 8% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 80°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 5.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforceNear US average
35% bachelor's degree or higher
Education levels run about average, with 35% college-educated. It's a mix of white-collar and blue-collar work, which can be an asset or a limitation depending on the field.
Schools
20 public schools inside the boundary
There are 20 public schools inside the boundary and 4 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 16:1, close to the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Mississippi National River & Recreation Area (69 miles away).
Bottom line
Mankato's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are household incomes below the national average and air quality that falls short of national benchmarks. A year of median rent ($1,132/mo) equals 20% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget, job seekers, 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.
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