What it's like to live in Moorhead
Moorhead 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. Moorhead deals with a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin, brutally cold winters, snowy winters, and fewer dining and entertainment options than a bigger city.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Low unemployment
- Short commutes
- Highly educated workforce
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- High rent burden for renters
- Brutally cold winters
- Snowy winters — 53" per year
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
How Moorhead compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Moorhead
Based on Moorhead's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,066
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $41,320 a year
- 50% of Moorhead renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$49,800
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $24,900
- Homes cost 3.4× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 27% below US
$1,033/mo median rent
Rent here is genuinely low, with median rent around $1,033 a month. Factoring in local incomes, the value gets even better. Money stretches further here than in most of the country. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $249,000. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $249,000 · 50% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▼ 28% below US
3.1% unemployment
Unemployment here is 3.1%, a little below the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
SafetyNear US average
302 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 1486/100k · Moorhead Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 32% below US
18 min average commute
Commutes run short here, averaging 17.8 minutes. That's an underrated perk of living in a smaller or well-planned city, where time isn't lost sitting in traffic. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 13% 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 4°F.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▲ 16% above US
42% bachelor's degree or higher
The population is well-educated, with 42% holding college degrees. That points to a strong professional base and generally a healthy local economy.
Schools
16 public schools inside the boundary
There are 16 public schools inside the boundary and 2 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 16:1, close to the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.
Bottom line
Moorhead's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin and brutally cold winters. A year of median rent ($1,033/mo) equals 17% of the median household income here, less than 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 dislikes long, cold winters.
Other places near Moorhead
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