What it's like to live in Mounds View
Mounds View is a small city in Minnesota with rent below the national average, household incomes running above the national average, crime rates well below the national average, and schools with smaller class sizes than the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Mounds View deals with a population that has been shrinking, a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin, cold, harsh winters, and snowy winters.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Low crime rates
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Shrinking population
- High rent burden for renters
- Cold, harsh winters
- Snowy winters — 40" per year
How Mounds View compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Mounds View
Based on Mounds View's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,490
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $49,800 a year
- 50% of Mounds View renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$64,840
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $32,420
- Homes cost 3.6× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 12% below US
$1,245/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,245 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $324,200. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $324,200 · 50% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
3.8% county unemployment
Unemployment in Ramsey County is 3.8%, 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.
Ramsey County (county-wide)
Safety▼ 60% below US
133 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 837/100k · Mounds View Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 10% below US
23 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 23.4 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 18% 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 12°F.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforceNear US average
37% bachelor's degree or higher
Education levels run about average, with 37% 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
6 public schools inside the boundary
There are 6 public schools inside the boundary. The student-to-teacher ratio is 12:1, 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 (13 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Mounds View's strongest points are rent below the national average and household incomes running above the national average; the main tradeoffs are a population that has been shrinking and a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin. A year of median rent ($1,245/mo) equals 17% 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 remote workers (18% of workers here already work from home). It may be a harder fit for anyone who dislikes long, cold winters.
Other places near Mounds View
All Minnesota guides →Moving to New Brighton →
3 mi away · pop. 22,710
Rent $1,397/mo · Income $88,521
Compare with Mounds View →Moving to Shoreview →
4 mi away · pop. 26,714
Rent $1,661/mo · Income $108,370
Compare with Mounds View →Not sure Mounds View is the one?
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