What it's like to live in Ramsey
Ramsey is a small city in Minnesota with household incomes running above the national average, crime rates well below the national average, a growing population, and schools with class sizes near the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Ramsey deals with rent well above the national average, commute times longer than most cities, cold, harsh winters, and snowy winters.
The good
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Low crime rates
- Growing population
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- Above-average commute times
- Cold, harsh winters
- Snowy winters — 36" per year
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Ramsey compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Ramsey
Based on Ramsey's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,652
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $73,040 a year
- 44% of Ramsey renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$71,920
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $35,960
- Homes cost 3.1× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 29% above US
$1,826/mo median rent
Rent runs on the higher side, at $1,826 a month median. Whether that premium makes sense usually comes down to the local job market and what it pays. Home prices run above average, with a median around $359,600. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.
Median home value $359,600 · 44% of renters cost-burdened
Job marketNear US average
3.9% unemployment
Unemployment here is 3.9%, close to the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 92% below US
27 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 396/100k · Ramsey Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
28 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 28.2 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 17% 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 7°F.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforceNear US average
34% bachelor's degree or higher
Education levels run about average, with 34% 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
4 public schools inside the boundary
There are 4 public schools inside the boundary. 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 (28 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Ramsey's strongest points are household incomes running above the national average and crime rates well below the national average; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and commute times longer than most cities. A year of median rent ($1,826/mo) equals 19% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit anyone prioritizing low crime and remote workers (17% of workers here already work from home). It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget, anyone who doesn't drive, and anyone who dislikes long, cold winters.
Other places near Ramsey
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