What it's like to live in Richfield
Richfield is a small city in Minnesota with unemployment below the national average, crime rates well below the national average, a highly educated workforce, 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. Richfield deals with air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, cold, harsh winters, and snowy winters.
The good
- Low unemployment
- Low crime rates
- Highly educated workforce
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Air quality concerns
- Cold, harsh winters
- Snowy winters — 51" per year
How Richfield compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Richfield
Based on Richfield's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,786
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $55,720 a year
- 43% of Richfield renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$68,800
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $34,400
- Homes cost 4.0× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of livingNear US average
$1,393/mo median rent
Rent is pretty middle of the road, at $1,393 a month median. Not a bargain, not a budget-buster. About typical for a city this size. Home prices run above average, with a median around $344,000. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.
Median home value $344,000 · 43% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▼ 21% below US
3.4% unemployment
Unemployment here is 3.4%, a little below the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 40% below US
198 violent crimes per 100k
Pretty safe, all things considered. Violent crime sits below the national average, nothing alarming, just ordinary city-life awareness.
Property crime 2160/100k · Richfield Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 11% below US
23 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 23.1 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 7 in 10 workers drive to work; 19% 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 & workforce▲ 21% above US
44% bachelor's degree or higher
The population is well-educated, with 44% holding college degrees. That points to a strong professional base and generally a healthy local economy.
Schools
22 public schools inside the boundary
There are 22 public schools inside the boundary and 4 private schools. 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 (10 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Richfield's strongest points are unemployment below the national average and crime rates well below the national average; the main tradeoffs are air quality that falls short of national benchmarks and cold, harsh winters. A year of median rent ($1,393/mo) equals 20% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit job seekers, anyone prioritizing low crime, and remote workers (19% of workers here already work from home). It may be a harder fit for anyone who dislikes long, cold winters.
Other places near Richfield
All Minnesota guides →Moving to Bloomington →
4 mi away · pop. 88,665
Rent $1,561/mo · Income $93,211
Compare with Richfield →Moving to Minneapolis →
6 mi away · pop. 427,246
Rent $1,371/mo · Income $80,846
Compare with Richfield →Not sure Richfield is the one?
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