What it's like to live in St. Cloud
St. Cloud is a smaller city in Minnesota with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, commutes that run shorter than most cities, 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.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Short commutes
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Below-average household incomes
- High poverty rate
- Cold, harsh winters
- Snowy winters — 48" per year
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
How St. Cloud compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to St. Cloud
Based on St. Cloud's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,006
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $40,120 a year
- 46% of St. Cloud renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$45,000
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $22,500
- Homes cost 3.7× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 29% below US
$1,003/mo median rent
Rent here is genuinely low, with median rent around $1,003 a month. Factoring in local incomes, the value gets even better. Money stretches further here than in most of the country. Home prices here are genuinely accessible, with a median around $225,000. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $225,000 · 46% of renters cost-burdened
Job marketNear US average
4.4% unemployment
Unemployment here is 4.4%, close to the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
SafetyNear US average
361 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 2520/100k · St. Cloud Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 24% below US
20 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 19.8 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 9% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are comfortable, with highs around 79°F, and winters are cold and harsh, with lows dropping to 6°F.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
2 hospitals
There are 2 Medicare-certified hospitals inside city limits. They average 4.0 out of 5 on Medicare's star rating.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▼ 16% below US
30% bachelor's degree or higher
Education levels run about average, with 30% 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
21 public schools inside the boundary
There are 21 public schools inside the boundary and 8 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 14:1, 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 (66 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
St. Cloud'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 a poverty rate above the national average. A year of median rent ($1,003/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 and people who want short commutes. It may be a harder fit for anyone who dislikes long, cold winters.
Other places near St. Cloud
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