What it's like to live in Woodbury
Woodbury is a smaller city in Minnesota with unemployment below the national average, household incomes running above the national average, crime rates well below the national average, and a highly educated workforce. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Woodbury deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well above the national average, larger class sizes than the national average, and cold, harsh winters.
The good
- Low unemployment
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Low crime rates
- Highly educated workforce
- Growing population
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- High home prices
- High student-teacher ratio
- Cold, harsh winters
- Snowy winters — 40" per year
How Woodbury compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Woodbury
Based on Woodbury's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,816
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $76,320 a year
- 44% of Woodbury renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$90,040
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $45,020
- 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▲ 35% above US
$1,908/mo median rent
Rent is expensive here, at $1,908 a month median and well above the national average. This is the kind of city where housing costs deserve serious budgeting before committing to a move. Home prices run above average, with a median around $450,200. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.
Median home value $450,200 · 44% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▼ 30% below US
3.0% unemployment
Unemployment here is 3.0%, a little below the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 77% below US
74 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 1152/100k · Woodbury Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
24 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 23.9 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 7 in 10 workers drive to work; 27% 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
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 4.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▲ 70% above US
61% bachelor's degree or higher
This is a highly educated city, with over half the adult population holding a college degree. That tends to shape the job market and the broader culture, and it's a solid indicator of a strong professional scene.
Schools
20 public schools inside the boundary
There are 20 public schools inside the boundary and 4 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 19:1, slightly above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Mississippi National River & Recreation Area (9 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Woodbury's strongest points are unemployment below the national average and household incomes running above the national average; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and home prices well above the national average. A year of median rent ($1,908/mo) equals 18% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit job seekers, anyone prioritizing low crime, and remote workers (27% of workers here already work from home). It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget and anyone who dislikes long, cold winters.
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