Apple Valley vs Cottage Grove
Apple Valley, Minnesota versus Cottage Grove, Minnesota: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Apple Valley and Cottage Grove score about the same overall (48 vs 50 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Apple Valley | Cottage Grove |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $98k | $118k |
| Cost of Living | $54k | $54k |
| Home Value | $333k | $337k |
| Monthly Rent | $2k | $2k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 1.00% | 1.09% |
| Income Tax | 9.90% | 9.90% |
| Sales Tax | 8.04% | 8.04% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 15.97% | 15.69% |
| Unemployment | 4.2% | 2.7% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 16°F | 16°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 74°F | 74°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 34.1 in | 33.9 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 41.0 in | 51.2 in |
| Sunny Days | 182 days | 182 days |
| Summer Humidity | 61°F | 61°F |
| Comfortable Days | 99 days | 98 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 31.1 | 51.4 |
| Air Quality | 38 AQI | 9 AQI |
| School Quality | 56.6 | 63.6 |
| Violent Crime | 889/100k | 247/100k |
| Property Crime | 1636/100k | 940/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 55,594 | 39,274 |
| Median Age | 37.6 | 36.8 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.45 | 0.35 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.93 | 0.97 |
| Political Leaning | D+14 | D+14 |
| White (%) | 70.3% | 78.4% |
| Black (%) | 10.0% | 6.1% |
| Hispanic (%) | 7.6% | 5.1% |
| Asian (%) | 6.1% | 5.8% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 6.1% | 4.6% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 26 min | 25 min |
| Walkability | 14.7/20 | 7.3/20 |
| Airport Distance | 10 mi | 15 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 95.2% | 95.6% |
| Amenities Nearby | 65.47 | 33.61 |
| Park & Nature Access | Moderate | Good |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Apple Valley or Cottage Grove more affordable?
- Cottage Grove has the lower cost of living: its index is $54k, compared with Apple Valley's $54k and Cottage Grove's $54k. Median rent is $2k in Apple Valley versus $2k in Cottage Grove.
- Is Apple Valley or Cottage Grove safer?
- Cottage Grove has the lower violent crime rate. Apple Valley reports 889/100k and Cottage Grove reports 247/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Apple Valley or Cottage Grove?
- The median home value is $333k in Apple Valley and $337k in Cottage Grove, so homes are more affordable in Apple Valley.