Big Falls vs International Falls
Big Falls, Minnesota versus International Falls, Minnesota: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Big Falls and International Falls score about the same overall (40 vs 41 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Big Falls | International Falls |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $33k | $55k |
| Cost of Living | $43k | $43k |
| Home Value | $48k | $114k |
| Monthly Rent | $513 | $684 |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $76 | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 1.11% | 0.89% |
| Income Tax | 9.90% | 9.90% |
| Sales Tax | 8.04% | 8.04% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 14.17% | 14.41% |
| Unemployment | 13.6% | 6.9% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 5°F | 5°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 65°F | 65°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 27.3 in | 25.4 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 54.5 in | 73.0 in |
| Sunny Days | 206 days | 206 days |
| Summer Humidity | 57°F | 57°F |
| Comfortable Days | 57 days | 56 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 76.2 | 60.0 |
| Air Quality | 38 AQI | 38 AQI |
| School Quality | 68.1 | 62.2 |
| Violent Crime | 885/100k | 1114/100k |
| Property Crime | 986/100k | 1573/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 153 | 5,795 |
| Median Age | 63.4 | 47.7 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.11 | 0.15 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.91 | 1.04 |
| Political Leaning | R+22 | R+22 |
| White (%) | 94.1% | 91.3% |
| Black (%) | 0.0% | 1.5% |
| Hispanic (%) | 0.0% | 1.6% |
| Asian (%) | 0.0% | 0.4% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 5.9% | 5.2% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Walkability | 4.9/20 | 7.5/20 |
| Airport Distance | 229 mi | 256 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 70.6% | 83.7% |
| Amenities Nearby | 196.08 | 84.56 |
| Park & Nature Access | Limited | Limited |
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 Big Falls or International Falls more affordable?
- International Falls has the lower cost of living: its index is $43k, compared with Big Falls's $43k and International Falls's $43k. Median rent is $513 in Big Falls versus $684 in International Falls.
- Is Big Falls or International Falls safer?
- Big Falls has the lower violent crime rate. Big Falls reports 885/100k and International Falls reports 1114/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Big Falls or International Falls?
- The median home value is $48k in Big Falls and $114k in International Falls, so homes are more affordable in Big Falls.