Cottage Grove vs Lakeville
Cottage Grove, Minnesota versus Lakeville, Minnesota: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Cottage Grove and Lakeville score about the same overall (50 vs 50 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Cottage Grove | Lakeville |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $118k | $129k |
| Cost of Living | $54k | $54k |
| Home Value | $337k | $396k |
| Monthly Rent | $2k | $2k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 1.09% | 1.03% |
| Income Tax | 9.90% | 9.90% |
| Sales Tax | 8.04% | 8.04% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 15.69% | 15.72% |
| Unemployment | 2.7% | 2.5% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 16°F | 16°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 74°F | 74°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 33.9 in | 32.3 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 51.2 in | 41.0 in |
| Sunny Days | 182 days | 182 days |
| Summer Humidity | 61°F | 61°F |
| Comfortable Days | 98 days | 98 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 51.4 | 35.0 |
| Air Quality | 9 AQI | 38 AQI |
| School Quality | 63.6 | 73.6 |
| Violent Crime | 247/100k | 306/100k |
| Property Crime | 940/100k | 674/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 39,274 | 70,696 |
| Median Age | 36.8 | 36.5 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.35 | 0.32 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.97 | 1.04 |
| Political Leaning | D+14 | D+14 |
| White (%) | 78.4% | 79.8% |
| Black (%) | 6.1% | 4.5% |
| Hispanic (%) | 5.1% | 5.3% |
| Asian (%) | 5.8% | 6.0% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 4.6% | 4.4% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 25 min | 25 min |
| Walkability | 7.3/20 | 7.4/20 |
| Airport Distance | 15 mi | 15 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 95.6% | 94.6% |
| Amenities Nearby | 33.61 | 31.54 |
| Park & Nature Access | Good | Moderate |
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 Cottage Grove or Lakeville more affordable?
- Lakeville has the lower cost of living: its index is $54k, compared with Cottage Grove's $54k and Lakeville's $54k. Median rent is $2k in Cottage Grove versus $2k in Lakeville.
- Is Cottage Grove or Lakeville safer?
- Cottage Grove has the lower violent crime rate. Cottage Grove reports 247/100k and Lakeville reports 306/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Cottage Grove or Lakeville?
- The median home value is $337k in Cottage Grove and $396k in Lakeville, so homes are more affordable in Cottage Grove.