Cottage Grove vs Winona
Cottage Grove, Minnesota versus Winona, 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 Winona score about the same overall (50 vs 52 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Cottage Grove | Winona |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $118k | $53k |
| Cost of Living | $54k | $46k |
| Home Value | $337k | $177k |
| Monthly Rent | $2k | $773 |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $1k |
| Property Tax Rate | 1.09% | 0.97% |
| Income Tax | 9.90% | 9.90% |
| Sales Tax | 8.04% | 8.04% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 15.69% | 15.82% |
| Unemployment | 2.7% | 2.7% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 16°F | 17°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 74°F | 73°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 33.9 in | 34.4 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 51.2 in | 37.6 in |
| Sunny Days | 182 days | 216 days |
| Summer Humidity | 61°F | 63°F |
| Comfortable Days | 98 days | 84 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 51.4 | 64.1 |
| Air Quality | 9 AQI | 46 AQI |
| School Quality | 63.6 | 69.8 |
| Violent Crime | 247/100k | 524/100k |
| Property Crime | 940/100k | 2352/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 39,274 | 26,083 |
| Median Age | 36.8 | 30.7 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.35 | 0.18 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.97 | 0.89 |
| Political Leaning | D+14 | Even |
| White (%) | 78.4% | 88.6% |
| Black (%) | 6.1% | 2.4% |
| Hispanic (%) | 5.1% | 3.9% |
| Asian (%) | 5.8% | 2.4% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 4.6% | 2.7% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 25 min | 14 min |
| Walkability | 7.3/20 | 8.8/20 |
| Airport Distance | 15 mi | 96 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 95.6% | 92.4% |
| Amenities Nearby | 33.61 | 31.44 |
| Park & Nature Access | Good | Excellent |
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 Winona more affordable?
- Winona has the lower cost of living: its index is $46k, compared with Cottage Grove's $54k and Winona's $46k. Median rent is $2k in Cottage Grove versus $773 in Winona.
- Is Cottage Grove or Winona safer?
- Cottage Grove has the lower violent crime rate. Cottage Grove reports 247/100k and Winona reports 524/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Cottage Grove or Winona?
- The median home value is $337k in Cottage Grove and $177k in Winona, so homes are more affordable in Winona.