Cottonwood vs Wood Lake
Cottonwood, Minnesota versus Wood Lake, Minnesota: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Cottonwood and Wood Lake score about the same overall (50 vs 49 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Cottonwood | Wood Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $79k | $70k |
| Cost of Living | $42k | $42k |
| Home Value | $167k | $87k |
| Monthly Rent | $683 | $625 |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $362 | $137 |
| Property Tax Rate | 1.11% | 1.14% |
| Income Tax | 9.90% | 9.90% |
| Sales Tax | 8.04% | 8.04% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 14.88% | 13.97% |
| Unemployment | 3.3% | 3.1% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 14°F | 14°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 72°F | 72°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 28.9 in | 28.6 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 43.5 in | 51.5 in |
| Sunny Days | 255 days | 255 days |
| Summer Humidity | 62°F | 62°F |
| Comfortable Days | 93 days | 94 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 80.8 | 70.4 |
| Air Quality | 54 AQI | 54 AQI |
| School Quality | 89.6 | 89.6 |
| Violent Crime | 719/100k | 8/100k |
| Property Crime | 399/100k | 32/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 1,150 | 376 |
| Median Age | 38.1 | 44.2 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.15 | 0.18 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 1.04 | 0.89 |
| Political Leaning | R+27 | R+31 |
| White (%) | 90.7% | 90.4% |
| Black (%) | 0.0% | 1.9% |
| Hispanic (%) | 7.8% | 4.3% |
| Asian (%) | 0.1% | 0.0% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 1.4% | 3.5% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Walkability | 7.6/20 | 4.4/20 |
| Airport Distance | 122 mi | 115 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 82.3% | 78.8% |
| Amenities Nearby | 17.39 | 0.00 |
| Park & Nature Access | Excellent | 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 Cottonwood or Wood Lake more affordable?
- Wood Lake has the lower cost of living: its index is $42k, compared with Cottonwood's $42k and Wood Lake's $42k. Median rent is $683 in Cottonwood versus $625 in Wood Lake.
- Is Cottonwood or Wood Lake safer?
- Wood Lake has the lower violent crime rate. Cottonwood reports 719/100k and Wood Lake reports 8/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Cottonwood or Wood Lake?
- The median home value is $167k in Cottonwood and $87k in Wood Lake, so homes are more affordable in Wood Lake.