Elk River vs St. Cloud
Elk River, Minnesota versus St. Cloud, Minnesota: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Elk River and St. Cloud score about the same overall (46 vs 46 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Elk River | St. Cloud |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $96k | $59k |
| Cost of Living | $52k | $44k |
| Home Value | $306k | $190k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $944 |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $1k |
| Property Tax Rate | 1.19% | 1.04% |
| Income Tax | 9.90% | 9.90% |
| Sales Tax | 8.04% | 8.04% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 16.36% | 15.90% |
| Unemployment | 2.0% | 7.1% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 15°F | 12°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 72°F | 71°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 32.9 in | 28.5 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 35.7 in | 47.9 in |
| Sunny Days | 234 days | 234 days |
| Summer Humidity | 60°F | 60°F |
| Comfortable Days | 94 days | 85 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 50.1 | 56.3 |
| Air Quality | 42 AQI | 53 AQI |
| School Quality | 66.1 | 76.5 |
| Violent Crime | 641/100k | 1313/100k |
| Property Crime | 1712/100k | 4293/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 25,936 | 68,910 |
| Median Age | 35.7 | 30.3 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.25 | 0.48 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 1.04 | 1.02 |
| Political Leaning | R+33 | R+33 |
| White (%) | 85.3% | 68.8% |
| Black (%) | 3.8% | 18.0% |
| Hispanic (%) | 3.7% | 4.1% |
| Asian (%) | 1.1% | 3.9% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 6.0% | 5.1% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 29 min | 19 min |
| Walkability | 6.0/20 | 8.3/20 |
| Airport Distance | 34 mi | 63 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 91.4% | 88.8% |
| Amenities Nearby | 24.29 | 22.78 |
| 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 Elk River or St. Cloud more affordable?
- St. Cloud has the lower cost of living: its index is $44k, compared with Elk River's $52k and St. Cloud's $44k. Median rent is $1k in Elk River versus $944 in St. Cloud.
- Is Elk River or St. Cloud safer?
- Elk River has the lower violent crime rate. Elk River reports 641/100k and St. Cloud reports 1313/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Elk River or St. Cloud?
- The median home value is $306k in Elk River and $190k in St. Cloud, so homes are more affordable in St. Cloud.