Granite Falls vs Wood Lake
Granite Falls, 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.
Granite Falls and Wood Lake score about the same overall (46 vs 49 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Granite Falls | Wood Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $58k | $70k |
| Cost of Living | $42k | $42k |
| Home Value | $148k | $87k |
| Monthly Rent | $782 | $625 |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $806 | $137 |
| Property Tax Rate | 1.43% | 1.14% |
| Income Tax | 9.90% | 9.90% |
| Sales Tax | 8.04% | 8.04% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 16.18% | 13.97% |
| Unemployment | 2.6% | 3.1% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 13°F | 14°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 72°F | 72°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 28.6 in | 28.6 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 51.5 in | 51.5 in |
| Sunny Days | 255 days | 255 days |
| Summer Humidity | 62°F | 62°F |
| Comfortable Days | 92 days | 94 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 70.9 | 70.4 |
| Air Quality | 54 AQI | 54 AQI |
| School Quality | 85.8 | 89.6 |
| Violent Crime | 634/100k | 8/100k |
| Property Crime | 932/100k | 32/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 2,423 | 376 |
| Median Age | 42.1 | 44.2 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.30 | 0.18 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 1.03 | 0.89 |
| Political Leaning | R+31 | R+31 |
| White (%) | 82.7% | 90.4% |
| Black (%) | 2.2% | 1.9% |
| Hispanic (%) | 7.5% | 4.3% |
| Asian (%) | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 7.6% | 3.5% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Walkability | 5.8/20 | 4.4/20 |
| Airport Distance | 113 mi | 115 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 88.0% | 78.8% |
| Amenities Nearby | 24.76 | 0.00 |
| Park & Nature Access | Good | 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 Granite Falls or Wood Lake more affordable?
- Wood Lake has the lower cost of living: its index is $42k, compared with Granite Falls's $42k and Wood Lake's $42k. Median rent is $782 in Granite Falls versus $625 in Wood Lake.
- Is Granite Falls or Wood Lake safer?
- Wood Lake has the lower violent crime rate. Granite Falls reports 634/100k and Wood Lake reports 8/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Granite Falls or Wood Lake?
- The median home value is $148k in Granite Falls and $87k in Wood Lake, so homes are more affordable in Wood Lake.