Mankato vs Prior Lake
Mankato, Minnesota versus Prior Lake, Minnesota: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Mankato and Prior Lake score about the same overall (46 vs 43 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Mankato | Prior Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $62k | $130k |
| Cost of Living | $50k | $57k |
| Home Value | $236k | $401k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $1k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 1.01% | 1.08% |
| Income Tax | 9.90% | 9.90% |
| Sales Tax | 8.04% | 8.04% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 16.43% | 15.88% |
| Unemployment | 4.2% | 1.5% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 16°F | 16°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 74°F | 74°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 36.4 in | 33.8 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 38.7 in | 54.7 in |
| Sunny Days | 255 days | 182 days |
| Summer Humidity | 62°F | 61°F |
| Comfortable Days | 98 days | 98 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 61.7 | 56.8 |
| Air Quality | 55 AQI | 55 AQI |
| School Quality | 61.4 | 45.3 |
| Violent Crime | 1774/100k | 641/100k |
| Property Crime | 2513/100k | 1677/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 44,444 | 27,608 |
| Median Age | 26.5 | 39.4 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.28 | 0.24 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 1.02 | 0.97 |
| Political Leaning | Even | Even |
| White (%) | 82.4% | 85.2% |
| Black (%) | 7.0% | 1.2% |
| Hispanic (%) | 4.7% | 3.7% |
| Asian (%) | 3.6% | 4.3% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 2.4% | 5.6% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 15 min | 25 min |
| Walkability | 8.8/20 | 7.3/20 |
| Airport Distance | 61 mi | 16 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 87.5% | 94.3% |
| Amenities Nearby | 27.45 | 51.07 |
| 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 Mankato or Prior Lake more affordable?
- Mankato has the lower cost of living: its index is $50k, compared with Mankato's $50k and Prior Lake's $57k. Median rent is $1k in Mankato versus $1k in Prior Lake.
- Is Mankato or Prior Lake safer?
- Prior Lake has the lower violent crime rate. Mankato reports 1774/100k and Prior Lake reports 641/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Mankato or Prior Lake?
- The median home value is $236k in Mankato and $401k in Prior Lake, so homes are more affordable in Mankato.