Moorhead vs St. Cloud
Moorhead, 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.
Moorhead 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 | Moorhead | St. Cloud |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $69k | $59k |
| Cost of Living | $44k | $44k |
| Home Value | $234k | $190k |
| Monthly Rent | $997 | $944 |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $1k |
| Property Tax Rate | 1.21% | 1.04% |
| Income Tax | 9.90% | 9.90% |
| Sales Tax | 8.04% | 8.04% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 16.67% | 15.90% |
| Unemployment | 4.9% | 7.1% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 9°F | 12°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 71°F | 71°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 26.1 in | 28.5 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 52.7 in | 47.9 in |
| Sunny Days | 229 days | 234 days |
| Summer Humidity | 60°F | 60°F |
| Comfortable Days | 86 days | 85 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 42.4 | 56.3 |
| Air Quality | 57 AQI | 53 AQI |
| School Quality | 84.3 | 76.5 |
| Violent Crime | 927/100k | 1313/100k |
| Property Crime | 2245/100k | 4293/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 44,443 | 68,910 |
| Median Age | 31.0 | 30.3 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.27 | 0.48 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.99 | 1.02 |
| Political Leaning | Even | R+33 |
| White (%) | 82.1% | 68.8% |
| Black (%) | 5.7% | 18.0% |
| Hispanic (%) | 5.1% | 4.1% |
| Asian (%) | 1.7% | 3.9% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 5.3% | 5.1% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 18 min | 19 min |
| Walkability | 14.7/20 | 8.3/20 |
| Airport Distance | 218 mi | 63 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 86.9% | 88.8% |
| Amenities Nearby | 51.98 | 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 Moorhead or St. Cloud more affordable?
- Moorhead has the lower cost of living: its index is $44k, compared with Moorhead's $44k and St. Cloud's $44k. Median rent is $997 in Moorhead versus $944 in St. Cloud.
- Is Moorhead or St. Cloud safer?
- Moorhead has the lower violent crime rate. Moorhead reports 927/100k and St. Cloud reports 1313/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Moorhead or St. Cloud?
- The median home value is $234k in Moorhead and $190k in St. Cloud, so homes are more affordable in St. Cloud.