Prior Lake vs Shakopee
Prior Lake, Minnesota versus Shakopee, Minnesota: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Prior Lake and Shakopee score about the same overall (43 vs 45 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Prior Lake | Shakopee |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $130k | $104k |
| Cost of Living | $57k | $57k |
| Home Value | $401k | $348k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $1k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 1.08% | 1.05% |
| Income Tax | 9.90% | 9.90% |
| Sales Tax | 8.04% | 8.04% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 15.88% | 16.07% |
| Unemployment | 1.5% | 3.9% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 16°F | 16°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 74°F | 74°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 33.8 in | 33.8 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 54.7 in | 54.7 in |
| Sunny Days | 182 days | 182 days |
| Summer Humidity | 61°F | 61°F |
| Comfortable Days | 98 days | 98 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 56.8 | 48.4 |
| Air Quality | 55 AQI | 55 AQI |
| School Quality | 45.3 | 54.5 |
| Violent Crime | 641/100k | 508/100k |
| Property Crime | 1677/100k | 1598/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 27,608 | 44,135 |
| Median Age | 39.4 | 35.0 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.24 | 0.53 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.97 | 0.94 |
| Political Leaning | Even | Even |
| White (%) | 85.2% | 62.9% |
| Black (%) | 1.2% | 8.3% |
| Hispanic (%) | 3.7% | 9.0% |
| Asian (%) | 4.3% | 12.2% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 5.6% | 7.7% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 25 min | 23 min |
| Walkability | 7.3/20 | 9.2/20 |
| Airport Distance | 16 mi | 15 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 94.3% | 93.9% |
| Amenities Nearby | 51.07 | 34.21 |
| 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 Prior Lake or Shakopee more affordable?
- Shakopee has the lower cost of living: its index is $57k, compared with Prior Lake's $57k and Shakopee's $57k. Median rent is $1k in Prior Lake versus $1k in Shakopee.
- Is Prior Lake or Shakopee safer?
- Shakopee has the lower violent crime rate. Prior Lake reports 641/100k and Shakopee reports 508/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Prior Lake or Shakopee?
- The median home value is $401k in Prior Lake and $348k in Shakopee, so homes are more affordable in Shakopee.