Sauk Centre vs West Union
Sauk Centre, Minnesota versus West Union, Minnesota: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Sauk Centre and West Union score about the same overall (43 vs 43 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Sauk Centre | West Union |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $68k | $64k |
| Cost of Living | $46k | $46k |
| Home Value | $185k | $102k |
| Monthly Rent | $771 | — |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $1k | $29 |
| Property Tax Rate | 1.24% | 0.91% |
| Income Tax | 9.90% | 9.90% |
| Sales Tax | 8.04% | 8.04% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 15.91% | 14.01% |
| Unemployment | 6.8% | 8.9% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 11°F | 11°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 70°F | 70°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 29.1 in | 24.1 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 39.0 in | 54.0 in |
| Sunny Days | 234 days | 234 days |
| Summer Humidity | 60°F | 60°F |
| Comfortable Days | 85 days | 86 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 77.7 | 75.1 |
| Air Quality | 53 AQI | 53 AQI |
| School Quality | 71.7 | 49.8 |
| Violent Crime | 539/100k | 685/100k |
| Property Crime | 1724/100k | 640/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 4,568 | 77 |
| Median Age | 36.9 | 36.1 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.23 | 0.00 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.90 | 1.20 |
| Political Leaning | R+50 | R+50 |
| White (%) | 85.2% | 100.0% |
| Black (%) | 0.9% | 0.0% |
| Hispanic (%) | 8.1% | 0.0% |
| Asian (%) | 1.1% | 0.0% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 4.7% | 0.0% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 22 min | — |
| Walkability | 6.4/20 | 5.9/20 |
| Airport Distance | 103 mi | 111 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 84.3% | 75.0% |
| Amenities Nearby | 37.22 | 129.87 |
| Park & Nature Access | Excellent | 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 Sauk Centre or West Union more affordable?
- West Union has the lower cost of living: its index is $46k, compared with Sauk Centre's $46k and West Union's $46k.
- Is Sauk Centre or West Union safer?
- Sauk Centre has the lower violent crime rate. Sauk Centre reports 539/100k and West Union reports 685/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Sauk Centre or West Union?
- The median home value is $185k in Sauk Centre and $102k in West Union, so homes are more affordable in West Union.