Cottage Grove, Minnesota
Among the top 8% of US places for safety & wellbeing.
AffordabilityAffordability: grade D, better than 11% of US places
WeatherWeather: grade C, better than 35% of US places
Safety & WellbeingSafety & Wellbeing: grade A, better than 92% of US places
Getting AroundGetting Around: grade B+, better than 84% of US places
Lifestyle & ConnectivityLifestyle & Connectivity: grade B, better than 64% of US places
- top 1% for air quality
- top 7% for airport distance
- bottom 10% for sunny days
Cottage Grove is a mid-size city in Minnesota with about 39,000 residents. It grades A for safety & wellbeing and D for affordability. Standout strengths include air quality, airport distance, and broadband access. It rates lower on annual snowfall and sunny days.
Official websitecottage-grove.org (opens in new tab)
Climate
Warm summers · Harsh winters · Moderate rain · Heavy snow
freezing
v.cold
cool
comf.
warm
comf.
cool
v.cold
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63%40%clearovercast
Precipitation 4.6 in1.0 in
humid 80%dry
Livability factors
Affordability
Median Household Income$118k91st percentile — neutral, not ranked
Cost of Living$54kbetter than 21% of US places
Home Value$337k81st percentile — neutral, not ranked
Monthly Rent$2kbetter than 13% of US places
Monthly Owner Costs$2kbetter than 19% of US places
Property Tax Rate1.09%better than 44% of US places
Income Tax9.90%better than 14% of US places
Sales Tax8.04%better than 40% of US places
Estimated total tax burden15.69%better than 15% of US places
Unemployment2.7%better than 61% of US places
Weather
Winter Temp (Jan)16°F7th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Summer Temp (Jul)74°F36th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Precipitation33.9 in29th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Snowfall51.2 inbetter than 13% of US places
Sunny Days182 daysbetter than 10% of US places
Summer Humidity61°Fbetter than 69% of US places
Comfortable Days98 daysbetter than 84% of US places
Safety & Wellbeing
Natural Disaster Risk51.4better than 69% of US places
Air Quality9 AQIbetter than 99% of US places
School Quality63.6better than 58% of US places
Violent Crime247/100kbetter than 79% of US places
Property Crime940/100kbetter than 51% of US places
Community
Population39,27496th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Median Age36.830th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Racial Diversity0.3569th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Male/Female Ratio0.9746th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Political LeaningD+1418th percentile — neutral, not ranked
White (%)78.4%39th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Black (%)6.1%79th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Hispanic (%)5.1%58th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Asian (%)5.8%92nd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Other / Multiracial (%)4.6%68th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Getting Around
Commute Time25 minbetter than 54% of US places
Walkability7.3/20better than 65% of US places
Airport Distance15 mibetter than 93% of US places
Lifestyle & Connectivity
Broadband Access95.6%better than 85% of US places
Amenities Nearby33.61better than 31% of US places
Park & Nature AccessGoodbetter than 59% of US places
Similar places
Frequently asked questions
- Is Cottage Grove an affordable place to live?
- Cottage Grove is relatively expensive. Its cost-of-living index is $54k, better than 21% of comparable areas.
- What is the median home value in Cottage Grove?
- The median home value in Cottage Grove is $337k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- What is the median household income in Cottage Grove?
- Median household income in Cottage Grove is $118k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- How much is rent in Cottage Grove?
- Median gross rent in Cottage Grove is $2k a month, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Is Cottage Grove safe?
- Cottage Grove is safer than most comparable areas, with a violent crime rate of 247/100k (better than 79%). Property crime is 940/100k.
- What is the weather like in Cottage Grove?
- Cottage Grove averages 74°F in July and 16°F in January, with 33.9 in of annual precipitation and about 182 sunny days a year.
- How are the schools in Cottage Grove?
- Public-school quality in Cottage Grove is about average, scoring better than 58% of comparable areas on a composite of graduation rates, spending, and student-teacher ratio.
- How long is the commute in Cottage Grove?
- The average one-way commute in Cottage Grove is 25 min.
Other places in Dakota County
Places near Cottage Grove
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Data sources
- EPA Air Quality (AQI)
- EPA Smart Location Database
- EPI Family Budget Calculator
- FAA airport enplanements
- FBI Uniform Crime Reports
- FEMA National Risk Index
- MIT Election Data Lab (2020)
- NCES School Finance Survey
- NOAA Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA nClimGrid
- OpenStreetMap
- Tax Foundation + state revenue depts
- U.S. Census ACS (5-Year)
- USGS Protected Areas (PAD-US)