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Bloomington vs Richfield

Next-door neighbors. The biggest differences: trails (5.9× in Bloomington) and jobs per worker (2.1× in Bloomington).

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Bloomington, MNA college townMinnesota · 88,665 people
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Richfield, MNAn outdoors townMinnesota · 36,642 people
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Where each one shines

Two towns, two different strengths

What each town does better than most of its state (not better than each other). Tap one to see the page behind it.

BloomingtonA college town
College town4 collegesNormandale Community College Outdoors#8 most conserved land in MN46 miles of trails across 73 parks and preserves Work81,351 jobsbased in Bloomington, a regional job hub All about Bloomington →
RichfieldAn outdoors town
Outdoors#3 most walkable in MN7.9 miles of trails across 23 parks and preserves HealthHealthier than 91%of U.S. towns on CDC estimates Housing$347K typical home1% below the MN typical home All about Richfield →
The biggest differences

Where they part ways

The rows below where the towns are furthest apart, beyond the Census margin of error. The full table is further down.

Trails5.9×
Bloomington has more miles of trail
Bloomington 46.3 miRichfield 7.9 mi
Jobs per worker2.1×
Bloomington is more of a job hub
Bloomington 1.97Richfield 0.95
Street grid+75%
Richfield has the more walkable street grid
Richfield 132Bloomington 75.4
Work in town+13.3 pts
More of Bloomington’s workers stay in town
Bloomington 19.5%Richfield 6.2%
Size2.4×
Bloomington is the bigger place
Bloomington 88,665Richfield 36,642
Conserved land+10.3 pts
Bloomington has more conserved land
Bloomington 20.9%Richfield 10.6%
★ What stands out · Where they are

Bloomington and Richfield share a border

And the people who already live in one and work in the other.

BloomingtonRichfieldBloomingtonRichfield
Bloomington ↔ Richfield3.5 miles apart · They share a border
Who commutes between them
2,079 Richfield residents work in Bloomington (11.9% of its workers)
1,008 Bloomington residents work in Richfield (2.4% of its workers)
Work & commute in Richfield →
Report cards

Bloomington places higher on 11 of 23 MN lists

Our letter grades for safety, schools and health, then every Minnesota ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

Safety
DBloomingtonSafer than 12% of U.S. towns CRichfieldSafer than 26% of U.S. towns
Schools
C+BloomingtonBetter than 40% of districts in the state CRichfieldBetter than 34% of districts in the state
Health
ABloomingtonHealthier than 91% of U.S. towns ARichfieldHealthier than 91% of U.S. towns
11Bloomington
9Richfield

Lists won, of 23 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Best schoolsSchools · 230 towns #163#222 Fastest growingGrowth · 272 towns #106#158 Highest graduation rateSchools · 238 towns #214#169 Shortest commuteGetting around · 275 towns #93#137 Most conserved landOutdoors · 268 towns #8#50 Most walkableOutdoors · 275 towns #45#3 Rent easiest to affordCost of living · 90 towns #30#17 Most remote workersWork · 272 towns #52#86

Left end = #1 in Minnesota. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Bloomington’s rankings →

Monthly cost

A typical home costs about the same each month

A typical home in each town, bought with 20% down at 6.3% for 30 years, plus property tax at the town’s own rate and insurance. Change the numbers to fit you.

Bloomington$2,220/mo
Typical home $362K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.07% · or rent about $1,561/mo · Housing →
Richfield$2,150/mo
Typical home $347K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.14% · or rent about $1,393/mo · Housing →

The difference: $80 a month, about $900 a year, between Bloomington and Richfield.

Estimates, not a quote: your price, rate, tax bill and insurance will differ. Tax rate = the Census median tax bill over the median home value.

Life in each

What daily life feels like in each

The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.

Seasons
BloomingtonRichfield
Snow a year51″51″
January low9°F9°F
July high83°F83°F
Growing season (days)176d176d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)27th24th
Outdoors & history
BloomingtonRichfield
Trails46 mi8 mi
Conserved land20.9%10.6%
Settled18431908
National Register places31
Archive photos1818
Famous people born here37—
Community
BloomingtonRichfield
Library hours a week52 hrs48 hrs
Colleges in town4—
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined01

A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.

Everything, side by side

What matters to you?

Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

BloomingtonRichfield
People
Population 88,665Highest 36,642Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +8.6%Highest MN: +7.6% +5%Lowest MN: +7.6%
Median age 41.1±0.9Highest 6% above MN 39.4±0.8Lowest about the MN average
Kids under 18 20%±1.3Highest MN: 22.9% 18.2%±1.6Lowest MN: 22.9%
Bloomington and Richfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 20.6%±1Highest MN: 17.3% 19.1%±1.6Lowest MN: 17.3%
Bloomington and Richfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 46.2%Highest MN: 39.4% 43.7%Lowest MN: 39.4%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 5.4%±0.7Highest MN: 5.8% 5%±1Lowest MN: 5.8%
Bloomington and Richfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $93,211±$3kHighest 5% above MN $85,132±$4kLowest 4% below MN
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $361,700±$5kHighest 10% above MN $344,000±$4kLowest 4% above MN
Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,561±$36Highest 22% above MN $1,393±$43Lowest 9% above MN
Property taxmedian, yearly $3,881Lowest 16% above MN $3,905Highest 16% above MN
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 46.3%±4Highest MN: 48.1% 43.9%±6.2Lowest MN: 48.1%
Bloomington and Richfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 9.2%Highest MN: 9.3% 8.2%Lowest MN: 9.3%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 65.7%Highest MN: 72.2% 61.6%Lowest MN: 72.2%
Typical home builtmedian year 1972Highest 7 yrs older than MN 1959Lowest 20 yrs older than MN
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 21 minLowest 7% below MN 23 minHighest about the MN average
Work from home 22.3%±1.8Highest MN: 17.6% 18.7%±2Lowest MN: 17.6%
Bloomington and Richfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 19.5%Highest 6.2%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 8.3 miHighest 7.3 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.97Highest 0.95Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Minneapolis (17%)Minneapolis (22%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others 2% work in Richfield12% work in Bloomington
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 20.9%Highest 10.6%Lowest
Trailsmapped miles 46.3 miHighest 7.9 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 1.2 miHighest 1.1 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 73Highest 23Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 75.4Lowest 132Highest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #163 of 230 in MN#222 of 230 in MN
School district Success Academy · New Century SchoolIntermediate School District 287 · WATERSHED HIGH SCHOOL
High school in town Jefferson High SchoolRichfield Senior High
Students per teacherat that high school 22.8Highest 14.1Lowest
Minnesota average“±” Census margin of errorACS 2020–2024
Deciding?

Ask the people who live there

The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.

Bloomington neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Bloomington’s Town Square.

Richfield neighborsTown Square →

1 neighbor in Richfield can answer.

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Bordering Bloomington

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Savage32,889 people · $432K homes
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Burnsville64,463 people · $355K homes
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Eagan68,000 people · $397K homes
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Edina53,262 people · $646K homes

Towns like Bloomington

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Apple Valley55,679 people · $370K homes
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Rochester122,330 people · $311K homes
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Duluth87,093 people · $243K homes
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Roseville35,802 people · $352K homes
Not sure which town to add? Find your place ranks Minnesota towns on what matters to you.Find your place →

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.

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