Compare towns

Melrose vs St. Cloud

143 miles apart. The biggest differences: street grid (12.9× in St. Cloud) and jobs per worker (5.2× in Melrose).

Melrose, WIA small town of 552Jackson County · 552 people

St. Cloud, WIA small town of 454Wisconsin · 454 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.

MelroseA small town of 552

Quiet strengthsMelrose doesn’t stand out on the data we haveNeighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.

All about Melrose →

St. CloudA small town of 454

Quiet strengthsSt. Cloud doesn’t stand out on the data we haveNeighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.

All about St. Cloud →

The biggest differences

Where they differ most

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

Street grid12.9×

St. Cloud has the more walkable street grid

St. Cloud 19.3Melrose 1.5

Jobs per worker5.2×

Melrose is more of a job hub

Melrose 0.93St. Cloud 0.18

Typical home built33 yrs

St. Cloud’s homes are older

Melrose 1986St. Cloud 1953

★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $920 more a month in St. Cloud

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.

Down paymentRate%

Melrose$1,300/mo

Typical home $200K (Census) · tax rate 1.51% · or rent about $888/mo · Housing →

St. Cloud$2,220/mo

Typical home $339K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.55% · or rent about $757/mo · Housing →

The difference: $920 a month, about $11,000 a year, between St. Cloud and Melrose.

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.

Report cards

Grades and rankings, side by side

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

Schools

BMelroseBetter than 60% of districts in the state –St. CloudNot graded

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

MelroseSt. Cloud

Snow a year36″45″

January low9°F 12°F

July high82°F 81°F

Growing season (days)165d 159d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)64th 4th

Outdoors & history

MelroseSt. Cloud

Trails4 mi —

Conserved land0.6%—

Archive photos8 —

Community

MelroseSt. Cloud

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined0 0

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.

Where they are

143 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

MelroseJackson County St. CloudWI

Melrose ↔ St. Cloud143 miles apart

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.

Only big differences vs Wisconsin average

MelroseSt. Cloud

People

Population 552Highest 454Lowest

Median age 41.3±7.3Lowest about the WI average 43±5.6Highest 7% above WI

St. Cloud and Melrose are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Kids under 18 24.1%±3.4Highest WI: 21.4% 20.9%±4.5Lowest WI: 21.4%

Melrose and St. Cloud are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Age 65+ 23.7%±6.4Highest WI: 18.5% 14.8%±3.6Lowest WI: 18.5%

Melrose and St. Cloud are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 19.7%Lowest WI: 33.4% 20.2%Highest WI: 33.4%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 0.7%±1.2Highest WI: 5.8% 0.2%±2.3Lowest WI: 5.8%

Melrose and St. Cloud are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $74,809±$15kLowest 3% below WI $100,357±$12kHighest 30% above WI

St. Cloud and Melrose are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $200,000±$54kHighest 25% below WI $194,600±$14kLowest 27% below WI

Melrose and St. Cloud are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Rentmedian gross, monthly $888±$356Highest 18% below WI $757±$117Lowest 30% below WI

Melrose and St. Cloud are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Property taxmedian, yearly $3,016Highest 20% below WI $3,009Lowest 21% below WI

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 6.7%±100Lowest WI: 43.7% 14.3%±66Highest WI: 43.7%

St. Cloud and Melrose are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Below poverty line 10.1%Highest WI: 10.6% 2%Lowest WI: 10.6%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 86.1%Highest WI: 67.8% 85.3%Lowest WI: 67.8%

Typical home builtmedian year 1986Highest 11 yrs newer than WI 1953Lowest 22 yrs older than WI

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 30 minHighest 36% above WI 27 minLowest 21% above WI

Work from home 12.6%±4.9Highest WI: 13.1% 11.1%±5.3Lowest WI: 13.1%

Melrose and St. Cloud are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Work in townworking residents 2.9%Highest 0.8%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 23.8 miHighest 15.8 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.93Highest 0.18Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Black River Falls (15%)Fond du Lac (17%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in St. CloudFew work in Melrose

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 0.6%Highest 0%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 4.2 miHighest 0.0 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.2 miHighest 0.0 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 1Highest 0Lowest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 1.5Lowest 19.3Highest

Schools

School district Melrose-Mindoro School District—

High school in town Melrose-Mindoro Junior/Senior High—

Students per teacherat that high school 12.1 —

Wisconsin 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.

Melrose neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Melrose’s Town Square.

St. Cloud neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to St. Cloud’s Town Square.

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Bordering Melrose

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Little Falls1,653 people · $232K homes

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Irving936 people · $324K homes

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Franklin527 people · $350K homes

Towns like Melrose

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Montfort629 people · $158K homes

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Marion580 people · $243K homes

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Sterling575 people · $223K homes

Not sure which town to add? Find your place ranks Wisconsin 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.

Melrose vs St. Cloud

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they differ most

A typical home costs $920 more a month in St. Cloud

Grades and rankings, side by side

What daily life feels like in each

143 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

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Bordering Melrose

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