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Moorhead vs St. Cloud

154 miles apart. The biggest differences: growth since 2010 (+12.3 pts in Moorhead) and work in town (+22 pts in St. Cloud).

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Moorhead, MNA history townMinnesota · 45,036 people
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St. Cloud, MNA college townMinnesota · 70,629 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.

MoorheadA history town
HistorySettled in 187112 places on the National Register Outdoors#52 most trails in MN22 miles of trails across 31 parks and preserves HealthHealthier than 76%of U.S. towns on CDC estimates All about Moorhead →
St. CloudA college town
College town3 collegesSaint Cloud State University Health51% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates Housing$258K typical home27% below the MN typical home All about St. Cloud →
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.

Growth since 2010+12.3 pts
Moorhead has grown faster since 2010
Moorhead +16.9%St. Cloud +4.6%
Work in town+22 pts
More of St. Cloud’s workers stay in town
St. Cloud 44%Moorhead 22%
Jobs per worker2.3×
St. Cloud is more of a job hub
St. Cloud 1.56Moorhead 0.68
Property tax bill+34%
Tax bills are bigger in Moorhead
Moorhead $3,104St. Cloud $2,320
Household income+19%
Households in Moorhead earn more
Moorhead $72,761St. Cloud $61,374
Bachelor’s degree++11.2 pts
More adults in Moorhead have a degree
Moorhead 41.6%St. Cloud 30.4%
★ What stands out · Report cards

Moorhead places higher on 16 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
CMoorheadSafer than 25% of U.S. towns DSt. CloudSafer than 14% of U.S. towns
Schools
B−MoorheadBetter than 48% of districts in the state C−St. CloudBetter than 23% of districts in the state
Health
A−MoorheadHealthier than 76% of U.S. towns B−St. CloudHealthier than 49% of U.S. towns
16Moorhead
7St. Cloud

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

Lowest obesityHealth · 273 towns #61#233 Fastest growingGrowth · 272 towns #38#165 Most trailsOutdoors · 223 towns #52#148 HealthiestHealth · 273 towns #125#231 Highest graduation rateSchools · 238 towns #144#235 Most activeHealth · 273 towns #99#198 Rent easiest to affordCost of living · 90 towns #65#35 Most educatedPeople · 275 towns #78#166

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

Monthly cost

A typical home costs $240 more a month in Moorhead

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.

Moorhead$1,810/mo
Typical home $289K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.25% · or rent about $1,033/mo · Housing →
St. Cloud$1,570/mo
Typical home $258K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.03% · or rent about $1,003/mo · Housing →

The difference: $240 a month, about $2,900 a year, between Moorhead and St. Cloud.

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
MoorheadSt. Cloud
Snow a year51″48″
January low0°F3°F
July high82°F82°F
Growing season (days)143d144d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)76th52nd
Outdoors & history
MoorheadSt. Cloud
Trails22 mi16 mi
Conserved land5.2%5.2%
Settled18711856
National Register places1214
Archive photos17—
Famous people born here32—
Community
MoorheadSt. Cloud
Library hours a week61 hrs57 hrs
Colleges in town23
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.

Where they are

154 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

MoorheadMNSt. CloudMN
Moorhead ↔ St. Cloud154 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.

MoorheadSt. Cloud
People
Population 45,036Lowest 70,629Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +16.9%Highest MN: +7.6% +4.6%Lowest MN: +7.6%
Median age 31.3±0.5Highest 19% below MN 30.6±0.7Lowest 21% below MN
Moorhead and St. Cloud are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 23%±1.2Highest MN: 22.9% 21.9%±1.3Lowest MN: 22.9%
Moorhead and St. Cloud are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 12.7%±1Lowest MN: 17.3% 13.3%±0.9Highest MN: 17.3%
St. Cloud and Moorhead are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 41.6%Highest MN: 39.4% 30.4%Lowest MN: 39.4%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 13.9%±1Highest MN: 5.8% 13.6%±1.1Lowest MN: 5.8%
Moorhead 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 $72,761±$6kHighest 18% below MN $61,374±$4kLowest 31% below MN
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $249,000±$8kHighest 24% below MN $225,000±$7kLowest 32% below MN
Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,033±$50Highest 19% below MN $1,003±$44Lowest 22% below MN
Moorhead and St. Cloud are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $3,104Highest 8% below MN $2,320Lowest 31% below MN
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 53.9%±5.2Highest MN: 48.1% 47.5%±4.7Lowest MN: 48.1%
Moorhead and St. Cloud are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 16.1%Lowest MN: 9.3% 20.2%Highest MN: 9.3%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 58.1%Highest MN: 72.2% 48.6%Lowest MN: 72.2%
Typical home builtmedian year 1983Highest 4 yrs newer than MN 1981Lowest 2 yrs newer than MN
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 18 minLowest 22% below MN 20 minHighest 13% below MN
Work from home 12.6%±1.6Highest MN: 17.6% 8.5%±1.2Lowest MN: 17.6%
Work in townworking residents 22%Lowest 44%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 3.8 miLowest 4.3 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.68Lowest 1.56Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Fargo (48%)Waite Park (8%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in St. CloudFew work in Moorhead
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 5.2% 5.2%
Trailsmapped miles 21.7 miHighest 16.4 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 1.0 miHighest 0.4 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 31Lowest 47Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 61.8Highest 53.4Lowest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #159 of 230 in MN#214 of 230 in MN
School district Moorhead Area Public SchoolsSTRIDE Academy · MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS
High school in town Moorhead High SchoolTechnical Senior High
Students per teacherat that high school 19.0Highest 17.9Lowest
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.

Moorhead neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Moorhead’s Town Square.

St. Cloud neighborsTown Square →
T Weaver · 1w

Life Along the Mississippi

1 neighbor in St. Cloud can answer.

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Bordering Moorhead

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Fargo, ND131,627 people · $282K homes
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Moorhead Township149 people · $407K homes
D
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Dilworth4,713 people · $262K homes
O
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Oakport Township448 people · $425K homes

Towns like Moorhead

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Winona26,009 people · $202K homes
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Duluth87,093 people · $243K homes
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Mankato45,473 people · $262K homes
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Burnsville64,463 people · $355K homes

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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