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St. Cloud vs Moorhead

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

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

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

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

Left end = #1 in Minnesota. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of St. Cloud’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.

St. Cloud$1,570/mo
Typical home $258K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.03% · or rent about $1,003/mo · Housing →
Moorhead$1,810/mo
Typical home $289K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.25% · or rent about $1,033/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
St. CloudMoorhead
Snow a year48″51″
January low3°F0°F
July high82°F82°F
Growing season (days)144d143d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)52nd76th
Outdoors & history
St. CloudMoorhead
Trails16 mi22 mi
Conserved land5.2%5.2%
Settled18561871
National Register places1412
Archive photos—17
Famous people born here—32
Community
St. CloudMoorhead
Library hours a week57 hrs61 hrs
Colleges in town32
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined10

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.

St. CloudMNMoorheadMN
St. Cloud ↔ Moorhead154 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.

St. CloudMoorhead
People
Population 70,629Highest 45,036Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +4.6%Lowest MN: +7.6% +16.9%Highest MN: +7.6%
Median age 30.6±0.7Lowest 21% below MN 31.3±0.5Highest 19% 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 21.9%±1.3Lowest MN: 22.9% 23%±1.2Highest 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+ 13.3%±0.9Highest MN: 17.3% 12.7%±1Lowest 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+ 30.4%Lowest MN: 39.4% 41.6%Highest MN: 39.4%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 13.6%±1.1Lowest MN: 5.8% 13.9%±1Highest 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 $61,374±$4kLowest 31% below MN $72,761±$6kHighest 18% below MN
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $225,000±$7kLowest 32% below MN $249,000±$8kHighest 24% below MN
Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,003±$44Lowest 22% below MN $1,033±$50Highest 19% 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 $2,320Lowest 31% below MN $3,104Highest 8% below MN
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 47.5%±4.7Lowest MN: 48.1% 53.9%±5.2Highest 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 20.2%Highest MN: 9.3% 16.1%Lowest MN: 9.3%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 48.6%Lowest MN: 72.2% 58.1%Highest MN: 72.2%
Typical home builtmedian year 1981Lowest 2 yrs newer than MN 1983Highest 4 yrs newer than MN
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 20 minHighest 13% below MN 18 minLowest 22% below MN
Work from home 8.5%±1.2Lowest MN: 17.6% 12.6%±1.6Highest MN: 17.6%
Work in townworking residents 44%Highest 22%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 4.3 miHighest 3.8 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.56Highest 0.68Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Waite Park (8%)Fargo (48%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in MoorheadFew work in St. Cloud
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 5.2% 5.2%
Trailsmapped miles 16.4 miLowest 21.7 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.4 miLowest 1.0 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 47Highest 31Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 53.4Lowest 61.8Highest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #214 of 230 in MN#159 of 230 in MN
School district STRIDE Academy · MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONSMoorhead Area Public Schools
High school in town Technical Senior HighMoorhead High School
Students per teacherat that high school 17.9Lowest 19.0Highest
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.

St. Cloud neighborsTown Square →
T Weaver · 1w

Life Along the Mississippi

1 neighbor in St. Cloud can answer.

Moorhead neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Moorhead’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside St. Cloud and Moorhead

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Bordering St. Cloud

M
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Minden Township1,428 people · $297K homes
H
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Haven Township2,164 people · $347K homes
W
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Waite Park8,399 people · $219K homes
L
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Le Sauk Township1,446 people · $296K homes

Towns like St. Cloud

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Mankato45,473 people · $262K homes
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Duluth87,093 people · $243K homes
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Brooklyn Center32,479 people · $274K homes
F
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Fridley30,241 people · $303K 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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