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Place dossier plate
SheetMN-ST-CHARLES-MN · St. Charles, MN 4,021 pop · income 76th pct
Instrument codes from this place’s ACS population and household income, BEA state COL, FBI safety, national income percentile, photo-finish peer city, home-value band, and matched Census-tract book - not a moving recommendation.
Income neighbourhood around St. Charles
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest St. Charles on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Coquille · lowest
49,276
Coquille · lowest
49,276 median HH income
33.9% of the leader · rank #1
Lake Elsinore · near
96,527
Lake Elsinore · near
96,527 median HH income
66.4% of the leader · rank #2
Hazardville · near
96,531
Hazardville · near
96,531 median HH income
66.4% of the leader · rank #3
Brewster Hill · near
96,540
Brewster Hill · near
96,540 median HH income
66.4% of the leader · rank #4
Potlicker Fla… · near
96,542
Potlicker Fla… · near
96,542 median HH income
66.4% of the leader · rank #5
St. Charles · this city
96,544
St. Charles · this city
96,544 median HH income
66.4% of the leader · rank #6
Grant · highest
145,357
Grant · highest
145,357 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #7
What this shows Neighbourhood peers only - not a full nationwide city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the spread is wide.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by population, income, and FBI crime rate
Out-of-state nearest neighbors for St. Charles on ACS population and median household income
, plus FBI UCR reporting rate when the extract covers this place. Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not a forecast that peers share a labor market or climate.
Similar population
Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS population. This city: 4,021.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
St. Charles - the verdict
Out of every US city with 1,000+ residents, St. Charles places in the 76th percentile for household income and the 62nd percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.
76th
percentile, household income
51st
percentile, home value
36th
percentile, median rent
62nd
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this
Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.
Data Snapshot: St. Charles, MN
Minnesota's St. Charles is a small town, with 4,021 residents per the latest Census Bureau ACS figures. St. Charles households earn a median of $96,544 annually, placing it in the top quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 0.8%. Typical homes in St. Charles are valued around $231,300, and the median resident age is 39.1 years. 35.3% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 71.9% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 5 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Construction Slowdown), down 50% from five years earlier. St. Charles reports a comparatively low crime rate: the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program logs 1039.1 total incidents per 100,000 residents here, below the national average (agency reporting is voluntary, so this measures reporting activity, not a definitive danger score).
Minnesota tracks close to the national cost-of-living baseline: on BEA's 100-equals-national-average cost index, Minnesota scores 98.6 (Near Average), per the 2024 Regional Price Parities release. A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $1,125 per month statewide. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts Minnesota's average monthly utility costs around $225 (state average). Commute times here average 20.6 minutes, with 78.4% driving alone and 13.8% working from home, per Census ACS commuting data. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 42.4 out of 100 (Low).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of St. Charles's data
How this reading path is ordered
This is not a composite city score. It is a city-specific route through the available public records, ordered for this profile so the page starts with questions the joined data can actually answer. The route here runs from work and mobility to comparison shortlist to reported crime to population change to housing and income; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For St. Charles, city-specific coverage includes annual population history, local building permits, commute-mode shares, FBI reported-crime rates.
No matched row is reported here for matched public-school count, within-city Census tract profiles; the page leaves those layers out instead of substituting a statewide or national value.
1. Work and mobility
What does the journey to work look like in St. Charles?
Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. No single mode completely explains the work trip here. The mix is more useful than a one-number commute grade, especially when comparing places where transit, walking, and remote work divide the non-driving share differently.
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 78.4%. The reported mean trip to work is 20.6 minutes.
Which cities make useful reference points for St. Charles?
Within Minnesota, the closest population matches are Scandia (3,966 residents, $100,179 income); Grant (3,959 residents, $145,357 income); Bayport (3,948 residents, $115,781 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are South Eliot, ME (4,021 residents); Dillon, MT (4,020 residents); Bardonia, NY (4,022 residents). A third, income-matched reference set of 6 out-of-state cities sits in the income neighbourhood chart near the Place Dossier plate. These are mechanical peer sets, not claims that the places share a labor market, climate, culture, or metro context.
Use the in-state set to hold state policy and broad price conditions more nearly constant. Use the nationwide size set to ask whether cities with a similar resident count produce different housing, income, or commute outcomes. The income set is a third lens, deliberately separate from population matching. The nationwide peer panel below adds a fourth FBI UCR reporting-rate lens, not personal risk.
What can the FBI record say about safety in St. Charles?
Treat this as a reporting-rate comparison, not a prediction of personal risk or a neighborhood-level safety grade. Tourism, daytime population, reporting practices, and variation inside the city are not adjusted away. The state rank and same-state peer table are the narrower comparisons available on this page.
The joined FBI UCR record reports 1039.1 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, below the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 54% lower in arithmetic terms, but agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies.
Is St. Charles growing, shrinking, or holding steady?
Recent estimates point upward. Growth can increase housing demand and service needs, but the permit record must move in the same direction before calling it a supply response; the two series measure different things.
Census PEP estimates show the population grew by +60 residents from 2020 to 2025, a +1.5% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 5 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.
These joined records add useful context, but they do not need another full-size panel. Each remains a separate measure with its own geography and source boundary.
Housing and income
How far does income reach against housing in St. Charles?
The home-value-to-income reference is relatively compact: the ACS median home value is 2.4 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 0.8%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
This is a citywide price-to-income reference, not a mortgage-affordability test; it does not include interest rates, taxes, insurance, household size, or an individual buyer's down payment. The ratio makes housing the clearest place to start this profile, but a low multiple can coexist with slow demand, older stock, or household-level hardship. Compare the home-value distribution and same-state peer table before treating it as an advantage.
Household income
$96,544
Home value
$231,300
Value / income
2.4×
City-level Census ACS 2023 medians. The ratio divides two separate medians and is descriptive only.
Above-average cost · BEA RPP 2024, Minnesota average
B
City profile score · St. Charles, MN
74/100
5 published dimensions · ACS/FBI 2023
Comparative score against U.S. cities with population of 1,000 or more on Census ACS medians
(income, poverty, bachelor's share, cost of living) and FBI UCR violent-crime rates when
published. Higher means a stronger standing on those published figures, not a livability
rating, not a recommendation to move, buy, or pick a "best" city. Missing inputs drop out
and redistribute weight.
How it is calculated.
Poverty rate A+
0.8%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Violent crime A-
50 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger on this axis.
Household income B+
$96,544
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Bachelor's+ share B-
35.3%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Cost of living D
98.6 index
BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.
St. Charles profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Poverty rate: 94/100 (A+) · 0.8%
Violent crime: 84/100 (A-) · 50 /100k
Household income: 75/100 (B+) · $96,544
Bachelor's+ share: 67/100 (B-) · 35.3%
Cost of living: 46/100 (D) · 98.6 index
Where St. Charles sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
St. Charles's median home value and FBI crime rate plotted with similar-size and
same-state peers (padded with large cities when the peer set is thin). The second
read: pricey does not always mean safer, check which quadrant this city lands in.
Census ACS median home value vs FBI UCR crime rate - St. Charles highlighted among 26 peers.Read the chart values
St. Charles, MN (this city): home $231,300, crime 1,039/100k
Dillon, MT : home $237,500, crime 771/100k
Huntington, TX : home $102,000, crime 434/100k
Coquille, OR : home $249,200, crime 1,180/100k
Bayport, MN : home $363,200, crime 431/100k
Goodview, MN : home $215,200, crime 25/100k
New York, NY : home $751,700, crime 3,039/100k
Los Angeles, CA : home $879,500, crime 2,212/100k
Chicago, IL : home $315,200, crime 4,012/100k
Houston, TX : home $253,400, crime 5,442/100k
Phoenix, AZ : home $381,900, crime 3,125/100k
Philadelphia, PA : home $232,400, crime 5,457/100k
San Antonio, TX : home $219,700, crime 5,218/100k
San Diego, CA : home $848,500, crime 2,082/100k
Dallas, TX : home $295,300, crime 4,010/100k
San Jose, CA : home $1,187,800, crime 3,195/100k
Austin, TX : home $512,700, crime 3,709/100k
Fort Worth, TX : home $277,300, crime 3,158/100k
Columbus, OH : home $234,500, crime 3,088/100k
Indianapolis, IN : home $207,000, crime 4,214/100k
San Francisco, CA : home $1,380,500, crime 4,526/100k
Seattle, WA : home $912,100, crime 5,783/100k
Denver, CO : home $586,700, crime 5,755/100k
Oklahoma City, OK : home $215,100, crime 3,570/100k
El Paso, TX : home $171,700, crime 1,772/100k
Washington, DC : home $724,600, crime 4,514/100k
How does St. Charles compare to other US cities?
Where St. Charles sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.
Household income76% higher than other cities
Home value51% pricier than other cities
Median rent36% pricier than other cities
Safety62% safer than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
Zoom in to just Minnesota and the picture shifts: St. Charles ranks #123 of 229 Minnesota cities by lowest crime rate, a different read than the national percentile above.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares St. Charles against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Minnesota only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.
Minnesota-relative analysis
Median Gross Rent places St. Charles near the bottom of Minnesota's cities
Among the 785 Minnesota cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, St. Charles ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares St. Charles only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#144 of 775
81st percentile in Minnesota
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 785
0th percentile in Minnesota
Median Home Value
#252 of 774
67th percentile in Minnesota
Poverty Rate
#681 of 785
13th percentile in Minnesota
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#152 of 784
81st percentile in Minnesota
How in-state ranks are ordered
Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within Minnesota only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.
Gauge source note
76th percentile nationally for median household income · 62nd percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
St. Charles's profile vs. every US city
Income, affordability, and safety percentile
St. Charles's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.
How St. Charles's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$231,30049th percentilemore affordable than 49% of 15,600 US cities
Show national distribution
Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023
St. Charles's home-value-to-income ratio: 2.4×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
affordable
< 3.0×
National rank
#3,462 of 15,516
More affordable than 78% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#3,157 of 11,323
Micro cities (under 10,000)
At 2.4×, St. Charles sits in the affordable band:
national rank #3,462 of 15,516 and #3,157 of 11,323micro cities (under 10,000).
The multiple is comparatively compact among tracked cities, but a low ratio can still coexist with slow demand or household-level hardship.
How this ratio is calculated
Ratio = Census ACS 2023 median home value ÷ median household income for cities with both fields and population ≥ 1,000.
Rank 1 = lowest ratio (most compact). Bands match the fleet affordability thresholds used on guides (<3.0 / 3.0–5.0 / >5.0).
This is not a mortgage payment estimate and does not include rates, taxes, insurance, or down payment.
Income distribution context
$96,544St. Charles, MN median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context St. Charles, MN median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for St. Charles, MN.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)35.3%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)0.8%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)71.9%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
4,021
Median Income
$96,544
Median Home Value
$231,300
Median Age
39.1
Poverty Rate
0.8%
Labor force participation
71.9%
Bachelor's Degree+
35.3%
Safety & Crime
Total Crime Rate
1039.1
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
49.5
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
989.6
per 100,000 residents
Crime reporting caveat
Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
St. Charles's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
4,030 residents
2021
4,051 residents
2022
4,031 residents
2023
4,054 residents
2024
4,070 residents
2025
4,090 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
📉 Construction Slowdown
Total Permits (2024)
5
housing units authorized
Single-Family
5
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
1.2
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
10
10
0
$3.0M
2020
10
10
0
$2.6M
2021
10
10
0
$1.9M
2022
13
13
0
$3.0M
2023
7
7
0
$1.3M
2024
5
5
0
$1.8M
Permit volume decreased 50% from 2019 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Average Commute Time
20.6 minutes
Drive Alone
78.4%
Carpool
5.3%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
2.5%
Work from Home
13.8%
Based on 2,293 workers 16 and over.
Monthly Utility Costs
Minnesota statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $225
EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across Minnesota at $225 (electricity about $95 , water and sewer about $45 ).
These are Minnesota statewide averages, not a meter reading for St. Charles. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.
Living Costs & Risk
Minnesota's BEA cost-of-living index is 98.6 (Near Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around St. Charles is $1,125/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to Minnesota statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 42.4 / 100 (Low).
Cost/risk geography note
Cost of living is a Minnesota statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county St. Charles sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How St. Charles compares to similar-size Minnesota cities
Same-state peer method
Closest same-state population matches, not geographic neighbors. Population + median household income come from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 and B19013.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.