City profile · Minnesota · Census ACS 2023

St. Cloud, MN

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for St. Cloud - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

69,926
Residents
$61,112
Median income
$212,800
Median home
$1,206
Median rent (state)

St. Cloud - the verdict

Measured against every US city with at least 1,000 residents, St. Cloud lands in the 37th percentile for household income and the 12th percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

37th
percentile, household income
46th
percentile, home value
37th
percentile, median rent
12th
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. Cloud, MN

Minnesota's St. Cloud is a small city, with 69,926 residents per the latest Census Bureau ACS figures. St. Cloud households earn a median of $61,112 annually, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 11.9%. St. Cloud's housing stock carries a median value of $212,800, and the median resident age is 31.0 years. 29.4% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 63.3% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 288 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Building Boom), up 227% from five years earlier. St. Cloud's reported crime rate runs above the national norm: per-100,000 total crime stands at 3323.4 in FBI UCR data, above the national average (a voluntary reporting program, read this as reporting activity, not a definitive danger score).

Minnesota tracks close to the national cost-of-living baseline: BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 puts Minnesota at 98.6 on a 100-equals-national-average scale (Near Average). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $1,206 per month. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in Minnesota run around $225, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. On FEMA's National Risk Index, this area rates 51.3 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (Low).

Population

69,926 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Minnesota

Median Household Income

$61,112 /yr

Poverty 11.9%

Cost of Living Index (state)

98.6 (US=100)

Near Average - BEA RPP 2024, Minnesota average

How does St. Cloud compare to other US cities?

Here's how St. Cloud stacks up against the full field of US cities (population 1,000+), computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 37% higher than other cities
Home value 46% pricier than other cities
Median rent 37% pricier than other cities
Safety 12% 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. Cloud ranks #218 of 229 Minnesota cities by lowest crime rate, a different read than the national percentile above.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

For each metric we count every US city with population 1,000+ and a non-null value, then compute what share of them fall below St. Cloud's value: round(cities-below ÷ total × 100). Safety is inverted (percentile = share of cities with a higher crime rate) so a higher number always means safer. The in-state rank narrows that same crime-rate comparison to only the cities PlainCities tracks in Minnesota, breaking ties alphabetically. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.

37thIncome percentile
12thSafety percentile

37th percentile nationally for median household income · 12th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

St. Cloud's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

St. Cloud'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. 3-axis radar comparing 1 series across Income, Affordability, Safety. IncomeAffordabilitySafety 36 Avg. percentile National median
St. Cloud'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. Cloud's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$212,800 Among the most affordable more affordable than 54% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). This entry sits in this band. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Above this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. St. Cloud $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

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

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - St. Cloud, MN St. Cloud, MN's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not St. Cloud, MN-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution St. Cloud, MN median $61,112/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
St. Cloud, MN's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for St. Cloud, MN. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 29.4%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 11.9%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 63.3%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
69,926
Median Income
$61,112
Median Home Value
$212,800
Median Age
31.0
Poverty Rate
11.9%
Labor force participation
63.3%
Bachelor's Degree+
29.4%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
3323.4
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
408.4
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
2915.0
per 100,000 residents

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

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
69,000 residents70,000 residents71,000 residents72,000 residents73,000 residents 202020212022202320242025 69,612 residents 72,647 residents ▲ +4.4%
St. Cloud's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized

📈 Building Boom
Total Permits (2024)
288
housing units authorized
Single-Family
78
detached homes
Multifamily
210
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
4.1
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 88
2020 141
2021 128
2022 346
2023 237
2024 288

Permit volume increased 227% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
72.8%
Carpool
9.1%
Public Transit
2.5%
Walk
5.4%
Work from Home
7.7%
Other
2.5%

Based on 34,823 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for Minnesota - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$95
avg/month
Natural Gas
$85
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$45
avg/month
Total Utilities
$225
estimated/month

Estimates reflect Minnesota state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a Minnesota state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county St. Cloud sits in

Cost of Living Index
98.6
Near Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,206/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
51.3 / 100
Low
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Minnesota

Maple Grove
70,539 people
Blaine
71,261 people
Eagan
68,158 people
Lakeville
72,480 people
Burnsville
64,295 people
Coon Rapids
63,348 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to St. Cloud's 69,926 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

West Des Moines, IA
69,893 people
Lakewood, NJ
69,884 people
Tulare, CA
69,984 people
Redondo Beach, CA
69,814 people
Walnut Creek, CA
69,790 people
Guaynabo zona urbana, PR
70,087 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to St. Cloud's $61,112 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Pine Island Center, FL
$61,111 median income
Spring Bay, IL
$61,111 median income
Thornton, IL
$61,111 median income
Otis, KS
$61,111 median income
Baileyton, AL
$61,110 median income
Kingsford, MI
$61,108 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - St. Cloud, MN Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition St. Cloud, MN - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 68.3% 17.4% 7.2% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 5.5% White 68.3% Black or African American 17.4% Asian 4.3% American Indian 0.6% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 2.2% Two or more races 7.2% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How St. Cloud compares to nearby Minnesota cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
St. Cloud (this city) 69,926 $61,112
Maple Grove 70,539 $129,481
Blaine 71,261 $103,382
Eagan 68,158 $107,486
Census ACS 5-year FIPS MN FBI UCR Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about St. Cloud, MN?

What is the population of St. Cloud, MN? +

St. Cloud, MN counts 69,926 residents according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in St. Cloud, MN? +

The median household income in St. Cloud is $61,112 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in St. Cloud? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for St. Cloud; the closest available measure is the Minnesota state average, a cost of living index of 98.6 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Near Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within Minnesota vary by metro area.

Is St. Cloud, MN safe? +

St. Cloud has a total crime rate of 3323.4 per 100,000 residents, which is above the national average. This reflects incidents reported to the FBI UCR program, not a definitive safety score -- agency reporting is voluntary and completeness varies by jurisdiction.

What is the median home value in St. Cloud, MN? +

St. Cloud's median home value sits at $212,800, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

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.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities Editorial

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Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.