Cost of living in St. Cloud research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means St. Cloud is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Minnesota, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in St. Cloud is 98, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in St. Cloud is 1.0x lower than the national average.
St. Cloud ranks as the #32 cheapest in Minnesota out of 148.
St. Cloud ranks as the #2,372 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in St. Cloud is $256,352.
The median income in St. Cloud is $61,112.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, St. Cloud has an overall cost of living index of 98, which is 1.0x lower than the national index of 100.
Compared to Minnesota, St. Cloud has a cost of living index that's 1.0x lower than Minnesota's index of 100.
The standard of living in St. Cloud ranks as #32 most affordable out of the 148 places we measured in Minnesota. By definition, that implies St. Cloud ranks as the #116 most expensive place in the North Star State.
For more reading on life in St. Cloud, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in St. Cloud. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in St. Cloud is 109.
The Groceries index in St. Cloud is 98.
The Health index in St. Cloud is 125.
The Housing index in St. Cloud is 87.
The Transportation index in St. Cloud is 98.
The Utilities index in St. Cloud is 95.
| Living Expense | St. Cloud | Minnesota | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 98 | 100 | 100 | |
| Services | 109 | 101 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 98 | 99 | 100 | |
| Health | 125 | 111 | 100 | |
| Housing | 87 | 102 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 98 | 97 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 95 | 95 | 100 | |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Minnesota, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2019-2023. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in St. Cloud is $256,352.
The Median Rent in St. Cloud is $1,005.
The Median Income in St. Cloud is $61,112.
The Home Value To Income in St. Cloud is 4.2x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in St. Cloud is 0.2x.
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around St. Cloud. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Plymouth, MN has a cost of living index of 124, 1.3x St. Cloud.
Maple Grove, MN has a cost of living index of 118, 1.2x St. Cloud.
Andover, MN has a cost of living index of 119, 1.2x St. Cloud.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. St. Cloud |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plymouth, MN | 79,526 | 124 | 1.3x |
| Maple Grove, MN | 70,539 | 118 | 1.2x |
| Andover, MN | 32,825 | 119 | 1.2x |
| Champlin, MN | 23,450 | 110 | 1.1x |
| Sartell, MN | 19,620 | 108 | 1.1x |
| Sauk Rapids, MN | 13,851 | 101 | 1.0x |
| Rogers, MN | 13,405 | 122 | 1.2x |
| Mound, MN | 9,176 | 105 | 1.1x |
| Minnetrista, MN | 8,509 | 141 | 1.4x |
| Waite Park, MN | 8,341 | 100 | 1.0x |