Great Eight: St. Michael Among State's Top Places to Live

When it comes to the best places in Minnesota, there are few communities as good as St. Michael.

That’s according to a list from Movoto Real Estate—a San Mateo, CA-based online real estate brokerage. The company examined the state’s 100 biggest cities—from 9,400-person Waseca all the way up to Minneapolis. It graded each of them on seven criteria:

• Unemployment rate
• Cost of living
• Crime rate
• High school graduation rate
• Median household income
• Median home price
• Median rent price

St. Michael placed eighth on Movoto’s list. The company wrote:

With a median household income of $86,427, a median rent price of $1,047, and an unemployment rate of just 4.8 percent, it’s no wonder St. Michael made it into our top 10. This city also has a cost of living of just 106, and while that isn’t as low as, say, Moorhead’s (86), it is only 2 percent higher than the state’s average, making St. Michael the least expensive city in our top 10.

Located in Wright County between St. Cloud and Minneapolis, this city is ideally placed for many of Minnesota’s northern recreational areas and access to the Twin Cities, but with the added bonus of a rural and small town feel.

Chanhassen topped the list, followed by Lakeville. Maple Grove tied Plymouth for third.

Click here to see the full list.