Is Belle Plaine, MN a Good Place to Live?
Belle Plaine is a small town of 7,363 in Minnesota, with a median household income of $94,698 and a 0.7% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 104 (US average = 100), which is 4% above the national average.
Strengths: Belle Plaine stands out for lower-than-average crime, solid school ratings (B-).
Trade-offs: No major red flags stand out in the available data. Whether Belle Plaine is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Belle Plaine city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.
Cost of Living
Index: 104.5Belle Plaine's overall cost of living index is 104.5, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Belle Plaine costs roughly 4% more than the average American city.
| Metric | Belle Plaine, MN | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $274,700 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,256 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 85.3% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $94,698 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Very SafeBelle Plaine's violent crime rate is 134.5 per 100,000 residents — 65% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Belle Plaine is served primarily by BELLE PLAINE PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT. The student-to-teacher ratio is 17.1:1 (slightly above the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Belle Plaine, MN | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | BELLE PLAINE PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT | — |
| Elementary Schools | 2 | — |
| Middle Schools | 1 | — |
| High Schools | 2 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 17.1:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 26.9% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 89.0% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Belle Plaine sees average highs of 21.9°F in January and 80.7°F in July, with 33.3 inches of annual precipitation and 39.8 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Belle Plaine, MN |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 21.9°F |
| Average High — July | 80.7°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 33.3" |
| Annual Snowfall | 39.8" |
Demographics
| Metric | Belle Plaine, MN | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 7,363 | — |
| Median Age | 38.5 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 0.7% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 26.5 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 92.5% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 3.6% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 2.2% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 0.3% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 27.7% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 17.3% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Belle Plaine
Belle Plaine, MN is covered by 1 ZIP code: