Garden City is a small town of 221 in Minnesota, with a median household income of $74,063
and a 7.5% unemployment rate.
Its cost of living index is 88 (US average = 100), which is
12% below the national average.
Strengths:
Garden City stands out for an affordable cost of living, below-average home prices, short average commutes.
Trade-offs:
Potential downsides include an elevated unemployment rate. Whether Garden City is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Garden City 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: 87.6
Garden City's overall cost of living index is 87.6,
where 100 represents the US national average.
Living in Garden City costs roughly 12% less than the average American city.
Metric
Garden City, MN
National Avg
Median Home Value
$136,500
$244,900
Median Monthly Rent
N/A
$1,163
Homeownership Rate
93.3%
65.9%
Median Household Income
$74,063
$74,755
Crime & Safety
Safer than Average
Garden City's violent crime rate is 211.4 per 100,000 residents
— 44% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Violent Crime
211.4 /100k
Property Crime
1960.0 /100k
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Metric
Garden City, MN
National Avg
School District
N/A
—
Elementary Schools
N/A
—
Middle Schools
N/A
—
High Schools
N/A
—
Student/Teacher Ratio
N/A
16:1
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
14.0%
35.4%
High School Diploma or Higher
95.9%
91.1%
Weather & Climate
Garden City sees average highs of 23.7°F in January
and 81.9°F in July,
with 33.9 inches of annual precipitation
and 38.7 inches of snow per year.
Garden City's cost of living index is 88, where 100 is the national average.
That makes Garden City roughly 12% less expensive than a typical US city — a meaningful affordability advantage.
The median home price is $136,500 and median rent is N/A/month.
Garden City's violent crime rate is 211.4 per 100,000 residents — the national average is ~380 per 100,000. Property crime is 1960.0 per 100,000 (national avg ~2,100). Data from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program.
School district information is sourced from NCES Common Core of Data.
Garden City, MN has a population of 221, a median household income of $74,063, and an unemployment rate of 7.5%.
It offers below-average costs of living, which stretches take-home pay further than in most American cities. Whether it's right for you depends on your priorities — use the compare tool above to stack it against another city you're considering.
Garden City averages 23.7°F in January and 81.9°F in July. Annual rainfall is 33.9 inches
with about 38.7 inches of snow per year.
Based on NOAA 30-year climate normals (1991–2020).
Garden City, MN is covered by 1 ZIP code: 56034.
The population of Garden City, Minnesota is 221 with a median age of 44.3. Source: US Census ACS 5-Year Estimates.
Key numbers for living in Garden City: cost of living index 88 (100 = US average), median home $136,500, median household income $74,063, crime index 71 (100 = US average, lower is safer). Whether these are benefits or drawbacks depends on where you're coming from — compare Garden City side by side with your current city to see the trade-offs.
