Is New Brighton, MN a Good Place to Live?
New Brighton is a small city of 23,141 in Minnesota, with a median household income of $84,707 and a 2.3% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 104 (US average = 100), which is 4% above the national average.
Strengths: New Brighton stands out for lower-than-average crime, solid school ratings (A-), a well-educated population, short average commutes.
Trade-offs: No major red flags stand out in the available data. Whether New Brighton is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All New Brighton 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: 104.5New Brighton's overall cost of living index is 104.5, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in New Brighton costs roughly 4% more than the average American city.
| Metric | New Brighton, MN | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $333,300 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,245 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 62.7% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $84,707 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Very SafeNew Brighton's violent crime rate is 90.8 per 100,000 residents — 76% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
New Brighton is served primarily by Mounds View Public School District. The student-to-teacher ratio is 16.2:1 (slightly above the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | New Brighton, MN | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Mounds View Public School District | — |
| Elementary Schools | 9 | — |
| Middle Schools | 3 | — |
| High Schools | 10 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 16.2:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 48.8% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 95.4% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
New Brighton sees average highs of 21.2°F in January and 81.4°F in July, with 33.0 inches of annual precipitation and 40.4 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | New Brighton, MN |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 21.2°F |
| Average High — July | 81.4°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 33.0" |
| Annual Snowfall | 40.4" |
Demographics
| Metric | New Brighton, MN | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 23,141 | — |
| Median Age | 37.2 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 2.3% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 20.9 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 67.6% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 16.1% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 6.0% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 6.6% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 24.8% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 16.9% | 16.8% |