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Is New Ulm, MN a Good Place to Live?
New Ulm is a small city of 14,055 in Minnesota, with a median household income of $59,985 and a 2.8% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 95 (US average = 100), which is 5% below the national average.
Strengths: New Ulm stands out for an affordable cost of living, below-average home prices, lower-than-average crime, solid school ratings (B-), short average commutes.
Trade-offs: No major red flags stand out in the available data. Whether New Ulm is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All New Ulm 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: 95.1New Ulm's overall cost of living index is 95.1, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in New Ulm costs roughly 5% less than the average American city.
| Metric | New Ulm, MN | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $170,200 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $883 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 73.4% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $59,985 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Very SafeNew Ulm's violent crime rate is 72.2 per 100,000 residents — 81% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
New Ulm is served primarily by RIVER BEND EDUCATION DISTRICT. The student-to-teacher ratio is 7.2:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | New Ulm, MN | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | RIVER BEND EDUCATION DISTRICT | — |
| Elementary Schools | N/A | — |
| Middle Schools | N/A | — |
| High Schools | 4 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 7.2:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 27.9% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 92.0% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
New Ulm sees average highs of 23.5°F in January and 82.2°F in July, with 32.9 inches of annual precipitation and 38.3 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | New Ulm, MN |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 23.5°F |
| Average High — July | 82.2°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 32.9" |
| Annual Snowfall | 38.3" |
Demographics
| Metric | New Ulm, MN | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 14,055 | — |
| Median Age | 38.9 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 2.8% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 13.3 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 94.3% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 1.4% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 1.8% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 0.9% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 21.7% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 20.5% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in New Ulm
New Ulm, MN is covered by 1 ZIP code: