Is Red Wing, MN a Good Place to Live?
Red Wing is a small city of 16,627 in Minnesota, with a median household income of $65,107 and a 5.2% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 96 (US average = 100), which is 4% below the national average.
Strengths: Red Wing 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: Potential downsides include an elevated unemployment rate. Whether Red Wing is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Red Wing 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: 96.5Red Wing's overall cost of living index is 96.5, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Red Wing costs roughly 4% less than the average American city.
| Metric | Red Wing, MN | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $212,700 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $910 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 71.1% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $65,107 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Safer than AverageRed Wing's violent crime rate is 202.2 per 100,000 residents — 47% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Red Wing is served primarily by Goodhue County Education District. The student-to-teacher ratio is 7.0:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Red Wing, MN | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Goodhue County Education District | — |
| Elementary Schools | 2 | — |
| Middle Schools | 1 | — |
| High Schools | 9 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 7.0:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 27.4% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 92.7% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Red Wing sees average highs of 23.3°F in January and 82.4°F in July, with 32.4 inches of annual precipitation and 44.1 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Red Wing, MN |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 23.3°F |
| Average High — July | 82.4°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 32.4" |
| Annual Snowfall | 44.1" |
Demographics
| Metric | Red Wing, MN | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 16,627 | — |
| Median Age | 42.4 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 5.2% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 21.1 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 88.3% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 3.1% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 4.0% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 0.8% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 20.7% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 20.9% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Red Wing
Red Wing, MN is covered by 2 ZIP codes: