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Is Sauk Rapids, MN a Good Place to Live?
Sauk Rapids is a small city of 13,830 in Minnesota, with a median household income of $66,442 and a 2.9% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 89 (US average = 100), which is 11% below the national average.
Strengths: Sauk Rapids 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 Sauk Rapids is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Sauk Rapids 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: 89.3Sauk Rapids's overall cost of living index is 89.3, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Sauk Rapids costs roughly 11% less than the average American city.
| Metric | Sauk Rapids, MN | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $225,600 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $927 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 62.1% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $66,442 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Very SafeSauk Rapids's violent crime rate is 87.4 per 100,000 residents — 77% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Sauk Rapids is served primarily by Sauk Rapids-Rice Public Schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 15.9:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Sauk Rapids, MN | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Sauk Rapids-Rice Public Schools | — |
| Elementary Schools | 3 | — |
| Middle Schools | 1 | — |
| High Schools | 2 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 15.9:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 28.5% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 94.4% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Sauk Rapids sees average highs of 20.7°F in January and 81.6°F in July, with 30.3 inches of annual precipitation and 47.9 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Sauk Rapids, MN |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 20.7°F |
| Average High — July | 81.6°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 30.3" |
| Annual Snowfall | 47.9" |
Demographics
| Metric | Sauk Rapids, MN | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 13,830 | — |
| Median Age | 34.5 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 2.9% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 19.9 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 90.6% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 1.3% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 3.9% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 1.1% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 27.7% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 13.2% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Sauk Rapids
Sauk Rapids, MN is covered by 1 ZIP code: