Should I Move To
Mankato, Minnesota comes in at about 44,444 residents. Cost of living comes out affordable — 13% below the national average. Rent typically lands near $1,023/mo, and the median household income is about $61,726. Overall, 50/100 on our composite score, which works out to a D, putting it at #516 nationally.
UrbRank Score · General
Each dimension scored 0-100 against every other US city.
Based on overall cost of living vs. other US cities.
Temperate summers & winters, moderate precipitation.
Walk Score — how feasible daily errands are on foot.
Unemployment rate plus household income vs. national median.
Share of residents 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
Cost-of-living index of 87 (with 100 as the US baseline) — that's affordable territory. With median rent at $1,023/mo and median household income at $61,726, housing takes about 20% of gross income — comfortably under the 30% rule of thumb, which is unusual. Homes typically value around $236,200.
Full cost-of-living breakdown →Expect cold-winter weather — summers near 81°F, winters around 12°F. Rain (and snow, in some seasons) totals about 32 inches annually. Walkability varies a lot by neighborhood — denser pockets work fine on foot, the rest leans on driving. AQI runs about 37 — a "good" reading.
Verdict by lifestyle profile — same data, different priorities.
On the families profile, Mankato sits squarely in the middle. The profile-weighted score is 57/100 — a C. Its standout dimension is affordability (86/100); the soft spot is climate (3/100).
Mankato is a tougher sell for retirees. The profile-weighted score is 50/100 — a C-. Its standout dimension is affordability (86/100); the soft spot is climate (3/100).
On the remote workers profile, Mankato sits squarely in the middle. The profile-weighted score is 58/100 — a C. Its standout dimension is affordability (86/100); the soft spot is climate (3/100).
Mankato is a tougher sell for young professionals. The profile-weighted score is 52/100 — a C-. Its standout dimension is affordability (86/100); the soft spot is climate (3/100).
Our overall score for Mankato is 50/100 — a D, sitting at #516 in the national ranking. It's a weighted average across the seven UrbRank dimensions.
By the composite index, Mankato sits at 87 — affordable, 13% below the national average. Median renter pays around $1,023 a month.
Mankato runs cold-winter on the weather. Summer's near 81°F, winter's near 12°F; 32 inches of precipitation annually.
Walk Score: 65/100. Walkability varies a lot by neighborhood — denser pockets work fine on foot, the rest leans on driving.
Roughly 44,444 people live here, with 38% college-educated (bachelor's or higher) among adults 25+ with a median age of 27.
Drop Mankato into the comparison tool with any other US city and you'll get housing costs, salaries, demographics, and quality-of-life data lined up side by side. Profile-specific leaderboards (families, retirees, remote workers, young professionals) are linked from the navigation.
Every US city is scored 0-100 on seven dimensions using public data from the US Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, FBI Crime Data Explorer, EPA Air Quality System, NOAA NCEI, and Walk Score. Each dimension is a percentile rank against every other city — so a score of 80 means the city is in the top 20% nationally on that dimension.
The overall score is a weighted average. Five lifestyle profiles — general, families, retirees, remote workers, young professionals — weight the dimensions differently to reflect what each cares about. Families get more weight on safety and schools; young professionals get more weight on jobs and walkability; retirees get more weight on climate.
Compare Mankato with other Minnesota cities scored on UrbRank.
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