CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

43.83° N · 91.30° W · GEOID 2733866

La Crescent

Houston County, Minnesota · part of the La Crosse, WI metro

MinnesotaLa Crescent, MNLa CrescentLa Crescent

The short answer

La Crescent is home to 5,251 people. Median household income is $85,368 a year and median rent is $889 a month, 12.5% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is lighter than in most places. The median home is valued at $272,400, about 3.2x annual median household income.

La Crescent's safety figures stand out. The city police department reported 0 violent offenses per 100,000 residents, fewer than in 98% of places its size. It is the lowest of 122 Minnesota places we track. Also notable: OpenStreetMap shows 49.5 parks per 10,000 residents, more than in 98% of places its size.

#7OF 6,612

CTXCitytistics Index

Exceptional

La Crescent ranks 7th of the 6,612 places we rate, in the top 1%, and 1st of 151 in Minnesota.

How the CTX is built

Category ratings · 0 to 100, typical place 50

Affordability 20%83
Economy 20%77
Safety 20%97
Amenities 15%82
Education 10%66
Commute 10%91
Growth 5%37
Median gross rent
$889
35% below the median place
Median household income
$85,368
6% above the median place
Median home value
$272,400
15% below the median place
Unemployment
1.6%
68% below the median place

Compared with the median of the 6,645 places we track. The bundle was checked 2026-11-14; each measure may refer to an older release.

01

Moving to La Crescent

Houston County loses about 0.1 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in708
Moved out709
Net−1

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Fillmore County, MN4133+8

Within Minnesota, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within MinnesotaOther states

Income per tax return

Arrivals$63K
Leavers$59K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of Houston County; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here
8.5% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 3.4% from another state.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Houston County report $62,800 a year in income on average; those leaving, $59,000, so newcomers earn more than leavers.
Income you would need
$35,600 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $889 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $1,828 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $272,400.
Getting to work
18 minutes each way on average; 15.3% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
Canfield, OH matches it on character for less of your income. Compare the two
Moved from another state1
3.4%
73% above the median place
Moved here in the past year1
8.5%
48% above the median place
Income of households moving out8
$59,013
16% below the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasureLa CrescentAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year18.5%48% above
Moved from another state13.4%73% above
Net movers per 1,000 people8County figure-0.183% above
Income of households moving in8County figure$62,82411% below
Income of households moving out8County figure$59,01316% below
02

What it costs to live here

The median rent takes 12.5% of the median household's income, a smaller share than in 94% of the 2,480 places under 10,000 people we track.

La Crescent12.5%
Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent
$35,560
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
12.5%
39% below the median place
Home price to income
3.2x
16% below the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
13%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$77,100
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in La Crescent, $889 a month, and local prices for everything else (96.4 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like La Crescent, but easier on the budget

Places that match La Crescent on character (size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, remote work and climate) but where rent takes a clearly smaller share of income. Cost was left out of the match on purpose.

PlaceMatchRent to incomeMore left a year
Canfield, OH909.7% vs 12.5%$15,700Compare
Chesterland, OH909.3% vs 12.5%$23,400Compare
Mountain Top, PA889.3% vs 12.5%$22,800Compare
Kirtland, OH869.5% vs 12.5%$25,700Compare

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in La Crescent.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to La Crescent? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Renters paying 30%+1
63.5%
25% above the median place
Homeownership1
86.0%
29% above the median place
Property tax rate1
1.4%
49% above the median place
All 16 cost and housing measures
MeasureLa CrescentAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$88935% below
Rent to income112.5%39% below
Property tax rate11.4%49% above
Home price to income13.2x16% below
Prices vs US average2Metro figure91.89% below
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$1,34317% below
HUD area median income4County figure$105,8001% below
Property tax paid (median)1$3,70413% above
Median home value1$272,40015% below
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure2.8%13% below
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure52.9%3% above
Homeownership186.0%29% above
Renters paying 30%+163.5%25% above
Owner costs with a mortgage1$1,8282% below
Vacant homes17.3%3% above
Median year built119760% below
03

Work and pay

Counting remote workers as zero, the average worker spends about 115 hours a year commuting, less than in 90% of the 2,101 places under 10,000 people we track.

Mean commute1
18 min
30% below the median place
Poverty rate1
5.7%
47% below the median place
Income per person1
$49,207
23% above the median place
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureLa CrescentAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$85,3686% above
Income per person1$49,20723% above
Unemployment1County figure1.6%68% below
Average annual pay6County figure$49,12026% below
Pay growth, 1 year6County figure3.4%8% below
Jobs6County figure5,12997% below
Poverty rate15.7%47% below
Mean commute118 min30% below
Works from home115.3%22% above
Commutes by transit1County figure0.3%62% below
04

Who lives here

Median age is 46.4, 19% above the median place.

Median age1
46.4
19% above the median place
Household size1
2.3
10% below the median place
Population change since 20207
-1.4%
below the median place (median 1.1%)

More about who lives here, against the typical place

Homes with broadband89.6% −3%
Born abroad5.7% −36%
Bachelor's or higher40.6% +27%
High school or higher93.3% +1%
All 9 people measures
MeasureLa CrescentAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population15,2516443rd largest
Population change since 20207-1.4%below (median 1.1%)
Median age146.419% above
Bachelor's or higher140.6%27% above
High school or higher193.3%1% above
Household size12.310% below
Born abroad15.7%36% below
No health insurance1County figure3.2%50% below
Homes with broadband189.6%3% below
05

Life in La Crescent

About 14 km of named paths and bike trails are mapped in and around the city, more than in 95% of the 2,480 places under 10,000 people we track.

Founded or incorporated in 1851. 1 site is on the National Register of Historic Places. Its history on Wikipedia

  • Cameron, Daniel, House listed 1982

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents49.5 4.9×
Playgrounds per 10k11.4 +21%
Grocery stores per 10k3.8 +80%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k20.9 +88%
Libraries per 10k1.9 2.2×
Named paths and bike trails14 km 7.2×
Bus and rail stops per sq mi1.2 5.7×

Mapped by volunteers in OpenStreetMap inside the city limits (Census boundaries), so coverage is fuller in some places than others. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

National Park Service sites nearby

  • Effigy Mounds National Monument 52 miles
  • Ice Age Trail 84 miles
  • Mississippi National River and Recreation Area 111 miles

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars13.4 −36%
Shops28.9 −5%
Arts, recreation and fitness4.3 +5%
Doctors' offices and clinics9.1 −55%
Child care centers2.1 −9%

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Public school students14
1,099
78% below the median place
Students per teacher14
12.8
17% below the median place
Nearest National Park Service site11
51.6
68% above the median place
All 18 schools and local life measures
MeasureLa CrescentAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools14722% below
Public school students141,09978% below
Students per teacher1412.817% below
Restaurants and bars per 10k9County figure13.436% below
Shops per 10k9County figure28.95% below
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k9County figure4.35% above
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k9County figure9.155% below
Child care centers per 10k9County figure2.19% below
Parks per 10k1049.5387% above
Playgrounds per 10k1011.421% above
Grocery stores per 10k103.880% above
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k1020.988% above
Libraries per 10k101.9118% above
Named paths and bike trails1014.3above (median 2.0)
Transit stops per sq mi101.2above (median 0.2)
Nearest National Park Service site1151.668% above
National Park Service sites within 60 miles11150% below
National Register listings12192% below
06

Safety, weather and risk

Violent crime per 100k is 0, below the median place (median 192).

Violent crime per 100k
0
below the median place (median 192)
Property crime per 100k
325
73% below the median place
Months reported
12 of 12
by the city police department to the FBI

Counts only offenses reported by the city police department. Sheriff, state and campus police are not included, and some departments do not report to the FBI at all, so compare with care.

Wildfire risk16
8.8
86% below the median place
Natural hazard risk16
29.5
68% below the median place
January average low15
8°F
67% below the median place
All 11 weather and risk measures
MeasureLa CrescentAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high15County figure82°F6% below
January average low15County figure8°F67% below
Average temperature15County figure46°F16% below
Annual precipitation15County figure37.2 in15% below
Natural hazard risk16County figure29.568% below
Hurricane risk16County figure7.589% below
Tornado risk16County figure41.949% below
Wildfire risk16County figure8.886% below
Heat wave risk16County figure35.561% below
Median air quality index17Metro figure3714% below
Good air days17Metro figure93.4%36% above
08

La Crescent in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 12% of the median income in 2030, about the same as 12% now.

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases. On projected 2030 affordability, La Crescent does better than 83% of places. Its projected home value growth beats 47%.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$889/mo (2024)$1,120/mo$920 to $1,370/mo+4.0%
Median household income$85,368 (2024)$109,500$92,500 to $129,500+4.2%
Median home value$272,400 (2024)$390,000$283,000 to $537,000+6.1%
Population5,261 (2025)5,2605,040 to 5,480−0.0%

The median home would be worth 3.6 years of the median income in 2030, against 3.2 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

09

Places like La Crescent

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

PlaceRentIncome
Munroe Falls, OH$848$81,214Compare
Northwest Harborcreek, PA$966$93,617Compare
Huron, OH$1,000$78,333Compare
North Royalton, OH$1,116$83,670Compare
North Royalton, OHHuron, OHNorthwest Harborcreek, PAMunroe Falls, OHLa Crescent, MNLa CrescentMunroe FallsHuronLa CrescentMunroe FallsHuron

Places built like La Crescent

Its statistical peers: the closest matches on size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, origin and remote work, in the same part of the country. Cost and outcomes are left out of the match, so the table shows how La Crescent performs against places like it.

PlaceRent to incomeIncome growthPop. change
La Crescent, MN12.5%5.6%/yr-1.4%
Lake City, MN14.5%4.5%/yr1.1%Compare
Mulvane, KS16.5%1.4%/yr12.0%Compare
Sappington, MO19.2%5.0%/yrn/aCompare
Clear Lake, IA12.2%6.5%/yr-1.0%Compare
Olmsted Falls, OH15.4%6.8%/yr1.1%Compare
Knoxville, IA15.6%5.2%/yr-1.7%Compare

Common questions

Is La Crescent a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. It ranks 7th of the 6,612 places we rate on the Citytistics Index, in the top 1%, and 1st of 151 in Minnesota. On cost, space and class size it scores 91 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is La Crescent expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 12.5% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a lighter load here than usual. The median home is valued at $272,400.

What salary do you need to live in La Crescent?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $35,560 a year. Work it out from your current city.

Is La Crescent safe?

There were 0 reported violent crimes per 100,000 residents, against 192 in the typical place.

What places are similar to La Crescent?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Munroe Falls, OH, Northwest Harborcreek, PA, Huron, OH and North Royalton, OH.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Regional Price Parities · US Bureau of Economic Analysis · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  3. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  4. Income Limits · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2026
  5. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  6. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  7. Population Estimates · US Census Bureau · Vintage 2025
  8. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  9. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  10. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  11. National Park Service sites · Wikidata (CC0), units operated by the National Park Service · Retrieved 2026-11
  12. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  13. Crime Data Explorer · Federal Bureau of Investigation · 2025 data
  14. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  15. 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
  16. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  17. Air Quality System, annual AQI by county · US Environmental Protection Agency · 2025 dataAirData download files

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares La Crescent with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for La Crescent itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/la-crescent-minnesota

Citytistics. “La Crescent, Minnesota.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/la-crescent-minnesota/

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.