CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

44.99° N · 92.96° W · GEOID 2747680

Oakdale

Washington County, Minnesota · part of the Minneapolis, MN metro

MinnesotaOakdale, MNOakdaleOakdale

The short answer

Oakdale is home to 28,585 people. Median household income is $93,772 a year and median rent is $1,481 a month, 19.0% 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 $318,100, about 3.4x annual median household income.

Oakdale is defined by its growth. Population growth since 2020 is 8.1%, against 1.7% in its closest peers. Also notable: OpenStreetMap shows 19.9 parks per 10,000 residents, more than in 89% of places its size.

80OF 100

CTXCitytistics Index

Strong

Oakdale scores better than 80% of the 6,612 places we rate, and ranks 80th of 151 in Minnesota.

How the CTX is built

Category ratings · 0 to 100, typical place 50

Affordability 20%62
Economy 20%74
Safety 20%52
Amenities 15%56
Education 10%57
Commute 10%60
Growth 5%79
Median gross rent
$1,481
8% above the median place
Median household income
$93,772
17% above the median place
Median home value
$318,100
0% below the median place
Unemployment
3.2%
34% 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.

What stands out about Oakdale

  • Work and commutingUnemployment averaged 3.2% over the survey period, lower than in 79% of the 985 places of 25,000 to 50,000 people we track.
01

Moving to Oakdale

Washington County gains about 7.9 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in16,250
Moved out14,269
Net+1,981

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Within Minnesota, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within MinnesotaOther statesAbroad

Income per tax return

Arrivals$81K
Leavers$85K

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

Who moves here
5.6% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 0.8% from another state.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Washington County report $81,200 a year in income on average; those leaving, $84,900.
Income you would need
$59,200 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $1,481 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $1,793 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $318,100.
Getting to work
24 minutes each way on average; 19.5% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
Marion, IA matches it on character for less of your income. Compare the two
Moved from another state1
0.8%
61% below the median place
Moved here in the past year1
5.6%
3% below the median place
Net movers per 1,000 people8
7.9
above the median place (median -0.6)
All 5 moving measures
MeasureOakdaleAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year15.6%3% below
Moved from another state10.8%61% below
Net movers per 1,000 people8County figure7.9above (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in8County figure$81,21215% above
Income of households moving out8County figure$84,94421% above
02

What it costs to live here

Vacant homes is 3.3%, 53% below the median place.

Oakdale19.0%
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
$59,240
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
19.0%
7% below the median place
Home price to income
3.4x
11% below the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
19%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$73,700
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Oakdale, $1,481 a month, and local prices for everything else (103.4 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like Oakdale, but easier on the budget

Places that match Oakdale 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
Marion, IA9513.3% vs 19.0%$7,800Compare
Menomonee Falls, WI9315.7% vs 19.0%$13,700Compare
Mukwonago, WI9213.9% vs 19.0%n/aCompare
Cary, IL9215.2% vs 19.0%$20,600Compare

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

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Oakdale? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Vacant homes1
3.3%
53% below the median place
Homeownership1
77.5%
17% above the median place
Renters paying 30%+1
55.4%
10% above the median place
All 16 cost and housing measures
MeasureOakdaleAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$1,4818% above
Rent to income119.0%7% below
Property tax rate11.0%9% above
Home price to income13.4x11% below
Prices vs US average2Metro figure104.84% above
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$1,7347% above
HUD area median income4County figure$131,50023% above
Property tax paid (median)1$3,1454% below
Median home value1$318,1000% below
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure1.8%44% below
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure35.0%32% below
Homeownership177.5%17% above
Renters paying 30%+155.4%10% above
Owner costs with a mortgage1$1,7934% below
Vacant homes13.3%53% below
Median year built119850% above
03

Work and pay

OpenStreetMap shows 9.3 bus and rail stops per square mile, more than in 79% of the 987 places of 25,000 to 50,000 people we track.

Unemployment1
3.2%
34% below the median place
Poverty rate1
5.7%
47% below the median place
Works from home1
19.5%
57% above the median place

More on work and pay, against the typical place

Median household income$93,772 +17%
Income per person$45,119 +13%
Mean commute24 min −6%
Commutes by transit0.8% −9%
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureOakdaleAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$93,77217% above
Income per person1$45,11913% above
Unemployment13.2%34% below
Average annual pay6County figure$63,6364% below
Pay growth, 1 year6County figure4.8%30% above
Jobs6County figure96,63536% below
Poverty rate15.7%47% below
Mean commute124 min6% below
Works from home119.5%57% above
Commutes by transit10.8%9% below
04

Who lives here

5.7% of residents live below the poverty line, fewer than in 79% of the 985 places of 25,000 to 50,000 people we track.

Population change since 20207
8.1%
above the median place (median 1.1%)
No health insurance1
4.3%
33% below the median place
Homes with broadband1
94.1%
2% above the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

High school or higher93.6% +1%
Born abroad10.9% +24%
Bachelor's or higher35.6% +11%
Household size2.5 −2%
Median age39.7 +2%
All 9 people measures
MeasureOakdaleAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population128,5851605th largest
Population change since 202078.1%above (median 1.1%)
Median age139.72% above
Bachelor's or higher135.6%11% above
High school or higher193.6%1% above
Household size12.52% below
Born abroad110.9%24% above
No health insurance14.3%33% below
Homes with broadband194.1%2% above
05

Life in Oakdale

The nearest National Park Service site is Mississippi National River and Recreation Area, about 8 miles away.

43 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places, 2 of them National Historic Landmarks. Its history on Wikipedia

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents19.9 +96%
Playgrounds per 10k9.4 +0%
Grocery stores per 10k1.4 −34%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k10.5 −6%
Libraries per 10k0.7 −20%
Named paths and bike trails2 km −10%
Bus and rail stops per sq mi9.3 44.3×

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

  • Mississippi National River and Recreation Area 8 miles
  • Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway 32 miles
  • Effigy Mounds National Monument 158 miles

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars16.0 −23%
Shops25.3 −17%
Arts, recreation and fitness5.8 +41%
Doctors' offices and clinics19.5 −3%
Child care centers2.4 +4%

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

Nearest National Park Service site11
8.3
73% below the median place
Public schools14
4
56% below the median place
Students per teacher14
18.8
22% above the median place
All 18 schools and local life measures
MeasureOakdaleAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools14456% below
Public school students144,13815% below
Students per teacher1418.822% above
Restaurants and bars per 10k9County figure16.023% below
Shops per 10k9County figure25.317% below
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k9County figure5.841% above
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k9County figure19.53% below
Child care centers per 10k9County figure2.44% above
Parks per 10k1019.996% above
Playgrounds per 10k109.40% above
Grocery stores per 10k101.434% below
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k1010.56% below
Libraries per 10k100.720% below
Named paths and bike trails101.810% below
Transit stops per sq mi109.3above (median 0.2)
Nearest National Park Service site118.373% below
National Park Service sites within 60 miles1120% above
National Register listings12County figure43231% above
06

Safety, weather and risk

Violent crime per 100k is 139, 28% below the median place.

Violent crime per 100k
139
28% below the median place
Property crime per 100k
1,409
16% above 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.

January average low15
6°F
75% below the median place
Good air days17
94.9%
39% above the median place
Average temperature15
45°F
18% below the median place
All 10 weather and risk measures
MeasureOakdaleAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high15County figure82°F6% below
January average low15County figure6°F75% below
Average temperature15County figure45°F18% below
Annual precipitation15County figure33.0 in25% below
Natural hazard risk16County figure83.99% below
Tornado risk16County figure94.416% above
Wildfire risk16County figure64.05% above
Heat wave risk16County figure80.311% below
Median air quality index17County figure3421% below
Good air days17County figure94.9%39% above
08

Oakdale in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 19% of the median income in 2030, about the same as 19% 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, Oakdale does better than 62% of places. Its projected home value growth beats 37%.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$1,481/mo (2024)$1,920/mo$1,570 to $2,340/mo+4.4%
Median household income$93,772 (2024)$119,000$100,500 to $141,000+4.1%
Median home value$318,100 (2024)$452,000$328,000 to $623,000+6.0%
Population30,588 (2025)32,26030,940 to 33,630+1.1%

The median home would be worth 3.8 years of the median income in 2030, against 3.4 now.

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

09

Places like Oakdale

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

PlaceRentIncome
Leola, PA$1,459$91,154Compare
Maplewood, MN$1,406$91,394Compare
Rio Rancho, NM$1,514$89,596Compare
Crown Point, IN$1,485$101,686Compare
Crown Point, INRio Rancho, NMMaplewood, MNLeola, PAOakdale, MNOakdaleLeolaMaplewoodRio RanchoCrown PointOakdaleLeolaMaplewoodRio RanchoCrown Point

Places built like Oakdale

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 Oakdale performs against places like it.

PlaceRent to incomeIncome growthPop. change
Oakdale, MN19.0%5.3%/yr8.1%
Forest Lake, MN18.3%3.1%/yr1.6%Compare
Inver Grove Heights, MN17.4%5.3%/yr3.0%Compare
Marion, IA13.3%3.8%/yr2.8%Compare
Maplewood, MN18.5%5.3%/yr-3.2%Compare
Liberty, MO15.7%2.9%/yr3.9%Compare
Champlin, MN17.5%4.6%/yr-3.3%Compare

Common questions

Is Oakdale a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Its Citytistics Index is 80 out of 100, better than 80% of the places we rate and 80th of 151 in Minnesota. Unemployment averaged 3.2% over the survey period, lower than in 79% of the 985 places of 25,000 to 50,000 people we track. On cost, space and class size it scores 67 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Oakdale expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 19.0% 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 $318,100.

What salary do you need to live in Oakdale?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $59,240 a year. Work it out from your current city.

Is Oakdale safe?

There were 139 reported violent crimes per 100,000 residents, against 192 in the typical place.

What places are similar to Oakdale?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Leola, PA, Maplewood, MN, Rio Rancho, NM and Crown Point, IN.

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 Oakdale with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Oakdale itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/oakdale-minnesota

Citytistics. “Oakdale, Minnesota.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/oakdale-minnesota/

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