Smart Movers Club

    Moving to Cottage Grove, MN

    Is Cottage Grove a good place to live?

    Watch Cottage Grove

    Cottage Grove ranks #4 of 43 Minnesota cities with 25,000+ people on the Smart Movers livability score (75/100), which weighs home affordability, unemployment, education and population growth. Population grew 2.2% in the latest Census year.

    Median home value
    $359,600
    +6.7% vs prior year
    Median rent
    $1,644
    per month
    Household income
    $121,452
    median
    Unemployment
    3.5%
    lower is better

    Cost of living in Cottage Grove

    The median home value in Cottage Grove is $359,600 and median rent is $1,644 a month, against a median household income of $121,452. Homes cost about 3.0× a year of income (under 3× is considered affordable).

    Cottage Grove crime rate

    City-level FBI figures vary by agency; across Minnesota the 2025 rate was 226 violent and 1,429 property crimes per 100,000 people — #31 highest of 50 states. The full report breaks down local trends.

    Moving to Cottage Grove, MN

    Cottage Grove has about 40,124 residents, 3.5% unemployment and 28% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher.

    Compare Cottage Grove with

    Cottage Grove vs MinneapolisCottage Grove vs St. PaulCottage Grove vs RochesterCottage Grove vs BloomingtonCottage Grove vs DuluthCottage Grove vs Brooklyn ParkCottage Grove vs PlymouthCottage Grove vs Woodbury

    More: Where to move in Minnesota · Best counties in Minnesota

    Sources: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year estimates (2023, compared with 2022); FBI Crime Data Explorer.

    Home listings, local news, migration, schools, resources and the Smart Movers Grade & Verdict.

    See the full Smart Movers Club report