The website Niche.com specializes in helping people discover schools and neighborhoods that are the right fit. They analyzed public data and millions of reviews to produce all kinds rankings. Here's how they grade St. Cloud's livability.

Niche.com looked at schools, crime & safety, housing, jobs, cost of living, weather, nightlife, family friendliness, crime, economic and cultural diversity, and more -- and gives St. Cloud a solid B+ for livability (and that's pretty darned good). The numbers don't lie.

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I know it's easy to poke fun & criticize at all the perceived short-comings of your town/city, but take it from someone who has lived in lots of different places; St. Cloud deserves AT LEAST a B+. I grew up in the Twin Cities, lived out of state for 20+ years, then moved back to STC four years ago -- and I LOVE it here.

Here's how Niche.com breaks down some of the major categories that influence our quality of life:

  • Public Schools:  C+
  • Housing:  B-
  • Good for Families:  B
  • Jobs:  B
  • Cost of Living:  B+
  • Outdoor Activities:  A-
  • Crime & Safety:  C+
  • Nightlife:  A-
  • Diversity:  B+
  • Weather:  C+
  • Health & Fitness:  B+
  • Commute:  A

Total St. Cloud Livability Grade: B+

And now some of the Niche.com reviews from peeps like us that actually live here:

Overall, St Cloud is a friendly town. Unless you are driving. People here drive as if they got their license from a Cracker Jack box. Winter is cold and beautiful! Occasionally the temperature can drop below livable. That's my favorite time. Snuggle in a warm blanket and watch movies.

St. Cloud is overall a good town to live in. It's not too costly and there are many fun things to do. One of it's greatest features is Lake George. It's a nice place to spend a day with the family. There is a lot of diversity here as well. We have an amazing population of east African immigrants, but the residents here aren't always accepting of them.

St. Cloud is a large city in the middle of farm lands. The colleges in this area lead to increased population and business. I enjoy going shopping and out to eat. Unfortunately the Somali population has lead to an increase in crime and it no longer feels safe to participate in community events or participate in daily outings in the area. I feel that unless something changes and citizens start to feel more secure this town will not feel the same.

That's what I came across on Niche.com. I think their grade of a B+ fits pretty well with how I would grade our Granite City.

 

 

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