Jobs, pay and daily life in St. Cloud, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
St. Cloud is a city in Minnesota with 70,629 residents. The median household earns $61,374 a year and the median rent is $1,003 a month, which is 19.6% of the median household income. It is part of the St. Cloud, MN metropolitan area, where BLS counts 103,920 jobs.
How St. Cloud compares. Among the 80 largest places in Minnesota, St. Cloud is #12 by population, #77 for homeownership (#1 = highest), #74 for household income (#1 = highest), #13 for rent (#1 = cheapest). Its county, Stearns County, is #9 of 87 counties for average pay ($62,313).
St. Cloud has 70,629 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 1.2% of the population of Minnesota. It covers 40 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 1,756 people per square mile. The median age is 30.6, 21% younger than the state median (30.6 against 38.8).
The median gross rent is $1,003 a month (rent plus utilities), 22% below the state median ($1,003 against $1,280). Over a year that is 19.6% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $225,000, which is 3.7 times the median household income ($61,374); a ratio under 4 usually means ownership is within reach for many households. 48.6% of households own their home, 33% below the state average (48.6% against 72.2%). A low ownership share points to a rental-heavy market with more apartments and shorter stays.
The St. Cloud, MN metropolitan area has 103,920 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $50,840 a year, about the same as the national median ($50,840 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are office and administrative support (11,830 jobs, median $48,660); transportation and material moving (10,080 jobs, median $46,440); sales and related (9,720 jobs, median $37,570). The area is most specialised in production (1.7 times) and construction and extraction (1.4 times), where the share of workers is well above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are management ($106,010) and healthcare practitioners and technical ($93,950). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Stearns County was 4.2%. 68.0% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Stearns County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 71.9% drive alone, 2.0% use public transit, 5.4% walk, 8.5% work from home. 9.2% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 12% below the state average (9.2% against 10.5%).
30.4% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 23% below the state share (30.4% against 39.4%). 13.5% of residents were born outside the United States, 56% above the state share (13.5% against 8.7%). The poverty rate is 20.2%, 117% above the state rate (20.2% against 9.3%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 73°F (22.6°C), and the coolest is Jan at 12°F (-11.3°C). About 728 mm (29 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Jun is the wettest month (108 mm) and Jan the driest (13 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: Sartell (7 miles, rent 27% higher); Monticello (25 miles, rent 40% higher); Buffalo (28 miles, rent 18% higher); Elk River (32 miles, rent 28% higher). Rent differences are against St. Cloud; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Minnesota (792) →State guide: MinnesotaCountry guideStearns CountyMinnesota rankings
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
There are 792 federal postings open in Minnesota (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
Open federal jobs in Minnesota →
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 3,140 | 1.09 | $37,100 | $31,130 | $45,180 | +4% |
| Registered Nurses | 2,910 | 1.29 | $105,290 | $80,030 | $114,920 | +8% |
| Retail Salespersons | 2,850 | 1.09 | $34,860 | $28,430 | $47,720 | -2% |
| Cashiers | 2,560 | 1.24 | $32,480 | $27,700 | $38,710 | -1% |
| General and Operations Managers | 2,340 | 1.00 | $89,700 | $43,850 | $181,250 | -15% |
| Office Clerks, General | 2,240 | 1.36 | $46,390 | $35,140 | $63,520 | +3% |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 2,230 | 1.13 | $45,480 | $35,220 | $58,490 | +13% |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 2,140 | 1.55 | $61,960 | $45,640 | $81,380 | +6% |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 2,120 | 0.82 | $29,680 | $27,440 | $37,170 | -5% |
| Customer Service Representatives | 1,850 | 1.07 | $48,120 | $33,010 | $64,140 | +7% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 1,820 | 0.96 | $36,970 | $29,390 | $50,020 | -1% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 1,770 | 1.20 | $37,760 | $30,330 | $48,950 | +2% |
| Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators | 1,620 | 1.72 | $52,330 | $37,950 | $61,550 | +17% |
| Nursing Assistants | 1,580 | 1.63 | $40,130 | $37,840 | $55,680 | -5% |
| Construction Laborers | 1,470 | 2.01 | $57,820 | $44,490 | $91,110 | +23% |
| Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary | 1,350 | 1.42 | $38,730 | $31,180 | $51,260 | +5% |
| Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products | 1,240 | 1.49 | $64,700 | $38,800 | $124,980 | -10% |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 1,230 | 1.08 | $49,470 | $38,370 | $65,690 | +4% |
| Maintenance and Repair Workers, General | 1,140 | 1.12 | $56,120 | $36,260 | $74,590 | +13% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 1,070 | 0.70 | $23,520 | $23,150 | $38,630 | -33% |
These figures are for the whole St. Cloud, MN metropolitan area, not the city alone.
Median pay across all occupations: $50,840 (US $50,980); unemployment 4.2% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 29.4% |
| Retail trade | 14.7% |
| Manufacturing | 10.8% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 9.9% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 8.0% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 7.4% |
| Construction | 5.8% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 4.8% |
| Other services | 3.9% |
| Wholesale trade | 2.1% |
| Public administration | 1.9% |
| Information | 0.9% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 0.6% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county (the first of several) where St. Cloud lies and cover the whole county, not only the city. The city also extends into Benton County, Sherburne County.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stearns County | 160,865 | $12,618 million | $78,439 | 87,252 | 4,733 | $62,313 | +1.4% | 4.2% | 87,353 |
| Benton County | 41,593 | $2,398 million | $57,648 | 17,384 | 1,063 | $55,955 | -1.6% | 4.4% | 22,399 |
| Sherburne County | 100,560 | $4,897 million | $48,695 | 28,090 | 2,490 | $57,774 | +1.7% | 4.2% | 57,029 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 16,483 | 21.7% | $68,706 | 1.32 |
| Manufacturing | 11,532 | 15.2% | $67,375 | 1.61 |
| Retail trade | 11,347 | 14.9% | $39,344 | 1.30 |
| Accommodation and food services | 6,059 | 8.0% | $21,221 | 0.76 |
| Construction | 5,448 | 7.2% | $93,145 | 1.19 |
| Wholesale trade | 4,127 | 5.4% | $72,349 | 1.20 |
| Finance and insurance | 3,573 | 4.7% | $95,839 | 1.01 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 3,301 | 4.3% | $64,198 | 0.89 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 2,914 | 3.8% | $40,077 | 1.11 |
| Administrative and waste services | 2,521 | 3.3% | $48,798 | 0.49 |
| Professional and technical services | 1,924 | 2.5% | $89,037 | 0.32 |
| Educational services | 1,495 | 2.0% | $52,481 | 0.83 |
| Information | 1,065 | 1.4% | $80,194 | 0.65 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 1,051 | 1.4% | $47,512 | 1.49 |
| Real estate and rental | 962 | 1.3% | $40,849 | 0.71 |
| Management of companies | 939 | 1.2% | $102,335 | 0.64 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 916 | 1.2% | $16,709 | 0.62 |
| Utilities | 199 | 0.3% | $121,287 | 0.60 |
| Mining, oil and gas | 116 | 0.2% | $74,130 | 0.35 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 71.9% |
| Public transit | 2.0% |
| Walk | 5.4% |
| Work from home | 8.5% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 9.2% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $61,374 |
| Income per person | $32,108 |
| Median gross rent per month | $1,003 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 19.6% |
| Median home value | $225,000 |
| Homeowners | 48.6% |
| Poverty rate | 20.2% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | 87.6 |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | $50,840 |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set; graduated states show 0 until you enter your own estimate. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: Graduated, top rate 9.85%.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 30.6 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 91.2% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 30.4% |
| Born abroad | 13.5% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 68.0% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | -11.3 | 12 | 13 |
| Feb | -9.6 | 15 | 23 |
| Mar | -1.2 | 30 | 38 |
| Apr | 6.5 | 44 | 69 |
| May | 13.4 | 56 | 94 |
| Jun | 19.4 | 67 | 108 |
| Jul | 22.6 | 73 | 89 |
| Aug | 21.1 | 70 | 94 |
| Sep | 16.3 | 61 | 76 |
| Oct | 7.4 | 45 | 69 |
| Nov | -0.1 | 32 | 28 |
| Dec | -7.9 | 18 | 27 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sartell | MN | 7 mi | 19,758 | $84,131 | $1,275 |
| Monticello | MN | 25 mi | 14,858 | $79,534 | $1,405 |
| Buffalo | MN | 28 mi | 16,499 | $88,820 | $1,182 |
| Elk River | MN | 32 mi | 26,793 | $108,741 | $1,283 |
| Otsego | MN | 32 mi | 22,245 | $119,927 | $1,765 |
| St. Michael | MN | 33 mi | 20,010 | $131,274 | $1,483 |
| Ramsey | MN | 39 mi | 28,421 | $116,415 | $1,826 |
| Anoka | MN | 44 mi | 17,970 | $75,948 | $1,269 |
| Andover | MN | 45 mi | 33,035 | $137,593 | $2,037 |
| Maple Grove | MN | 45 mi | 71,173 | $132,731 | $1,868 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
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vs
70,629 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$1,003 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 19.6% of the median household income.
$61,374 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
4.2% (BLS county, Stearns County (latest month 2026M09)).
Minnesota. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.