Affordable St. Cloud Storage Units

Moving and storage go hand in hand. Whether you are traveling across town or across the country, moving is an exciting and fresh start. While Storage Rentals of America is here to help you with all your storage needs, we also want to help you get familiar with the area. That's why we put together this resource guide for Saint Cloud.

About St. Cloud, MN

St. Cloud is the county seat of Stearns County, Minnesota. It is the largest city in the central part of the state, with a population of 68,881 (2020 U.S. Census). Including all the surrounding villages in the population count, the St. Cloud metropolitan area has 199,671 people. It is 65 miles northwest of the Minneapolis-St. Paul twin cities. The Mississippi River runs right through the town.

Historically, the city was named after Saint-Cloud, France, by the European settlers who came to the region starting in the 1850s. Saint-Cloud, France, is where Napoleon had his favorite palace.

The Native American people lived here for thousands of years before the Europeans invaded the area that became St. Cloud, Minnesota. The tribes of the Ottawa, Ojibwe, and Winnebago had territory that extended from this part of America to Canada.

This town is best known for its granite quarries, operating since 1868. This part of Minnesota is prime agricultural land. The farmers produce poultry, dairy products, barley, hay, corn, oats, rye, and soybeans.

What to do in St. Cloud, MN

Taking a boat ride down the Mississippi River is a fantastic way to spend some time on a nice summer’s day.

• Shopping: Crossroads Center, Division Place Shopping Center, and St. Cloud Shopping Center are popular shopping centers.
• Destination: Lake George is right in the middle of the city. Locals find it a wonderful place to go for a stress-relieving stroll on a nice day. For even more fun, rent a paddleboat.
• Features: The Munsinger Gardens and Clemens Gardens are amazing. In the Munsinger Gardens, there are wonderful walkways along the Mississippi River. The Clemens Gardens has many nice areas based on garden themes with lovely water fountains. A favorite section is the rose garden.

Working in St. Cloud, MN

The local economy depends on manufacturing, retail, health care, and education. The unemployment rate is 5.8%, compared to the national average of 6.0%. The median household income is $53,829 per year. The predicted job growth rate over the next ten years is 34%, which matches the national average growth rate of 33.5%. The average commute time is 19 minutes.

The most popular industries are education (11.9%), health care (9.7%), hospitality/restaurants (8.0%), building construction (4.7%), finance/insurance (4.3%), professional, scientific, and technical services (3.9%), and retail stores (3.9%).

St. Cloud, MN Neighborhoods

This city has a nice variety of areas to consider, including well-established suburban neighborhoods and some with more of a downtown college city vibe.

If you are thinking about buying a home or renting, be sure to take a drive through these three neighborhoods:

• City Center/Saint Cloud State University: This is the college neighborhood. The median home price in this area is $421,197, which is nearly the same as the median price of a home in America at $423,600. Most homes are rental properties to get high rental rates from students. In this neighborhood, residential construction happened mostly between the 1940s and 1969. You will find three- and four-bedroom homes mixed with apartment complexes. The average rent is $1,293, with a vacancy rate of 14.2% due to the constant turnover. As students move in and out, there are usually plenty of places to rent.
• Calvary Hill Park: The median home price is $343,070. The average rent is $2,008, with a vacancy rate of 1.4%. This low rate may make finding a nice place to rent very difficult, and you have to pay higher rents than 83.8% of other areas in Minnesota. This neighborhood is popular with homeowners who are retirees or families starting.
• St. Cloud Southwest: Homes sell for less in this suburban area. These housing developments are newer. Most of the houses were built after 1970. The median home price is $307,425. The average rent is $1,318, with a vacancy rate of 1.8%, making it challenging to find a place to rent.

St. Cloud, MN School District

The public school district is St. Cloud Area School District 742. The district spends around $ 22,018 annually per student. The student-to-teacher ratio is 15 to one.

There are 14 private schools in the area. The best-ranked ones are All Saints Academy (PK to 6th grade), Cathedral High School (7th to 12th), and St. Katharine Drexel School (PK to 6th).

For higher education, there are many choices. There is a public, four-year school, Saint Cloud State University. For tech training, the St. Cloud Technical and Community College offers a public two-year program. Also highly ranked is the Minnesota School of Business, a private four-year career college. There are 62 more colleges and universities within 100 miles of the city center.

Moving to St. Cloud, MN

If you are moving to this city, this information will help you learn more about the new area.

The City of St. Cloud offers water and sewer service. Two options for electricity are Connexus Energy and Stearns Electric Association. Xcel Energy provides natural gas.

TV, telephone, and Internet connections are provided by many companies, including CenturyLink, Spectrum, and others.

The Park and Recreation Department manages the public parks, including trails, sledding hills for winter fun, wade pools for summer fun, dog parks, playgrounds, and many interesting activities and events. This department also manages the Munsinger Gardens, Clemens Gardens, and the Whitney Recreation Complex with the Whitney Sports Complex.

The city government consists of an elected mayor and seven elected members serving on the city council.

St. Cloud, MN Housing

The median home price in this area is $230,000, which is trending up by 12.2% year-over-year. The moderate home prices, 23% of the national average, help offset the higher costs of food and health care to keep the cost of living on par with the rest of the country. The cost of living is 3% lower than other communities in the state and the same as the national average.