Affordable Waite Park Storage Units

Moving and storage go hand in hand. Whether you are traveling across town or 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 Waite Park.

About Waite Park, MN

Waite Park is in Stearns County, Minnesota. The population is 7,719 (2020 U.S. Census). Waite Park is just west of St. Cloud and is a part of the St. Cloud metropolitan area with close to 200,000 people. If you choose to live here, you will find it is a nice suburban area with all of the amenities of big-city living mixed with a laid-back country lifestyle.

Historically, this area was a river crossing in the 1840s for the ox-carts that hauled materials taken from the quarries. The town was founded in 1893 when it was incorporated. The first building was the post office that, opened in 1897, which was still operating until 1972, when a new facility was built. The city got its name from Henry Chester Waite, a state legislator who owned and operated flour mills and was a big landholder in the area.

This town is best known for River’s Edge Park on the banks of the Sauk River and the Quarry Park and Nature Preserve south of the town. The preserve is just north of the large Quarry Park Scientific and Natural Area (SNA).

What to do in Waite Park, MN

This area is enjoyed by those who like to be outdoors.

• Shopping: The shopping centers are the Riverwood Mall, the Marketplace Shopping Center, and the Gateway Center. The Crossroads Center is in nearby St. Cloud.
• Destination: The Quarry Park and Nature Preserve is a scenic area full of wildlife. The mined quarry filled with water and made many beautiful small lakes. The park offers hiking trails, biking and mountain biking, picnicking, rock climbing, fishing, and swimming.
• Features: Other public parks that are nice to visit are the Community Park and Concord Park.

Working in Waite Park, MN

The local economy depends on manufacturing, retail, health care, and construction. The unemployment rate is 4.7%, which is low compared to the national average of 6.0%. The median household income is $43,673 per year. The predicted job growth rate over the next ten years is 33.8%, which is on par with the national average growth rate of 33.5%. The average commute time is 19 minutes.

The most common industries are hospitality/restaurants (9.7%), education (7.5%), health care (6.4%), construction (6.1%), online shopping and mail order (3.8%), food & beverage stores (3.8%), and light manufacturing (3.6%).

Waite Park, MN Neighborhoods

This town has two neighborhoods, Waite Park South and the City Center.

• Waite Park South: This is a pleasant suburban neighborhood. The median home price in this area is $223,881, which compares favorably to the national average cost of a home in America at $423,600. Most homes are owner-occupied. Residential construction happened mostly between 1970 and 1999 in this neighborhood. You will find small and medium-sized three- and four-bedroom homes mixed with apartment complexes. The average rent is $1,326, with a vacancy rate of 6.2%, so a few places are usually available to rent.
• City Center: Prices are lower in the center of town.The median home price is only $140,661. This home price is less expensive than 82.6% of other parts of Minnesota. The average rent is $1,184, with a vacancy rate close to 0%. This low rate may make finding a nice place to rent very challenging. This neighborhood is popular with those on a limited budget who want to live downtown.

Waite Park, MN School District

The public school district is the St. Cloud Area School District 742. The district spends around $22,081 per student every year. The student-to-teacher ratio is 16 to one.

There is one private religious school with less than 30 students called Holy Innocents School (first grade to 12th grade).

There is the Minnesota School of Business in Waite Park for higher education. There are 65 colleges and universities within 100 miles, including the Saint Cloud State University in St. Cloud, five miles from Waite Park.

Moving to Waite Park, MN

If you are moving to the area, this information will help you get all the utilities turned on for your new place.

The City of Waite Park offers water and sewer service. Garbage pickup and recycling are provided by West Central Sanitation. Xcel Energy provides electricity. Northern States Power Company provides natural gas. Cable TV is provided by Spectrum. Telephone and internet connections are provided by CenturyLink.

For Parks, Trails & Recreation, you can enjoy Bartz Park, Community Park, Jagiello Park, Lions Park, the Lake Wobegon Trail, the Healthy Living Trails, the River’s Edge Park, and the Quarry Park and Nature Preserve.

The city government consists of an elected mayor and four elected members serving on the city council. This structure is a popular state municipal government style with a “weak” mayor. The mayor has the same voting power as the other members of the city council.

Waite Park, MN Housing

The median home price in this area is $209,400, trending up by 17.2% year-over-year. The moderate home prices, which are 25% below the national average, help keep the cost of living in alignment with the national average. The cost of living is 3% lower than other communities in the state and the same as the national average. If you want a starter home, try the City Center area. Many young families find their first home with the help of government programs that offer low-down or no-down payments for first-time home buyers.