Otsego 69 Good
Otsego Livability #367 ranked city in Minnesota#8,641 ranked city in the USARanks better than 70% of areas
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Local Insights Report

Pros and Cons of Living in Otsego

PROS
  • Crime Crime

    Crime per 100,000 people is significantly lower than the national average, making it a safe place to live. These crime statistics include both violent and property crimes.

  • Employment Employment

    Higher than average median household income, income per capita and lower unemployment rates are seen in this area. The result is a high score in the employment category.

  • Housing Housing

    High scores in the housing category are a distinguishing feature of this area, possibly driven by a favorable home affordability ratio, higher home values and appreciation rates.

  • Ratings Ratings

    Based on recent surveys and polls, locals gave high marks in the walkability to local amenities, safety, public transit, friendliness of neighbors and overall sense of community in the area.

CONS
  • Amenities Amenities

    The majority of amenities are not ideally located within walking distance. To access these amenities, residents may be required to rely on a vehicle or public transit.

  • Commute Commute

    A low commute score could be due to longer-than-average work commutes and the limited availability of public transportation in this area.

  • Health & Safety Health & Safety

    The low score in this category could be due to challenges related to air quality and the limited accessibility of health-related facilities like hospitals, nursing homes, doctors and pharmacies.

What's it like Living in Otsego?

Otsego is a mid-sized city located in the state of Minnesota. The city has a population of 18,078 people. At 94%, the majority of the Otsego population is White; this is followed by 2% Black and 2% Asian. When traveling to work, spending unnecessary time in your vehicle is not ideal and downright frustrating. Across all of America, the average one way commute time is 26 minutes, unfortunately, living in Otsego offers up a higher than average one way commute time of 33 minutes.

Whether you’re moving to a new town to be closer to family, friends or for a new job, living in Otsego could be a positive experience compared to other cities in Minnesota if you know where to look. Don't forget to determine what matters most to you in a neighborhood. Consider factors such as safety, proximity to work or school, access to amenities (like parks, fitness facilities, grocery stores, restaurants), public transportation options, community atmosphere and the overall vibe you're looking for. With useful information like cost of living, education, housing and other key data points, finding the best places to live in Otsego and in the areas around Otsego is a much easier task.

Otsego has a livability score of 67/100 and is ranked #372 in Minnesota and #9,236 in the USA. For each of the livability categories, we see that Otsego ranks very well for education (B). Regrettably for Otsego, there are some categories for which it does not score well, this includes: amenities (F).

The unemployment rate in Otsego has consistently declined over the years and currently stands well below the national average at 1.7%. This downward trend holds the potential to reduce poverty and inequality within the region, promote higher wage levels and stimulate greater economic growth. Such positive indicators signal the overall robust health of the local economy, offering a promising outlook for its residents and fostering an environment of financial well-being and prosperity.

Real estate represents the most substantial investment for homebuyers, constituting their most valuable asset. Renters, on the other hand, typically see their monthly rent as their most significant expense. The Otsego market earns a high score in the housing category, surpassing the national average in factors like home and rental affordability and appreciation rates. This robust real estate market not only benefits individual homeowners and renters but also spurs vigorous local economic activity and job growth, solidifying its significance in driving the region's prosperity and financial well-being.

Assuming that Otsego meets all of your requirements like low crime rates, good schools and great local amenities, the next most important item to examine is the affordability of real estate in Otsego. Everything else becomes a lot less important if it turns out that home prices in Otsego are simply unattainable. The median home price for Otsego homes is $500,175, which is 47.5% higher than the Minnesota average. If we take a closer look at the affordability of homes in Otsego, we’ll see that the home price to income ratio is 3, which is 18.9% lower than the Minnesota average.

Best Places to Live in and Around Otsego

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Compare Otsego, MN Livability

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      Otsego transportation information

      Statistic Otsego Minnesota National
      Average one way commute33min23min26min
      Workers who drive to work83.7%78.0%76.4%
      Workers who carpool8.6%8.7%9.3%
      Workers who take public transit0.8%3.5%5.1%
      Workers who bicycle0.0%0.8%0.6%
      Workers who walk1.1%2.8%2.8%
      Working from home5.4%5.3%4.6%
      Source: The Otsego, MN data and statistics displayed above are derived from the United States Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) and include 2026 modeled data developed using proprietary methodologies.