| Index | Shafer | Minnesota | National |
| Cost of living | 97 | 99 | 100 |
| Goods & Services | 96 | 100 | 100 |
| Groceries | 99 | 98 | 100 |
| Health care | 101 | 109 | 100 |
| Housing | 97 | 100 | 100 |
| Transportation | 98 | 97 | 100 |
| Utilities | 94 | 93 | 100 |


Why stop at city-to-city? With Local Insights, you can compare neighborhoods, zip codes, or even exact addresses. Access 300+ hyperlocal data points—from schools and crime to housing and amenities—to see which area is the better fit.
| Cost of living index | |
| Goods & Services index | |
| Groceries index | |
| Health care index | |
| Housing index | |
| Transportation index | |
| Utilities index |
| Median Income | Per Year | Per Month | Max Budget (28% DTI) | Max Budget (36% DTI) |
| Owners | $84,375 | $7,031 | $1,969 | $2,532 |
| Renters | $48,125 | $4,010 | $1,123 | $1,444 |
| State | General Sales Tax | With Max Surtax |
| Minnesota | 6.875% | 7.875% |
| State | Income Tax (Low) | Income Tax (High) |
| Minnesota | 5.35% | 9.85% |
| Item | Shafer | National avg. | Difference |
| Haircut | $28.67 | $24.26 | 18.2% |
| Beauty Salon | $34.55 | $45.56 | 24.2% |
| Toothpaste | $3.75 | $3.70 | 1.4% |
| Shampoo | $1.30 | $1.28 | 1.5% |
| Movie | $13.47 | $12.13 | 11.0% |
| Bowling | $21.50 | $18.00 | 19.4% |
| Item | Shafer | National avg. | Difference |
| Ground Beef | $5.49 | $5.84 | 5.9% |
| Fried Chicken | $1.35 | $1.57 | 14.2% |
| Milk | $4.63 | $4.67 | 0.8% |
| Potatoes | $4.98 | $4.93 | 0.8% |
| Pizza | $12.49 | $12.09 | 3.3% |
| Beer | $9.36 | $10.41 | 10.1% |
| Item | Shafer | National avg. | Difference |
| Optometrist | $145.44 | $125.68 | 15.7% |
| Doctor | $229.08 | $135.78 | 68.7% |
| Dentist | $108.67 | $113.29 | 4.1% |
| Ibuprofen | $10.36 | $10.65 | 2.7% |
| Lipitor | $599.08 | $468.60 | 27.8% |
| Item | Shafer | National avg. | Difference |
| Home Price | $171,100.00 | $184,700.00 | 7.4% |
| Avg. Mortgage Payment | $1,941.44 | $2,346.69 | 17.3% |
| Apartment Rent | $1,023.00 | $949.00 | 7.8% |
| Item | Shafer | National avg. | Difference |
| Gasoline | $3.38 | $3.46 | 2.5% |
| Tire Balancing | $61.74 | $59.92 | 3.0% |
| Item | Shafer | National avg. | Difference |
| All Electricity | $175.38 | $193.99 | 9.6% |
| Phone | $187.39 | $192.25 | 2.5% |
| City | Population | Cost of Living Index | National Avg. |
| Milltown, WI | 1,007 | 83 | 17.2% |
| Centuria, WI | 1,080 | 85 | 15.4% |
| Luck, WI | 1,170 | 86 | 13.8% |
| Balsam Lake, WI | 874 | 90 | 10.0% |
| Dresser, WI | 863 | 93 | 7.5% |
| Shafer, MN | 1,155 | 97 | 3.2% |
| City | Population | Cost of Living Index | National Avg. |
| North Haverhill, NH | 1,155 | 107 | 7.3% |
| Olcott, NY | 1,155 | 87 | 13.2% |
| Tyndall, SD | 1,155 | 80 | 19.9% |
| Notre-Dame-du-Portage, QC | 1,155 | n/a | |
| Naco, AZ | 1,156 | 87 | 12.6% |
| Shafer, MN | 1,155 | 97 | 3.2% |