by Dennis Dalman
news@thenewsleaders.com
It wasn’t news to younger people who love living here, but it may be a surprise to people not very familiar with Sartell.
The city was recently named by NerdWallet.com third among the best, most livable cities for young people in the state. NerdWallet is a website launched in 2010 that offers recommendations on a variety of financial topics, including personal finance and credit-card comparisons, as well as other quality-of-life issues.
NerdWallet examined 39 cities in the state, all of them with populations exceeding 10,000. They were rated according to the following questions:
1. Does the city have good public schools?
2. Can you afford to live there?
3. Is the city growing and prospering?
On the website, NerdWallet states: “Sartell is in the St. Cloud area and has grown substantially in the last few decades. From 1980 to 2010, its population nearly tripled. Minnesotans come to the area for its recreational spaces. Sartell is home to dozens of parks and 48 miles of trails.”
All financial criteria for the NerdWallet study were based on statistics from the 2011 U.S. Census. School data was derived from standardized test scores listed at GreatSchools, a non-profit schools-rating organization.
The top city on the “Best” list is Waconia, followed by North Mankato, Sartell, Woodbury, Stillwater, Prior Lake, Rosemount, St. Michael, Savage and Shakopee.
The highest rating (Waconia) was 79.9, with 100 being highest possible. Sartell rated 74. Number 10 on the list, Shakopee, rated 66.2.
Sartell rated 9 of a possible 10 for schools. The top six cities on the list all rated 9.
According to NerdWallet, Sartell’s median home value is $187,000; its monthly homeowner costs are $1,155; and its median income is $66,650, meaning half of the people make more than that, half below that. Its growth from 1999 to 2011 was 26.9 percent.
To access the entire study go to http://www.nerdwallet.com/blog/2013/best-cities-minnesota-young-families/
