Living in Owatonna, MN
Small city in Minnesota
Owatonna is a small city in Minnesota, home to about 26,000 people, with 157,000 living within 31 mi. Day to day, there is some transit, though many people drive. Life moves at a relaxed pace, and homes are mostly houses.
Is Owatonna a good place to live? Pros and cons
👍 Pros
- Dog-friendly: 2 dog parks within 9 mi
- Affordable housing: a typical 3-bedroom home is about $272k and rents for $1,550 a month
- Mild summers: highs around 80°F
- Safe: violent crime is 0.3× the US rate (FBI 2019)
👎 Cons
- Quieter on culture: few museums and attractions nearby
- Higher taxes: about $2,443 state income tax per resident, 1.28% property tax
- Fewer graduates: 32% of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher
- Smaller job market: about 157,000 people live within 31 mi
Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how Owatonna ranks against your own priorities.
Key facts
Living in Owatonna: common questions
What is the cost of living in Owatonna?
A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $272k, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $1,550 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are close to the US average (index 99, where the US is 100).
What are taxes like in Owatonna?
Minnesota collects about $2,443 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 1.28% of their home's value in property tax each year.
Is Owatonna safe?
Violent crime is well below the national rate (0.3× in FBI 2019 data).
How are the schools in Owatonna?
Public schools in Owatonna test close to the US average in math and reading (2018–19 state tests, put on one national scale with NAEP), with about 18 students per teacher.
What is the weather like in Owatonna?
Owatonna has long, snowy winters: winter days average around 26°F and summer days around 80°F, with roughly 44″ of snow a year.
Does Owatonna get natural disasters?
Natural disaster risk is moderate, mainly from flooding, tornadoes and strong wind: 8 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 0.93 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.
What is the nearest major airport to Owatonna?
The nearest major airport is MSP, about 55 mi away.
How Owatonna scores
Each bar compares Owatonna with the other 1,990 places in Best Life Fit Me. A dot shows where it sits between two ends, such as major metro and small town; neither end is better. Coloured bars run from poor (red) to excellent (green).
Places like Owatonna
These places have the most similar overall profile across all 24 aspects.
The circle is each place's all-round score out of 100: the average of its 15 quality scores, from red (poor) to green (excellent).
Nearby
See all the best places to live in Minnesota.
Is Owatonna right for you?
Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.