Pros and Cons of Living in Faribault
Faribault's core trade-off pairs a genuinely distinct historic identity and modest affordability against a below-national household income and a real, disclosed tension in crime perception.
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Learn morePro: a genuinely distinct, real historic-downtown identity
Faribault carries more National Register buildings than any other Minnesota city its size, second only to St. Paul -- a real, distinct claim traced to Alexander Faribault's 1835 trading post and reinforced by Shattuck-St. Mary's School's 1858 founding.
Pro: modest, real housing affordability and current growth
Faribault runs approximately 1% below the national housing average, with real, current population growth (+2.85% since the 2020 census) -- a genuinely growing, not stagnant, county seat.
Con: a median household income below the national median
Faribault's median household income ($61,449) runs below the national median, with a real, disclosed 16.4% poverty rate -- worth weighing against the city's modest housing-cost advantage.
Con: a real, disclosed tension in crime perception
Faribault's crime statistics read comparatively favorable against national averages this pass, yet 55% of surveyed residents felt there was too much crime -- a real tension this record discloses rather than resolving to one clean verdict.
Key takeaways
- Pro: a genuinely distinct historic-downtown identity, second only to St. Paul statewide for National Register buildings.
- Pro: modest, real housing affordability (about 1% below national average) alongside current population growth.
- Con: a median household income below the national median, with a 16.4% poverty rate.
- Con: a real, disclosed tension between favorable crime statistics and majority-negative resident perception.
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