Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 5,283, settled in 1960.
For most people who can afford it, yes. North Oaks grades A− overall, 138th of 271 graded towns in Minnesota. Residents are healthier than 94% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates and the median household earns $232K. The catch is cost: the typical home is worth about $953K, 9.5 years of the Minneapolis metro’s $100K median household income. 75% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in North Oaks, above both the Minnesota town median (33%) and the median of U.S. towns (29%). Only 1 of the 256 Minnesota towns we compare have a higher median rent than North Oaks. The biggest park or preserve is West Recreation Area, at 20 acres.
Where North Oaks beats most towns.
| Widest gap | North Oaks | MN |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 4.3% | 8.9% |
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Chippewa Middle School | 6–8 | 1,093 |
4,469 counted in 2010 and 5,272 in 2020; an estimated 5,283 in 2025.
Growth has leveled off: within 1% of 2020, after 18% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Minnesota), ordered by how far North Oaks is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 803 in 1960, 5,272 in 2020. The archive holds 1 old photo or paper going back to 1884 and 6 maps from 1902 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around North Oaks. Close and well known come first.
Big draw12 mi Stadium & arenaU.S. Bank Stadium
11 mi Stadium & arenaHuntington Bank Stadium
12 mi Stadium & arenaTarget Field
11 mi Stadium & arenaGrand Casino Arena
11 mi Stadium & arenaAllianz Field
10 mi MuseumMinnesota State CapitolU.S. Bank Stadium: Darb02, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Huntington Bank Stadium: Lectrician2, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Target Field: Lectrician2, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Grand Casino Arena: AlexiusHoratius, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Allianz Field: Andy Witchger, CC BY 2.0 · Minnesota State Capitol: McGhiever, CC BY-SA 4.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in North Oaks, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in North Oaks.
North Oaks has more trail for its size than nearly any town in Minnesota and gets more snow than most of the country, though not than most of Minnesota; it also has homes that cost more against local pay than most of Minnesota.
At 9.5 years of the Minneapolis metro’s $100K median household income, the typical home (about $953K) costs more against local pay than in 99% of Minnesota towns; that ratio is one input to its D− for cost of living. Its typical home is the priciest on its borders; Lino Lakes is next at $459K.
88% of households own their home in North Oaks. The typical North Oaks home is worth about $953,000, up 2.7% in a year, more than twice the Minnesota typical home.
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its public schools are run by the Mounds View Public School District. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chippewa Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 1,093 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MN on state tests and graduation
At 3 miles of trail per square mile, it ranks #2 of 220 Minnesota towns.
North Oaks’ trail density is 3.0 miles per square mile. 26 miles of trail in 4 parks and preserves.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. West Recreation Area | 0.1 mi | 20 |
| 2. Southpointe Park | — | 11 |
| 3. Wilkinson Lake Recreation Area | — | 8 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Against the 574 U.S. towns with household incomes like North Oaks’s, it is less healthy than 80%: its national edge comes with its incomes.
24% of North Oaks adults sleep under 7 hours. Among 271 Minnesota towns, just 1 have a lower share of adults who binge drink than North Oaks. 7.9% of North Oaks adults smoke cigarettes.
| North Oaks | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 30% | 36% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 16% | 17% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 7.9% | 14% | 14% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 18% | 16% |
| What stands out | North Oaks | MN |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 4.3% | 8.9% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 4.8% | 9.3% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 13% | 8.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Jobs based here fell from 2,243 in 2013 to 1,509. 39.5% of workers work from home, against 17.6% across Minnesota.
Most working residents leave North Oaks for work: only 4% work in town. Of the 273 Minnesota towns we compare, none has a higher median household income than North Oaks. Since 2013, North Oaks has lost 734 jobs, to 1,509 in 2023.
| North Oaks | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $232,000 | $90,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 3.6% | 9.9% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 5.1% | 7.1% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 26 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The U Of Mn St Paul weather station, 9 miles away, records that 40 inches of snow fall in a normal winter: more than most of the country, but less than 83% of Minnesota places with climate records. July afternoons average 82.1°: cooler than most of the country, but hotter than 77% of Minnesota places with climate records; January nights average 6.2°.
North Oaks has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. The January low in North Oaks is 6°F.
| North Oaks | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 6°F | 6°F | 22°F |
| July high | 82°F | 82°F | 85°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 67% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
24 within 15 miles of the center of North Oaks
About 2 of every 100 North Oaks residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Minnesota.
0% of the town is conserved land, across 4 parks and preserves.
2 places in North Oaks on the National Register of Historic Places.
3 notable people were born in North Oaks.
City in Minnesota, United States
North Oaks is an exurban city 10 miles (16 km) north of St. Paul in Ramsey County in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The population was 5,272 at the 2020 census. Formerly a gated community that now posts private access signage, all land is owned by homeowners with the North Oaks Home Owners Association maintaining all roads, plowing, parks, facilities, and recreation trails. Each homeowner's property extends halfway into the street. There is also a city government with a Mayor and City Council that administers basic services such as fire, police, planning, and licensing. The city owns no property.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
4 towns share a border with North Oaks.
All 4 graded towns on its borders grade higher than its A−; Lino Lakes (A) is closest.
| Town | MN rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Oaks | #138 | A− | D− | — | A− | A |
| White Bear Township | #68 | A | C+ | — | B+ | A |
| Shoreview | #42 | A | C | — | A− | A+ |
| Vadnais Heights | #94 | A | C+ | — | B+ | A− |
| Lino Lakes | #96 | A | C | A− | A− | A |
North Oaks, White Bear Township, Shoreview and Vadnais Heights report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare North Oaks with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
For most people who can afford it, yes. North Oaks grades A− overall, better than 76% of U.S. towns and #138 of 271 in Minnesota. It grades A for health and A− for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D−.
Yes. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D−.
3 notable people were born here, including Joe Alt and Mike Hoeffel.
.jpg){kind=link}
