Best PlacesFrench River, MN Best Neighborhoods
2026–2027 edition · Data updated July 2026
Every neighborhood in and around French River, scored on 40 measures of daily life and ranked to fit what matters to you. Local pay runs high here, and housing takes the biggest bite out of it. To work out which city fits you best, start with the best places to live tool.
French River ranks 3,216th of 50,333 U.S. towns on the BestNeighborhood index. It scores highest on low disaster risk by a wide margin, and walkability ranks lowest.
The best neighborhoods in French River
BestNeighborhood is the only ranking that scores 40 measures of daily life neighborhood by neighborhood and lets you re-weight every one of them yourself.
French River's strengths and weaknesses
Where French River ranks high
- Disaster safetyBetter than 99% of towns
- Voter turnoutBetter than 96% of towns
- Air qualityBetter than 95% of towns
- Educational attainmentBetter than 94% of towns
- Heat safetyBetter than 94% of towns
Where French River ranks low
- WalkabilityBetter than only 19% of towns
- Low income/sales/gas taxBetter than only 20% of towns
- Cell coverageBetter than only 24% of towns
- Big-city accessBetter than only 25% of towns
- Cheap childcare$948 a month, better than only 30% of towns
What it costs to buy a home in French River
A household needs to earn about $91,000 a year to comfortably buy the median French River home, at 20% down and today's 30-year rate. That is below the area's own median income of $111,852, so a typical household can afford the median home outright.
Where the monthly payment goes
Assumes a 20% down payment, a 6.6% 30-year fixed rate, and a 28% share of income going to the payment. The rate is the 2026-07-23 30-year fixed average, series MORTGAGE30US from the St. Louis Fed, which publishes Freddie Mac's weekly survey. Against the median home value, property tax uses French River's effective rate of 0.92%, and insurance is estimated at 0.4% of home value a year.
Renting versus buying
At today's prices, buying tends to cost more than renting for about the first 10 years, then pulls ahead as rent keeps rising and the mortgage builds equity. The chart tracks the running cost of each.
Who lives in French River
French River runs older than the country.
Residents by age
Racial and ethnic makeup has its own map. See the race and diversity map for French River.
Who works in French River, and how
Work in French River centers on health care & social and other services. Unemployment is low, and jobs are growing.
Largest industries
How people get to work
- Drive or carpool 89%
- Work from home 10%
- Transit, walk, or bike 1%
Life in French River
The map and measures below break down dining, culture, and green space by neighborhood across French River.
What the weather is like in French River, month by month
French River sees roughly 104 pleasant days a year. July highs average about 79 degrees. January highs sit near 23, with lows near 7. The comfortable stretch runs June through September.
Show the monthly temperatures
| Month | Avg high | Avg | Avg low |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 23° | 15° | 7° |
| April | 48° | 38° | 30° |
| July | 79° | 67° | 57° |
| October | 54° | 45° | 38° |
Flying in and out of French River
The nearest airport, Duluth International, is about 14 miles away and is a small airport. The nearest major hub is Minneapolis-St Paul International/Wold-Chamberlain, about 153 miles away.
The best schools in and around French River
Schools across French River average an A−, better than 81% of towns.
Top elementary schools
- Lester Park ElementaryA+ · 75% proficient
- Minnehaha ElementaryB · 48% proficient
Top middle schools
- Ordean East Middle SchoolB+ · 50% proficient
Top high schools
- East High SchoolA− · 59% proficient
Grades come from K-12 test scores, with scores projected for schools missing data. See every French River school and its grade on SchoolGrade.
French River measure by measure
Cards are ordered by how much each measure matters to you, so the ones you weighted highest come first. Expand to see every measure. Percentages compare French River against the other 50,332 towns.
Common questions about living in French River
Is French River a good place to live?
Using BestNeighborhood's default rankings, French River ranks 3,216th of 50,333 towns. It scores highest on low disaster risk, civic engagement, and clean air, and lowest on walkability and taxes. How good it is for you depends on which of those you weight most, which the map lets you set.
Is French River expensive to live in?
The median home is worth $343,600. The overall cost of living runs about 6% below the national average. Set against a $111,852 median income, cost of living beats 92% of towns.
Is French River safe?
Yes, French River is safer than 62% of towns. Safety varies a lot by neighborhood. Crime costs an estimated $266 per resident a year.
Compare French River with other towns
Sources and methodology
Every measure on this page is scored for each neighborhood, then rolled up to French River. Scores are absolute rather than ranked, which means a 60 in French River represents the same real quantity as a 60 anywhere else, and the ranking is a weighted average of those absolutes. The map colors come from a national scale calibrated against a population weighted random sample of 5,000 neighborhoods. That absolute scoring is what no other places-to-live ranking does: it puts a single neighborhood, a town, a metro, and a state on one scale, so the same 40 measures answer both which metro to move to and which street inside it to buy on. Read the full methodology.
French River detail on BestNeighborhood maps:
- Walk Grade for French River: walkability, transit, and biking, measured on the real street network rather than by straight line distance.
- Noise in French River: road, rail, and aviation sound modeling calibrated against federal ground truth measurements.
- Conservative vs liberal map of French River: precinct level election results apportioned to neighborhoods.
- Mobile and cell coverage in French River: carrier by carrier coverage behind the cell score.
French River detail on related sites:
- CrimeGrade: neighborhood crime rates behind the crime safety score.
- ISPreports.org: provider by provider internet availability and advertised speeds.
- CoverageWatch: the car insurance premiums behind the cheap car insurance score.
Federal and public data:
- U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey: income, home value, rent, vacancy, commute time and mode, educational attainment, home age, age structure, household type, industry, and race.
- NOAA Global Surface Summary of the Day: the daily station record behind the monthly temperatures and the pleasant-day count.
- FAA Passenger Boarding Data: airport size and annual passenger counts.
- Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey: the 30-year fixed rate used in the cost-to-buy estimate.
- FBI Crime Data Explorer: reported offenses behind the tangible crime cost estimate.
- U.S. EPA Air Quality System: five year average air quality index.
- FEMA National Risk Index: expected annual loss from natural hazards.
- CDC PLACES: disease burden, preventable risk, and barriers to care.
- National Center for Education Statistics: school enrollment and assessment inputs behind the school grade.
- FCC National Broadband Map: internet and wireless availability.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: employment and job growth behind the local economy score.
- Religious activity uses a proprietary religious signal measurement.
Your priorities
Move a slider to say how much a measure matters. Zero turns it off.