Cottage Grove is a medium-sized city located in the state of Minnesota. With a population of 41,033 people and six associated neighborhoods, Cottage Grove is the 25th largest community in Minnesota.

Cottage Grove real estate is some of the most expensive in Minnesota, although Cottage Grove house values don't compare to the most expensive real estate in the U.S.

Also of interest is that Cottage Grove has more people living here who work in computers and math than 95% of the places in the US.

One interesting thing about the economy is that relatively large numbers of people worked from their home: 15.92% of the workforce. While this number may seem small overall, as a fraction of the total workforce this is high compared to the rest of the county. These workers are often telecommuters who work in knowledge-based, white-collar professions. For example, Silicon Valley has large numbers of people who telecommute. Other at-home workers may be self-employed people who operate small businesses out of their homes.

Cottage Grove is a good choice for families with children because of several factors. Many other families with children live here, making it a place where both parents and children are more likely to develop social ties with other families. The city’s good public school district and large population of college-educated adults provide an environment conducive to academic success. Many people own their own single-family homes, providing areas for children to play and stability in the community. Finally, Cottage Grove’s overall crime rate is lower than average for the country.

The education level of Cottage Grove citizens is very high relative to the national average among all cities (21.84%): 38.70% of adults in Cottage Grove have a bachelor's degree or even advanced degree.

The per capita income in Cottage Grove in 2022 was $45,753, which is wealthy relative to Minnesota and the nation. This equates to an annual income of $183,012 for a family of four.

Cottage Grove is a very ethnically-diverse city. The people who call Cottage Grove home describe themselves as belonging to a variety of racial and ethnic groups. The greatest number of Cottage Grove residents report their race to be White, followed by Black or African-American. Important ancestries of people in Cottage Grove include German, Irish, Norwegian, Swedish, and English.

The most common language spoken in Cottage Grove is English. Other important languages spoken here include Spanish and Miao/Hmong.