Livability Report
MinamiuonumaLivability Score
Niigata·Pop. 51,184
Minamiuonuma lies in southern Niigata Prefecture, in the Uonuma Basin surrounded by the Echigo and Mikuni mountains and the Uonuma Hills. Muikamachi and Yamato merged into a city in 2004, and Shiozawa also joined to make the three towns that preceded the city. Designated a special heavy-snow area, it is known for rice farming, sake brewing and Urasa Station on the Joetsu Shinkansen. This article looks at daily life through five axes and the supplementary residency rate.
Published 2026-04-17 · Article updated 2026-10-09 · Data updated 2026-10-08
Where in Japan
Overall Score
69.5
62.1
56.8
36.4
34.3* These scores are based on statistical analysis of public data and do not represent a definitive assessment of any area. Actual livability varies depending on individual values and lifestyle.
5-axis scores
Safety69.5Cost62.1Convenience56.8Welfare36.4Economy34.3Basic Information
Population
51,184
Prefecture
Niigata
Q&A with Kai
Alex, Yuki, and Kai discuss what it's really like to live here.
Three towns in a snowy basin
Yuki
The name Minamiuonuma sounds new. Was it always one town?
Alex
How much does snow change everyday life in winter?
Kai
It started as three towns in Minamiuonuma District. Muikamachi and Yamato merged into a city in November 2004. Shiozawa was the third of the towns that preceded the city. The city spans the Uonuma Basin and the surrounding mountains and hills. The Muikamachi urban area is still a densely inhabited district with the city hall and the central station.
Safety
Alex
If I moved here, what could I use as a guide to local crime?
Yuki
Where do crimes involving tourists get counted?
Kai
The crime rate is the guide. Niigata Prefectural Police figures for 2025 show 3.15 recognized penal code offenses per 1,000 residents, lower than the median of Japan's major municipalities. The figure is based on offenses known to the police and excludes those caused by traffic accidents.
Cost of living
Alex
If I rent, how should I think about rent here?
Yuki
How much do land prices differ within the town?
Kai
The statistical average is a starting point. The 2023 Housing and Land Survey puts the average monthly rent for rented homes in the city at 43,092 yen, lower than the median of Japan's major municipalities. It mixes homes of different sizes and ages, so check actual listings for homes that fit your needs.
Convenience
Alex
I might need to go to Tokyo sometimes. How do the railways work here?
Yuki
How many shops does a town in the basin have?
Kai
The Joetsu Shinkansen stops at Urasa Station, which is separate from Muikamachi, the central station. For daily trips, the 2020 Census shows 4.6% of commuters and students use rail or bus, average among Japan's major municipalities. The figure does not cover business or shopping trips.
Welfare
Alex
If I need a hospital, what hospitals are there in the city?
Yuki
How many schools are there for children in town?
Kai
Uonuma Kikan Hospital in Urasa was established by Niigata Prefecture and opened in June 2015. There are also the city-run Yukiguni Yamato Hospital and Minamiuonuma City Hospital. The number of hospitals and general clinics in the 2023 Survey of Medical Institutions, divided by the 2025 Census population, is 6.45 per 10,000 people, lower than the median of Japan's major municipalities.
Economy
Alex
If I worked locally, what kinds of jobs are there?
Yuki
Going back to those jobs, do people move into town for work?
Kai
Main industries are rice farming for Uonuma Koshihikari, fruit such as Yairo watermelons, and brewing sake, wine and beer. Hakkai Brewery has its head office and plant in the Jonai district. The fiscal 2025 tax survey by the Ministry of Internal Affairs puts taxable income per taxpayer at 2,874,655 yen, lower than the median of Japan's major municipalities.
Share of people actually living here
Yuki
Can the number of registered residents differ from the people actually living here?
Alex
Is this rate related to the move-outs you mentioned earlier?
Kai
It can, and the residency rate shows it. The 2025 Census population divided by the January 1, 2026 resident registry population gives 99.2%, average among Japan's major municipalities. It is a supplementary indicator, not an axis, and compares two populations counted at different times and in different ways.
Who this city suits
Families with children
The fiscal 2024 School Basic Survey counted 24 elementary, junior high and high schools in the city; check the city's page for child-rearing support. The thing to watch is snow: it can exceed 2 m even downtown, so check winter school routes and drop-offs for each district.
Young singles
Hakkai Brewery has its head office and plant in the city, and the 2023 Housing and Land Survey puts average monthly rent at 43,092 yen. Urasa Station on the Joetsu Shinkansen is also here. The thing to watch is commuting: check your route and means to work, including in the snow season.
Seniors
Besides Uonuma Kikan Hospital in Urasa, there are the city-run Yukiguni Yamato Hospital and Minamiuonuma City Hospital. The thing to watch is winter: before choosing a home, check who will clear snow at home and on the roof, and how you will get to the doctor in the snow season.
Remote workers
Urasa Station on the Joetsu Shinkansen and the Shiozawa-Ishiuchi and Muikamachi interchanges on the Kan-etsu Expressway offer more than one way to reach the Tokyo area. The city offers relocation support for people moving from the Tokyo area; see its page for conditions. The thing to watch is winter: check your travel options in the snow season.
Disaster risk and hazard maps
The city publishes its online disaster map, posting each page of the map delivered to every household as PDFs. For floods, the national and prefectural governments are preparing flood inundation maps for the maximum assumed rainfall. The Uonuma River below Hakkai Bridge is managed by the national government, and the upstream section and the Saguri River and others by the prefecture. For landslides, all landslide warning and special warning zones in the city have been designated (checked on the city's page on October 9, 2026). When choosing a home, check the official maps at the address level.
Notes on the data
- ※ The crime rate is the number of penal code offenses recognized by the police per 1,000 people. It excludes offenses unknown to the police and traffic accidents.
- ※ "Higher" or "lower than the median" compares with the median of each indicator among municipalities with 50,000 or more people in the 2025 Census. Values in the middle half are called "average".
- ※ Retail establishments and medical facilities are counts in the city divided by the 2025 Census population, and include shops for tourists.
- ※ Indicator years differ: commuting from the 2020 Census, establishments from the 2021 Economic Census, medical facilities from 2023, and schools from fiscal 2024.
📊 Cities with Similar Scores
Detailed Data
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Crime Rate (per 1,000) | 3.15 | 2025 |
| Avg. Land Price (¥/m²) | 18,400 | 2026 |
| Avg. Rent (¥) | 43,092 | 2023 |
| Public Transit Usage (%) | 4.6 | 2020 |
| Retail Establishments | 553 | 2021 |
| Retail Establishments (per 1,000) | 10.80 | 2021 |
| Restaurant Establishments | 305 | 2021 |
| Restaurant Establishments (per 1,000) | 5.96 | 2021 |
| Residency Rate (%, census ÷ resident register) | 99.2 | 2025 |
| Medical Facilities (per 10,000, hospitals + clinics) | 6.45 | 2023 |
| Hospitals | 5 | 2023 |
| Hospitals (per 10,000) | 0.98 | 2023 |
| Clinics | 28 | 2023 |
| Clinics (per 10,000) | 5.47 | 2023 |
| Schools (elementary + junior high + high) | 24 | 2024 |
| Schools (per 1,000) | 0.469 | 2024 |
| Schools (per habitable km²) | 0.124 | 2024 |
| Taxable Income per Capita (¥) | 2,874,655 | 2025 |
| Net Migration | -360 | 2025 |
| Net Migration Rate (%) | -0.70 | 2025 |
| Total Population | 51,184 | 2025 |
| crime_count | 161 | 2025 |
| crime_count_pref | 9,707 | 2025 |
| crime_rate_pref_per_1000 | 5 | 2025 |
| habitable_area_km2 | 194 | 2024 |
| resident_registry_population | 51,603 | 2026 |
Data sources
| Indicator | Source | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Population | 2025 Population CensusStatistics Bureau of Japan | 2025 | |
| Crime Rate (per 1,000) | Reported penal code offenses by municipalityNiigata Prefectural Police | 2025 | Counted where offenses occur; per 1,000 uses the 2025 census population |
| Avg. Land Price (¥/m²) | Official land prices (National Land Numerical Information L01)Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism | 2026 | Residential sites only; simple average of sites |
| Avg. Rent (¥) | 2023 Housing and Land SurveyStatistics Bureau of Japan | 2023 | Monthly rent of rented housing; next survey in 2028 |
| Public Transit Usage (%) | 2020 Population Census (means of commuting)Statistics Bureau of Japan | 2020 | To be updated when the 2025 census commuting tables are published |
| Retail Establishments (per 1,000) | 2021 Economic Census for Business ActivityMIC and METI | 2021 | Next survey in 2026 |
| Restaurant Establishments (per 1,000) | 2021 Economic Census for Business ActivityMIC and METI | 2021 | Next survey in 2026 |
| Medical Facilities (per 10,000, hospitals + clinics) | Survey of Medical Institutions (System of Social and Demographic Statistics)Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare | 2023 | Hospitals and clinics combined |
| Schools (per habitable km²) | School Basic Survey and habitable area (System of Social and Demographic Statistics)MEXT and Statistics Bureau of Japan | 2024 | Elementary, junior high and high schools per habitable km² |
| Taxable Income per Capita (¥) | Survey on municipal tax assessmentMinistry of Internal Affairs and Communications | 2025 | Taxable income per taxpayer |
| Net Migration Rate (%) | Report on Internal MigrationStatistics Bureau of Japan | 2025 | |
| Residency Rate (%, census ÷ resident register) | Census population ÷ resident register populationMinistry of Internal Affairs and Communications | 2025 | Resident register population as of January 1, 2026 |
Sources (18)
- Wikipedia 南魚沼市
- 新潟県警察 市町村別犯罪発生状況（令和7年）
- 新潟県警察 市町村別犯罪発生状況一覧表（令和7年12月末 確定値）PDF
- 魚沼基幹病院 病院概要・沿革
- 南魚沼市 移住支援金
- 南魚沼市 Web版防災マップ
- 南魚沼市 洪水への備え
- 南魚沼市 土砂災害への備え
- e-Stat 令和7年国勢調査 人口等基本集計（統計表ID 0004065881）
- e-Stat 令和2年国勢調査 通勤・通学利用交通手段（統計表ID 0003454513）
- e-Stat 令和3年経済センサス‐活動調査 産業別民営事業所数（統計表ID 0004005684）
- e-Stat 社会・人口統計体系 学校数（学校基本調査、統計表ID 0000020205）
- e-Stat 社会・人口統計体系 医療施設数（医療施設調査、統計表ID 0000020209）
- e-Stat 住民基本台帳人口移動報告 転入超過数（統計表ID 0003419945）
- 国土交通省 国土数値情報 地価公示データ（L01、令和8年）
- 総務省 市町村税課税状況等の調（令和7年度）
- 総務省 住民基本台帳に基づく人口、人口動態及び世帯数調査（令和8年）
- 国土地理院 重ねるハザードマップ
Data years: mainly 2025 (2020–2026 by indicator)
Published 2026-04-17 · Article updated 2026-10-09 · Data updated 2026-10-08