55304 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
55014
55304
Opportunity
47 · Bottom 33%
vs49 · Bottom 38%
Growth
55 · Top 42%
vs51 · Top 48%
Climate
54 · Bottom 3%
vs54 · Bottom 3%
Physical resilience
56 · Bottom 48%
vs56 · Bottom 48%
Housing affordability
94 · Top 22%
vs98 · Top 15%
Schools
67 · Top 30%
vs78 · Top 16%
Access
90 · Bottom 41%
vs87 · Bottom 33%
Economic stability
80 · Top 11%
vs87 · Top 3%
Measured values
| Metric | 55014 | 55304 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 29,047 | 49,737 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $103,658 | $131,700 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $46,249 | $53,292 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,433/sq mi | 725/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $337,400 | $421,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,661 | $1,704 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 85.8% | 94.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.7% | 4.7% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -2.0% | -2.0% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 36.7% | 37.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 5.2% | 3.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 122 | 46 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 5.5 | 2.8 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -19.7% | 21.1% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 83°F | 83°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 7°F | 7°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 30.7" | 30.7" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 20 mi | 25 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 25.5 min | 28.6 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 41.1 | 40.9 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 20 | 7 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 17.62 | 17.75 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 59.2% | 68.2% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 60.4% | 65.6% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 27.4% | 20.3% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
55014
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind, hail, inland flooding.
55304
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind, hail, inland flooding.
Full profiles: 55014 — Lino Lakes, MN · 55304 — Ham Lake, MN · How this is calculated: methodology