55066 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
55021
55066
Opportunity
47 · Bottom 33%
vs47 · Bottom 34%
Growth
48 · Bottom 47%
vs39 · Bottom 32%
Climate
52 · Bottom 2%
vs53 · Bottom 2%
Physical resilience
51 · Bottom 43%
vs58 · Bottom 49%
Housing affordability
86 · Top 40%
vs95 · Top 20%
Schools
27 · Bottom 19%
vs39 · Bottom 33%
Access
77 · Bottom 19%
vs78 · Bottom 19%
Economic stability
47 · Bottom 29%
vs54 · Bottom 40%
Measured values
| Metric | 55021 | 55066 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 30,908 | 19,226 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $68,820 | $73,584 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $36,459 | $42,916 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 175/sq mi | 159/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $280,200 | $250,500 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,076 | $973 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 71.8% | 74.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.6% | 4.8% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.1% | -1.3% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 20.0% | 26.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 13.8% | 12.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 27 | 12 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.1 | 0.7 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 3.8% | 33.3% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 82°F | 82°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 5°F | 6°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 35.5" | 32.4" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 40 mi | 42 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 22.7 min | 21.8 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 40.8 | 42.5 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 19 | 12 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 11.46 | 13.43 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 16.0% | 37.7% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 32.4% | 41.5% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 68.7% | 35.9% | 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
55021
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind, hail, tornado.
55066
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind, hail, tornado.
Full profiles: 55021 — Faribault, MN · 55066 — Red Wing, MN · How this is calculated: methodology