55060 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
55060
56007
Opportunity
32 · Bottom 10%
vs30 · Bottom 9%
Growth
36 · Bottom 27%
vs34 · Bottom 23%
Climate
52 · Bottom 2%
vs53 · Bottom 2%
Physical resilience
77 · Top 28%
vs70 · Top 35%
Housing affordability
100 · Top 9%
vs100 · Top 9%
Schools
40 · Bottom 36%
vs33 · Bottom 26%
Access
79 · Bottom 21%
vs75 · Bottom 16%
Economic stability
66 · Top 37%
vs47 · Bottom 29%
Measured values
| Metric | 55060 | 56007 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 29,599 | 21,377 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $84,906 | $68,846 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $42,145 | $39,953 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 145/sq mi | 126/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $251,100 | $166,900 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,069 | $855 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 77.2% | 76.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.5% | 4.9% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -2.9% | -2.5% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 28.7% | 18.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 9.0% | 11.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 25 | 6 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.9 | 0.3 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 66.7% | 200.0% | 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" | 35.8" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 38 mi | 45 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 20.0 min | 19.5 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 40.6 | 44.3 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 12 | 8 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 14.35 | 14.59 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 41.8% | 33.0% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 45.0% | 37.7% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 42.0% | 57.8% | 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
55060
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind, hail, tornado.
56007
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind, tornado, cold wave.
Full profiles: 55060 — Owatonna, MN · 56007 — Albert Lea, MN · How this is calculated: methodology