54874 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
55089
54874
Opportunity
55 · Top 49%
vs62 · Top 35%
Growth
39 · Bottom 32%
vs29 · Bottom 15%
Climate
55 · Bottom 5%
vs47 · Bottom 1%
Physical resilience
59 · Top 49%
vs75 · Top 29%
Housing affordability
93 · Top 26%
vs100 · Top 9%
Access
84 · Bottom 27%
vs83 · Bottom 25%
Economic stability
53 · Bottom 37%
vs60 · Top 49%
Measured values
| Metric | 55089 | 54874 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 1,612 | 3,690 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $108,750 | $89,063 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $49,289 | $39,796 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 24/sq mi | 26/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $384,800 | $218,900 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,679 | $953 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 90.3% | 91.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.8% | 4.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.3% | 0.8% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 30.5% | 25.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 11.4% | 4.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 12 | 11 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.7 | 0.4 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 33.3% | -26.7% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 83°F | 78°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 9°F | 2°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 29.2" | 31.2" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 32 mi | 22 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 32.6 min | 32.8 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 45.7 | 45.1 | 2024 ACS 5-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
55089
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind, hail, tornado.
54874
No hazard reaches elevated exposure.
Full profiles: 55089 — Red Wing, MN · 54874 — Superior, WI · How this is calculated: methodology