55426 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
55124
55426
Opportunity
47 · Bottom 34%
vs60 · Top 39%
Growth
64 · Top 26%
vs66 · Top 22%
Climate
55 · Bottom 5%
vs54 · Bottom 3%
Physical resilience
87 · Top 14%
vs93 · Top 7%
Housing affordability
84 · Top 45%
vs91 · Top 30%
Schools
45 · Bottom 42%
vs47 · Bottom 44%
Access
97 · Top 32%
vs97 · Top 32%
Economic stability
81 · Top 9%
vs78 · Top 14%
Measured values
| Metric | 55124 | 55426 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 55,658 | 25,251 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $97,727 | $99,347 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $50,389 | $58,202 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,300/sq mi | 3,813/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $370,400 | $364,600 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,736 | $1,539 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 73.5% | 64.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.6% | 3.6% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.9% | -2.1% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 45.9% | 58.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 6.0% | 7.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 399 | 613 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 7.2 | 12.4 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 1325.0% | 20333.3% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 83°F | 83°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 9°F | 7°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 31.6" | 30.7" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 10 mi | 9 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 25.5 min | 22.8 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 39.0 | 37.1 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 20 | 13 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 15.73 | 17.97 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 43.3% | 46.6% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 52.4% | 53.0% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 36.0% | 35.7% | 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
55124
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind, hail.
55426
Elevated or high exposure: hail.
Full profiles: 55124 — Apple Valley, MN · 55426 — St. Louis Park, MN · How this is calculated: methodology