56501 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
55744
56501
Opportunity
32 · Bottom 11%
vs50 · Bottom 41%
Growth
81 · Top 3%
vs63 · Top 26%
Climate
45 · Bottom 1%
vs45 · Bottom 1%
Physical resilience
81 · Top 21%
vs87 · Top 14%
Housing affordability
94 · Top 23%
vs83 · Top 45%
Schools
49 · Bottom 47%
vs49 · Bottom 46%
Access
54 · Bottom 5%
vs67 · Bottom 10%
Economic stability
42 · Bottom 21%
vs40 · Bottom 20%
Measured values
| Metric | 55744 | 56501 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 20,295 | 18,004 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $70,644 | $70,037 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $37,925 | $45,609 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 85/sq mi | 96/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $241,200 | $314,700 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,092 | $963 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 76.9% | 70.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 6.2% | 4.6% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -2.1% | -1.6% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 29.4% | 32.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 10.9% | 12.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 184 | 49 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 16.4 | 4.9 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 2200.0% | 58.1% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 80°F | 79°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | -1°F | -4°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 29.4" | 29.5" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 68 mi | 47 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 21.4 min | 19.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 47.1 | 44.5 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 9 | 11 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 17.75 | 14.26 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 47.8% | 46.1% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 52.7% | 47.9% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 42.4% | 37.0% | 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
55744
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding.
56501
Elevated or high exposure: winter weather, tornado, strong wind.
Full profiles: 55744 — Grand Rapids, MN · 56501 — Detroit Lakes, MN · How this is calculated: methodology