56304 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
56304
56187
Opportunity
27 · Bottom 6%
vs27 · Bottom 6%
Growth
32 · Bottom 20%
vs26 · Bottom 12%
Climate
51 · Bottom 1%
vs53 · Bottom 2%
Physical resilience
67 · Top 40%
vs60 · Top 48%
Housing affordability
81 · Top 49%
vs95 · Top 20%
Access
58 · Bottom 6%
vs64 · Bottom 8%
Economic stability
55 · Bottom 42%
vs44 · Bottom 24%
Measured values
| Metric | 56304 | 56187 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 17,473 | 15,214 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $58,148 | $64,326 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $31,477 | $29,235 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 288/sq mi | 90/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $251,500 | $219,000 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $956 | $925 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 41.4% | 69.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.5% | 5.0% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -2.0% | -2.9% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 28.4% | 18.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 16.5% | 16.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 70 | 11 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.0 | 0.8 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -81.5% | -87.8% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 82°F | 82°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 3°F | 5°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 28.5" | 30.5" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 61 mi | 58 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 23.5 min | 18.7 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 32.1 | 34.0 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 2 | 7 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 11.83 | 13.98 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 83.1% | 67.6% | 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
56304
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind.
56187
Elevated or high exposure: hail, tornado, strong wind.
Full profiles: 56304 — St. Cloud, MN · 56187 — Worthington, MN · How this is calculated: methodology