56308 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
56308
56401
Opportunity
49 · Bottom 38%
vs36 · Bottom 15%
Growth
65 · Top 24%
vs66 · Top 21%
Climate
50 · Bottom 1%
vs49 · Bottom 1%
Physical resilience
96 · Top 2%
vs71 · Top 34%
Housing affordability
85 · Top 43%
vs94 · Top 24%
Schools
64 · Top 33%
vs63 · Top 35%
Access
34 · Bottom 1%
vs34 · Bottom 1%
Economic stability
51 · Bottom 35%
vs51 · Bottom 34%
Measured values
| Metric | 56308 | 56401 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 27,008 | 31,841 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $78,177 | $73,128 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $45,025 | $37,969 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 168/sq mi | 99/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $341,900 | $261,600 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $956 | $883 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 72.6% | 73.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.1% | 4.7% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -2.5% | -3.1% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 34.0% | 25.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 8.7% | 10.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 177 | 159 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 12.0 | 11.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -30.0% | 28.2% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 80°F | 82°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 2°F | 0°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 24.1" | 24.5" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 99 mi | 99 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 19.4 min | 23.2 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 44.3 | 40.4 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 10 | 10 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 15.21 | 14.86 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 59.2% | 57.9% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 51.9% | 51.8% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 30.0% | 42.3% | 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
56308
Elevated or high exposure: tornado.
56401
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding, tornado.
Full profiles: 56308 — Alexandria, MN · 56401 — Brainerd, MN · How this is calculated: methodology