56003 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
56377
56003
Opportunity
43 · Bottom 26%
vs63 · Top 32%
Growth
53 · Top 45%
vs51 · Top 49%
Climate
51 · Bottom 1%
vs53 · Bottom 2%
Physical resilience
68 · Top 38%
vs73 · Top 32%
Housing affordability
95 · Top 21%
vs97 · Top 17%
Schools
80 · Top 13%
vs80 · Top 14%
Access
51 · Bottom 4%
vs61 · Bottom 7%
Economic stability
83 · Top 6%
vs87 · Top 3%
Measured values
| Metric | 56377 | 56003 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 21,063 | 15,258 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $87,172 | $82,538 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $43,647 | $52,651 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 942/sq mi | 347/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $302,400 | $270,400 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,273 | $975 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 65.4% | 71.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.0% | 3.9% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -2.0% | -0.8% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 40.6% | 40.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 6.7% | 4.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 30 | 54 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.5 | 3.8 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 3.4% | 54.3% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 82°F | 82°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 3°F | 6°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 28.5" | 33.9" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 72 mi | 63 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 20.9 min | 16.5 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 35.8 | 38.8 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 9 | 6 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 15.68 | 13.40 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 66.6% | 60.1% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 65.4% | 61.5% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 21.6% | 31.5% | 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
56377
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind, tornado.
56003
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind, tornado.
Full profiles: 56377 — Sartell, MN · 56003 — North Mankato, MN · How this is calculated: methodology