56537 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
56537
55720
Opportunity
34 · Bottom 13%
vs25 · Bottom 5%
Growth
37 · Bottom 28%
vs32 · Bottom 20%
Climate
49 · Bottom 1%
vs47 · Bottom 1%
Physical resilience
91 · Top 9%
vs87 · Top 14%
Housing affordability
91 · Top 29%
vs92 · Top 27%
Schools
78 · Top 16%
vs60 · Top 39%
Access
61 · Bottom 7%
vs86 · Bottom 30%
Economic stability
59 · Bottom 48%
vs53 · Bottom 37%
Measured values
| Metric | 56537 | 55720 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 19,856 | 17,448 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $65,473 | $64,167 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $37,805 | $37,770 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 70/sq mi | 112/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $246,500 | $223,200 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $910 | $1,023 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 71.3% | 71.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.7% | 5.2% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -2.5% | -3.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 31.3% | 25.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 7.7% | 14.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 22 | 9 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.6 | 0.7 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 22.2% | 50.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 81°F | 78°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 0°F | 2°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 26.9" | 31.2" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 56 mi | 17 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 16.6 min | 19.9 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 43.7 | 38.2 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 10 | 9 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 14.41 | 15.49 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 62.0% | 47.5% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 60.9% | 58.4% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 36.1% | 42.6% | 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
56537
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind, tornado.
55720
No hazard reaches elevated exposure.
Full profiles: 56537 — Fergus Falls, MN · 55720 — Cloquet, MN · How this is calculated: methodology