56560 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
56560
55912
Opportunity
45 · Bottom 29%
vs37 · Bottom 16%
Growth
32 · Bottom 20%
vs21 · Bottom 8%
Climate
49 · Bottom 1%
vs53 · Bottom 2%
Physical resilience
31 · Bottom 25%
vs45 · Bottom 35%
Housing affordability
96 · Top 19%
vs100 · Top 9%
Schools
38 · Bottom 33%
vs25 · Bottom 17%
Access
90 · Bottom 41%
vs86 · Bottom 31%
Economic stability
64 · Top 42%
vs54 · Bottom 40%
Measured values
| Metric | 56560 | 55912 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 44,405 | 29,632 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $75,406 | $70,177 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $39,316 | $33,148 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 282/sq mi | 158/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $253,200 | $170,200 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,035 | $951 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 59.0% | 74.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.4% | 5.1% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -2.6% | -1.6% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 41.6% | 24.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 15.7% | 12.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 87 | 4 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.9 | 0.2 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -67.4% | -96.5% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 82°F | 81°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 0°F | 5°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 24.0" | 36.2" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 7 mi | 29 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 19.3 min | 19.9 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 32.9 | 37.4 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 16 | 16 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 15.63 | 14.98 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 42.1% | 27.6% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 45.4% | 32.9% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 47.1% | 59.7% | 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
56560
Elevated or high exposure: cold wave, inland flooding, strong wind.
55912
Elevated or high exposure: tornado, strong wind, inland flooding.
Full profiles: 56560 — Moorhead, MN · 55912 — Austin, MN · How this is calculated: methodology