Moorhead receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Austin
Moorhead
Opportunity
38 · Bottom 15%
vs44 · Bottom 25%
Growth
23 · Bottom 10%
vs34 · Bottom 24%
Climate
53 · Bottom 2%
vs49 · Bottom 1%
Physical resilience
45 · Bottom 35%
vs31 · Bottom 25%
Housing affordability
100 · Top 8%
vs95 · Top 19%
Schools
19 · Bottom 9%
vs32 · Bottom 25%
Access
86 · Bottom 32%
vs90 · Bottom 44%
Economic stability
53 · Bottom 36%
vs62 · Top 46%
Measured values
| Metric | Austin | Moorhead | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 26,358 | 45,036 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $68,057 | $72,761 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $31,514 | $37,546 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,957/sq mi | 2,021/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $163,900 | $249,000 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $953 | $1,033 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 71.5% | 58.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.1% | 4.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.6% | -2.6% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 23.6% | 41.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 12.5% | 16.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 4 | 87 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.2 | 1.9 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -96.5% | -67.4% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 81°F | 82°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 5°F | 0°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 36.2" | 24.0" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 29 mi | 5 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 19.2 min | 19.1 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 36.2 | 31.3 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 16 | 16 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 14.98 | 15.63 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 27.6% | 42.1% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 32.9% | 45.4% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 59.7% | 47.1% | 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
Austin
Elevated or high exposure: tornado, strong wind, inland flooding.
Moorhead
Elevated or high exposure: cold wave, inland flooding, strong wind.
Full profiles: Austin, MN · Moorhead, MN · How this is calculated: methodology