Big Lake and Andover receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
Big Lake
Andover
Opportunity
45 · Bottom 25%
vs47 · Bottom 30%
Growth
49 · Bottom 48%
vs54 · Top 44%
Climate
51 · Bottom 1%
vs54 · Bottom 3%
Physical resilience
66 · Top 42%
vs57 · Bottom 48%
Housing affordability
100 · Top 8%
vs100 · Top 8%
Access
71 · Bottom 13%
vs84 · Bottom 28%
Economic stability
83 · Top 3%
vs85 · Top 2%
Measured values
| Metric | Big Lake | Andover | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 12,367 | 33,035 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $120,549 | $137,593 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $42,522 | $53,379 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,710/sq mi | 975/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $330,200 | $410,200 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,340 | $2,037 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 86.9% | 94.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.8% | 4.8% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.9% | -2.0% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 26.8% | 38.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 5.6% | 3.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 26 | 104 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 2.1 | 3.1 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -16.1% | 6.1% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 82°F | 83°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 3°F | 7°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 28.5" | 30.7" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 41 mi | 26 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 35.8 min | 27.3 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 32.5 | 39.6 | 2024 ACS 5-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
Big Lake
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind.
Andover
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind, hail, inland flooding.
Full profiles: Big Lake, MN · Andover, MN · How this is calculated: methodology