Plymouth receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Chaska
Plymouth
Opportunity
65 · Top 31%
vs57 · Top 49%
Growth
50 · Top 50%
vs48 · Bottom 45%
Climate
54 · Bottom 4%
vs54 · Bottom 3%
Physical resilience
90 · Top 11%
vs93 · Top 7%
Housing affordability
93 · Top 26%
vs93 · Top 24%
Schools
60 · Top 39%
vs87 · Top 6%
Access
88 · Bottom 38%
vs93 · Top 44%
Economic stability
84 · Top 3%
vs81 · Top 6%
Measured values
| Metric | Chaska | Plymouth | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 28,706 | 79,220 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $110,956 | $136,534 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $56,397 | $71,865 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,675/sq mi | 2,422/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $404,700 | $491,200 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,553 | $1,766 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 67.6% | 75.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.2% | 4.1% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.5% | -2.1% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 46.6% | 65.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 5.8% | 4.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 81 | 457 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 2.8 | 5.8 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -42.6% | 0.7% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 84°F | 83°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 8°F | 7°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 30.6" | 30.7" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 20 mi | 15 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 23.9 min | 23.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 37.5 | 40.3 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 22 | 35 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 15.45 | 16.45 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 48.9% | 71.6% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 57.3% | 72.7% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 21.1% | 24.4% | 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
Chaska
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind, hail, tornado.
Plymouth
Elevated or high exposure: hail.
Full profiles: Chaska, MN · Plymouth, MN · How this is calculated: methodology