Duluth receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Cloquet
Duluth
Opportunity
25 · Bottom 3%
vs36 · Bottom 12%
Growth
34 · Bottom 23%
vs33 · Bottom 21%
Climate
47 · Bottom 1%
vs47 · Bottom 1%
Physical resilience
87 · Top 14%
vs94 · Top 5%
Housing affordability
90 · Top 31%
vs92 · Top 27%
Schools
59 · Top 40%
vs54 · Top 47%
Access
86 · Bottom 32%
vs90 · Bottom 44%
Economic stability
51 · Bottom 33%
vs54 · Bottom 37%
Measured values
| Metric | Cloquet | Duluth | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 12,537 | 87,093 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $61,367 | $68,807 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $38,223 | $41,503 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 356/sq mi | 1,215/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $212,700 | $242,700 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,024 | $1,087 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 65.9% | 59.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.2% | 4.7% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -3.4% | -3.3% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 25.8% | 44.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 15.9% | 16.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 9 | 153 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.7 | 1.8 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 50.0% | -27.5% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 78°F | 78°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 2°F | 2°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 31.2" | 31.2" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 17 mi | 5 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 18.2 min | 18.7 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 37.4 | 35.2 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 9 | 18 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 15.49 | 14.75 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 47.5% | 46.7% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 58.4% | 54.5% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 42.6% | 38.4% | 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.
Full profiles: Cloquet, MN · Duluth, MN · How this is calculated: methodology