Cloquet and Hibbing 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
Cloquet
Hibbing
Opportunity
25 · Bottom 3%
vs20 · Bottom 1%
Growth
34 · Bottom 23%
vs58 · Top 35%
Climate
47 · Bottom 1%
vs41 · Bottom 1%
Physical resilience
87 · Top 14%
vs93 · Top 7%
Housing affordability
90 · Top 31%
vs100 · Top 8%
Schools
59 · Top 40%
vs43 · Bottom 39%
Access
86 · Bottom 32%
vs64 · Bottom 8%
Economic stability
51 · Bottom 33%
vs42 · Bottom 20%
Measured values
| Metric | Cloquet | Hibbing | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 12,537 | 16,057 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $61,367 | $55,789 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $38,223 | $34,424 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 356/sq mi | 88/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $212,700 | $130,200 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,024 | $833 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 65.9% | 71.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.2% | 5.3% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -3.4% | -3.3% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 25.8% | 18.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 15.9% | 16.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 9 | 62 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.7 | 3.9 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 50.0% | 675.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 78°F | 77°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 2°F | -4°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 31.2" | 24.8" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 17 mi | 52 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 18.2 min | 17.9 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 37.4 | 45.7 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 9 | 6 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 15.49 | 16.98 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 47.5% | 45.0% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 58.4% | 54.3% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 42.6% | 47.4% | 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 · Hibbing, MN · How this is calculated: methodology