Woodbury receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Ham Lake
Woodbury
Opportunity
47 · Bottom 31%
vs60 · Top 41%
Growth
53 · Top 45%
vs43 · Bottom 38%
Climate
54 · Bottom 3%
vs55 · Bottom 5%
Physical resilience
57 · Bottom 48%
vs87 · Top 15%
Housing affordability
92 · Top 26%
vs93 · Top 26%
Schools
80 · Top 14%
vs70 · Top 27%
Access
87 · Bottom 33%
vs94 · Top 43%
Economic stability
76 · Top 16%
vs82 · Top 5%
Measured values
| Metric | Ham Lake | Woodbury | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 16,702 | 78,305 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $120,135 | $125,310 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $53,119 | $60,068 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 485/sq mi | 2,244/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $442,500 | $450,200 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,173 | $1,908 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 93.7% | 77.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.7% | 3.9% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -2.0% | -1.9% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 36.9% | 61.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 4.0% | 5.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 46 | 244 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 2.8 | 3.1 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 21.1% | -70.5% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 83°F | 83°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 7°F | 9°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 30.7" | 29.2" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 26 mi | 15 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 31.5 min | 25.6 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 43.8 | 38.0 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 7 | 16 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 17.75 | 19.06 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 68.2% | 58.7% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 65.6% | 65.1% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 20.3% | 20.5% | 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
Ham Lake
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind, hail, inland flooding.
Woodbury
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind, hail.
Full profiles: Ham Lake, MN · Woodbury, MN · How this is calculated: methodology