Hibbing and Cloquet 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
Hibbing
Cloquet
Opportunity
20 · Bottom 1%
vs25 · Bottom 3%
Growth
58 · Top 35%
vs34 · Bottom 23%
Climate
41 · Bottom 1%
vs47 · Bottom 1%
Physical resilience
93 · Top 7%
vs87 · Top 14%
Housing affordability
100 · Top 8%
vs90 · Top 31%
Schools
43 · Bottom 39%
vs59 · Top 40%
Access
64 · Bottom 8%
vs86 · Bottom 32%
Economic stability
42 · Bottom 20%
vs51 · Bottom 33%
Measured values
| Metric | Hibbing | Cloquet | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 16,057 | 12,537 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $55,789 | $61,367 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $34,424 | $38,223 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 88/sq mi | 356/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $130,200 | $212,700 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $833 | $1,024 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 71.1% | 65.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.3% | 5.2% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -3.3% | -3.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 18.6% | 25.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 16.2% | 15.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 62 | 9 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 3.9 | 0.7 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 675.0% | 50.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 77°F | 78°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | -4°F | 2°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 24.8" | 31.2" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 52 mi | 17 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 17.9 min | 18.2 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 45.7 | 37.4 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 6 | 9 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 16.98 | 15.49 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 45.0% | 47.5% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 54.3% | 58.4% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 47.4% | 42.6% | 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: Hibbing, MN · Cloquet, MN · How this is calculated: methodology