Hopkins and Blaine 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
Hopkins
Blaine
Opportunity
47 · Bottom 30%
vs50 · Bottom 37%
Growth
22 · Bottom 9%
vs38 · Bottom 28%
Climate
54 · Bottom 4%
vs54 · Bottom 3%
Physical resilience
93 · Top 7%
vs57 · Bottom 48%
Housing affordability
65 · Bottom 27%
vs94 · Top 22%
Access
97 · Top 29%
vs90 · Bottom 45%
Economic stability
65 · Top 39%
vs75 · Top 17%
Measured values
| Metric | Hopkins | Blaine | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 18,819 | 72,488 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $75,234 | $106,801 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $48,787 | $46,842 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 4,635/sq mi | 2,203/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $375,600 | $352,400 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,468 | $1,705 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 36.5% | 85.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.3% | 4.5% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -2.1% | -2.0% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 45.6% | 36.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 12.1% | 7.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 7 | 96 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.4 | 1.3 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -97.7% | -51.3% | 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 | 9 mi | 20 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 20.8 min | 26.3 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 37.8 | 37.5 | 2024 ACS 5-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
Hopkins
Elevated or high exposure: hail.
Blaine
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind, hail, inland flooding.
Full profiles: Hopkins, MN · Blaine, MN · How this is calculated: methodology