Hugo receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Hugo
St. Paul
Opportunity
54 · Bottom 46%
vs46 · Bottom 27%
Growth
66 · Top 22%
vs36 · Bottom 25%
Climate
55 · Bottom 5%
vs55 · Bottom 5%
Physical resilience
79 · Top 25%
vs93 · Top 8%
Housing affordability
91 · Top 30%
vs82 · Top 48%
Schools
88 · Top 5%
vs19 · Bottom 10%
Access
88 · Bottom 37%
vs97 · Top 29%
Economic stability
86 · Top 1%
vs59 · Bottom 47%
Measured values
| Metric | Hugo | St. Paul | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 16,340 | 307,284 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $116,228 | $73,394 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $59,030 | $42,815 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 488/sq mi | 5,912/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $408,900 | $294,500 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,891 | $1,281 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 89.5% | 52.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.4% | 4.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.9% | -2.0% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 46.5% | 43.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 2.8% | 15.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 151 | 437 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 9.2 | 1.4 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -13.7% | 46.6% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 83°F | 83°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 9°F | 9°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 29.2" | 29.2" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 23 mi | 7 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 29.0 min | 22.8 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 40.1 | 33.7 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 5 | 141 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 14.84 | 14.69 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 70.3% | 24.4% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 66.0% | 34.7% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 21.5% | 66.4% | 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.
Physical risk tradeoff
Hugo
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind, hail.
St. Paul
Elevated or high exposure: hail.
Full profiles: Hugo, MN · St. Paul, MN · How this is calculated: methodology