Midland receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Midland
Rochester
Opportunity
82 · Top 6%
vs61 · Top 39%
Growth
68 · Top 23%
vs72 · Top 15%
Climate
63 · Bottom 39%
vs54 · Bottom 8%
Physical resilience
60 · Top 45%
vs55 · Top 50%
Housing affordability
96 · Top 45%
vs96 · Top 44%
Access
93 · Top 19%
vs99 · Top 4%
Economic stability
84 · Top 9%
vs94 · Top 2%
Measured values
| Metric | Midland | Rochester | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 180,019 | 228,522 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $92,952 | $91,882 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $49,552 | $50,884 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 99/sq mi | 92/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $309,400 | $306,500 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,400 | $1,276 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 67.9% | 74.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.6% | 3.9% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.0% | -2.5% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 30.7% | 43.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 11.3% | 7.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 917 | 1,495 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 5.1 | 6.5 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -41.9% | 86.4% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 96°F | 80°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 33°F | 7°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 13.5" | 34.7" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 16 mi | 9 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 23.2 min | 21.9 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 32.9 | 38.9 | 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
Midland
Elevated or high exposure: hail, wildfire, drought.
Rochester
Elevated or high exposure: tornado, inland flooding.
Full profiles: Midland, TX Metro Area · Rochester, MN Metro Area · How this is calculated: methodology