Moorhead receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Moorhead
Austin
Opportunity
44 · Bottom 25%
vs38 · Bottom 15%
Growth
34 · Bottom 24%
vs23 · Bottom 10%
Climate
49 · Bottom 1%
vs53 · Bottom 2%
Physical resilience
31 · Bottom 25%
vs45 · Bottom 35%
Housing affordability
95 · Top 19%
vs100 · Top 8%
Schools
32 · Bottom 25%
vs19 · Bottom 9%
Access
90 · Bottom 44%
vs86 · Bottom 32%
Economic stability
62 · Top 46%
vs53 · Bottom 36%
Measured values
| Metric | Moorhead | Austin | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 45,036 | 26,358 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $72,761 | $68,057 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $37,546 | $31,514 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,021/sq mi | 1,957/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $249,000 | $163,900 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,033 | $953 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 58.1% | 71.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.4% | 5.1% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -2.6% | -1.6% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 41.6% | 23.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 16.1% | 12.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 87 | 4 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.9 | 0.2 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -67.4% | -96.5% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 82°F | 81°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 0°F | 5°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 24.0" | 36.2" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 5 mi | 29 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 19.1 min | 19.2 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 31.3 | 36.2 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 16 | 16 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 15.63 | 14.98 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 42.1% | 27.6% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 45.4% | 32.9% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 47.1% | 59.7% | 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
Moorhead
Elevated or high exposure: cold wave, inland flooding, strong wind.
Austin
Elevated or high exposure: tornado, strong wind, inland flooding.
Full profiles: Moorhead, MN · Austin, MN · How this is calculated: methodology