New Brighton receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
New Brighton
Bloomington
Opportunity
48 · Bottom 32%
vs49 · Bottom 35%
Growth
28 · Bottom 15%
vs9 · Bottom 2%
Climate
54 · Bottom 3%
vs55 · Bottom 5%
Physical resilience
93 · Top 8%
vs93 · Top 7%
Housing affordability
85 · Top 42%
vs85 · Top 42%
Access
95 · Top 36%
vs97 · Top 29%
Economic stability
73 · Top 22%
vs69 · Top 31%
Measured values
| Metric | New Brighton | Bloomington | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 22,710 | 88,665 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $88,521 | $93,211 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $46,184 | $52,173 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,497/sq mi | 2,555/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $364,700 | $361,700 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,397 | $1,561 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 61.2% | 65.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.5% | 4.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -2.0% | -2.1% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 48.2% | 46.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 8.3% | 9.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 18 | 4 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.8 | 0.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -5.3% | -98.8% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 83°F | 83°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 7°F | 9°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 30.7" | 31.6" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 13 mi | 6 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 21.7 min | 22.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 37.0 | 41.1 | 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
New Brighton
Elevated or high exposure: hail.
Bloomington
Elevated or high exposure: hail.
Your best match
Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.
New Brighton
68
Your Score
64
Area Score
Bloomington
61
Your Score
58
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: New Brighton, MN · Bloomington, MN · How this is calculated: methodology