Signals
New River
Ham Lake
Opportunity
43 · Bottom 23%
vs47 · Bottom 31%
Climate
58 · Bottom 10%
vs54 · Bottom 3%
Physical resilience
47 · Bottom 38%
vs57 · Bottom 48%
Housing affordability
80 · Bottom 49%
vs92 · Top 26%
Access
97 · Top 22%
vs87 · Bottom 33%
Economic stability
75 · Top 17%
vs76 · Top 16%
Measured values
| Metric | New River | Ham Lake | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 18,240 | 16,702 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $134,289 | $120,135 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $65,465 | $53,119 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 325/sq mi | 485/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $640,600 | $442,500 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,948 | $1,173 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 94.7% | 93.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.8% | 4.7% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -3.9% | -2.0% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 31.5% | 36.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 6.3% | 4.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Average July high | 104°F | 83°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 44°F | 7°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 8.9" | 30.7" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 13 mi | 26 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 37.9 min | 31.5 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 50.7 | 43.8 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 3 | 7 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 15.14 | 17.75 | 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
New River
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding.
Ham Lake
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind, hail, inland flooding.
Full profiles: New River, AZ · Ham Lake, MN · How this is calculated: methodology