New Ulm and Mankato receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
New Ulm
Mankato
Opportunity
49 · Bottom 34%
vs49 · Bottom 36%
Growth
73 · Top 13%
vs75 · Top 10%
Climate
54 · Bottom 3%
vs53 · Bottom 2%
Physical resilience
80 · Top 25%
vs85 · Top 16%
Housing affordability
98 · Top 12%
vs84 · Top 44%
Schools
38 · Bottom 33%
vs51 · Bottom 49%
Access
50 · Bottom 4%
vs62 · Bottom 8%
Economic stability
63 · Top 43%
vs52 · Bottom 35%
Measured values
| Metric | New Ulm | Mankato | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 14,056 | 45,473 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $64,449 | $66,873 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $35,978 | $33,811 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,383/sq mi | 2,287/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $204,200 | $261,700 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $962 | $1,132 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 75.1% | 50.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.5% | 4.6% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.3% | -1.0% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 27.9% | 35.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 9.2% | 20.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 134 | 426 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 9.5 | 9.4 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 570.0% | 167.9% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 82°F | 82°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 7°F | 6°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 31.1" | 33.9" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 73 mi | 62 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 13.5 min | 15.6 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 39.3 | 26.5 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 12 | 21 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 14.21 | 16.48 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 43.6% | 46.7% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 45.7% | 55.4% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 32.2% | 39.3% | 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 Ulm
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind, tornado.
Mankato
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind, tornado.
Full profiles: New Ulm, MN · Mankato, MN · How this is calculated: methodology