New Ulm and St. Peter 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
St. Peter
Opportunity
49 · Bottom 34%
vs58 · Top 47%
Growth
73 · Top 13%
vs68 · Top 20%
Climate
54 · Bottom 3%
vs51 · Bottom 1%
Physical resilience
80 · Top 25%
vs73 · Top 33%
Housing affordability
98 · Top 12%
vs90 · Top 31%
Schools
38 · Bottom 33%
vs46 · Bottom 42%
Access
50 · Bottom 4%
vs67 · Bottom 10%
Economic stability
63 · Top 43%
vs50 · Bottom 32%
Measured values
| Metric | New Ulm | St. Peter | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 14,056 | 12,185 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $64,449 | $65,122 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $35,978 | $30,810 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,383/sq mi | 2,009/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $204,200 | $250,700 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $962 | $961 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 75.1% | 64.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.5% | 3.9% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.3% | -0.8% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 27.9% | 34.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 9.2% | 16.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 134 | 73 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 9.5 | 6.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 570.0% | 28.1% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 82°F | 82°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 7°F | 3°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 31.1" | 32.4" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 73 mi | 53 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 13.5 min | 16.5 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 39.3 | 35.6 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 12 | 13 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 14.21 | 15.50 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 43.6% | 47.1% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 45.7% | 48.4% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 32.2% | 38.5% | 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.
St. Peter
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind, tornado.
Full profiles: New Ulm, MN · St. Peter, MN · How this is calculated: methodology