New Ulm and Vernal 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
Vernal
Opportunity
49 · Bottom 34%
vs40 · Bottom 17%
Growth
73 · Top 13%
vs79 · Top 6%
Climate
54 · Bottom 3%
vs53 · Bottom 2%
Physical resilience
80 · Top 25%
vs75 · Top 30%
Housing affordability
98 · Top 12%
vs90 · Top 32%
Access
50 · Bottom 4%
vs48 · Bottom 3%
Economic stability
63 · Top 43%
vs38 · Bottom 15%
Measured values
| Metric | New Ulm | Vernal | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 14,056 | 10,392 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $64,449 | $64,457 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $35,978 | $27,279 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,383/sq mi | 2,248/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $204,200 | $252,700 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $962 | $934 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 75.1% | 54.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.5% | 4.1% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.3% | -7.7% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 27.9% | 14.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 9.2% | 17.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 134 | 82 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 9.5 | 7.9 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 570.0% | 82.2% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 82°F | 91°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 7°F | 10°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 31.1" | 8.6" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 73 mi | 83 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 13.5 min | 17.8 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 39.3 | 29.6 | 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 Ulm
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind, tornado.
Vernal
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, earthquake.
Full profiles: New Ulm, MN · Vernal, UT · How this is calculated: methodology