North St. Paul receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Richfield
North St. Paul
Opportunity
50 · Bottom 38%
vs45 · Bottom 25%
Growth
40 · Bottom 31%
vs35 · Bottom 24%
Climate
55 · Bottom 5%
vs55 · Bottom 5%
Physical resilience
93 · Top 7%
vs93 · Top 8%
Housing affordability
85 · Top 43%
vs92 · Top 28%
Access
97 · Top 29%
vs94 · Top 41%
Economic stability
73 · Top 23%
vs71 · Top 27%
Measured values
| Metric | Richfield | North St. Paul | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 36,642 | 12,570 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $85,132 | $84,797 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $47,856 | $37,387 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 5,406/sq mi | 4,400/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $344,000 | $298,500 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,393 | $1,352 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 61.6% | 68.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.0% | 4.5% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -2.1% | -2.0% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 43.7% | 31.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 8.2% | 11.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 44 | 6 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.2 | 0.5 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 83°F | 83°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 9°F | 9°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 31.6" | 29.2" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 3 mi | 14 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 24.5 min | 23.8 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 39.4 | 35.2 | 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
Richfield
Elevated or high exposure: hail.
North St. Paul
Elevated or high exposure: hail.
Your best match
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Richfield
65
Your Score
62
Area Score
North St. Paul
69
Your Score
65
Area Score
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Full profiles: Richfield, MN · North St. Paul, MN · How this is calculated: methodology