Shoreview and Waconia 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
Shoreview
Waconia
Opportunity
52 · Bottom 42%
vs62 · Top 38%
Growth
74 · Top 11%
vs68 · Top 20%
Climate
54 · Bottom 3%
vs54 · Bottom 4%
Physical resilience
92 · Top 9%
vs90 · Top 11%
Housing affordability
93 · Top 25%
vs90 · Top 32%
Schools
93 · Top 2%
vs83 · Top 10%
Access
94 · Top 42%
vs83 · Bottom 26%
Economic stability
73 · Top 21%
vs84 · Top 3%
Measured values
| Metric | Shoreview | Waconia | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 26,714 | 13,434 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $108,370 | $111,031 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $61,360 | $53,078 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,481/sq mi | 2,394/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $383,700 | $431,000 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,661 | $1,330 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 80.2% | 80.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.5% | 4.1% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -2.0% | -1.5% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 61.2% | 48.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 5.6% | 4.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 330 | 180 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 12.4 | 13.4 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 2257.1% | -12.6% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 83°F | 84°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 7°F | 8°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 30.7" | 30.6" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 14 mi | 28 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 24.2 min | 27.0 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 43.6 | 38.4 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 12 | 9 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 13.23 | 14.65 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 68.5% | 63.0% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 70.7% | 64.9% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 18.9% | 12.3% | 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
Shoreview
Elevated or high exposure: hail.
Waconia
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind, hail, tornado.
Full profiles: Shoreview, MN · Waconia, MN · How this is calculated: methodology