Mankato receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
St. Cloud
Mankato
Opportunity
39 · Bottom 19%
vs54 · Bottom 47%
Growth
49 · Bottom 48%
vs71 · Top 17%
Climate
51 · Bottom 4%
vs53 · Bottom 6%
Physical resilience
69 · Top 31%
vs82 · Top 13%
Housing affordability
94 · Bottom 47%
vs94 · Bottom 48%
Access
47 · Bottom 10%
vs58 · Bottom 19%
Economic stability
80 · Top 15%
vs77 · Top 18%
Measured values
| Metric | St. Cloud | Mankato | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 202,458 | 104,282 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $76,497 | $75,808 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $38,346 | $39,431 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 116/sq mi | 87/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $272,800 | $268,100 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,042 | $1,069 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 67.6% | 64.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.0% | 4.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -2.1% | -0.9% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 28.2% | 34.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 12.3% | 13.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 620 | 669 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 3.1 | 6.4 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -20.4% | 113.1% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 82°F | 82°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 3°F | 6°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 28.5" | 33.9" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 79 mi | 68 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 23.3 min | 18.1 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 35.4 | 34.0 | 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
St. Cloud
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind, tornado.
Mankato
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind, tornado.
Full profiles: St. Cloud, MN Metro Area · Mankato, MN Metro Area · How this is calculated: methodology