Sartell 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
Sartell
Opportunity
31 · Bottom 7%
vs43 · Bottom 23%
Growth
34 · Bottom 22%
vs55 · Top 42%
Climate
51 · Bottom 1%
vs51 · Bottom 1%
Physical resilience
68 · Top 39%
vs68 · Top 39%
Housing affordability
89 · Top 34%
vs94 · Top 23%
Schools
21 · Bottom 12%
vs82 · Top 11%
Access
56 · Bottom 5%
vs52 · Bottom 4%
Economic stability
52 · Bottom 35%
vs78 · Top 10%
Measured values
| Metric | St. Cloud | Sartell | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 70,629 | 19,758 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $61,374 | $84,131 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $32,108 | $42,415 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,756/sq mi | 1,891/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $225,000 | $297,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,003 | $1,275 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 48.6% | 61.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.5% | 5.0% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -2.0% | -2.0% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 30.4% | 40.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 20.2% | 7.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 70 | 30 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.0 | 1.5 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -81.5% | 3.4% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 82°F | 82°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 3°F | 3°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 28.5" | 28.5" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 64 mi | 70 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 20.8 min | 20.5 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 30.6 | 34.8 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 20 | 9 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 14.20 | 15.68 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 26.6% | 66.6% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 34.4% | 65.4% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 70.6% | 21.6% | 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
St. Cloud
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind, tornado.
Sartell
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind, tornado.
Full profiles: St. Cloud, MN · Sartell, MN · How this is calculated: methodology