Vernal and New Ulm 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
Vernal
New Ulm
Opportunity
40 · Bottom 17%
vs49 · Bottom 34%
Growth
79 · Top 6%
vs73 · Top 13%
Climate
53 · Bottom 2%
vs54 · Bottom 3%
Physical resilience
75 · Top 30%
vs80 · Top 25%
Housing affordability
90 · Top 32%
vs98 · Top 12%
Access
48 · Bottom 3%
vs50 · Bottom 4%
Economic stability
38 · Bottom 15%
vs63 · Top 43%
Measured values
| Metric | Vernal | New Ulm | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 10,392 | 14,056 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $64,457 | $64,449 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $27,279 | $35,978 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,248/sq mi | 1,383/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $252,700 | $204,200 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $934 | $962 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 54.6% | 75.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.1% | 4.5% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -7.7% | -1.3% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 14.0% | 27.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 17.9% | 9.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 82 | 134 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 7.9 | 9.5 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 82.2% | 570.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 91°F | 82°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 10°F | 7°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 8.6" | 31.1" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 83 mi | 73 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 17.8 min | 13.5 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 29.6 | 39.3 | 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
Vernal
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, earthquake.
New Ulm
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind, tornado.
Full profiles: Vernal, UT · New Ulm, MN · How this is calculated: methodology