Vernal and St. Peter 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
St. Peter
Opportunity
40 · Bottom 17%
vs58 · Top 47%
Growth
79 · Top 6%
vs68 · Top 20%
Climate
53 · Bottom 2%
vs51 · Bottom 1%
Physical resilience
75 · Top 30%
vs73 · Top 33%
Housing affordability
90 · Top 32%
vs90 · Top 31%
Access
48 · Bottom 3%
vs67 · Bottom 10%
Economic stability
38 · Bottom 15%
vs50 · Bottom 32%
Measured values
| Metric | Vernal | St. Peter | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 10,392 | 12,185 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $64,457 | $65,122 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $27,279 | $30,810 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,248/sq mi | 2,009/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $252,700 | $250,700 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $934 | $961 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 54.6% | 64.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.1% | 3.9% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -7.7% | -0.8% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 14.0% | 34.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 17.9% | 16.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 82 | 73 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 7.9 | 6.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 82.2% | 28.1% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 91°F | 82°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 10°F | 3°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 8.6" | 32.4" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 83 mi | 53 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 17.8 min | 16.5 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 29.6 | 35.6 | 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.
St. Peter
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind, tornado.
Full profiles: Vernal, UT · St. Peter, MN · How this is calculated: methodology