Waconia and Rochester 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
Waconia
Rochester
Opportunity
62 · Top 38%
vs69 · Top 25%
Growth
68 · Top 20%
vs60 · Top 33%
Climate
54 · Bottom 4%
vs61 · Bottom 16%
Physical resilience
90 · Top 11%
vs94 · Top 6%
Housing affordability
90 · Top 32%
vs86 · Top 40%
Access
83 · Bottom 26%
vs82 · Bottom 25%
Economic stability
84 · Top 3%
vs76 · Top 15%
Measured values
| Metric | Waconia | Rochester | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 13,434 | 12,934 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $111,031 | $111,750 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $53,078 | $72,366 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,394/sq mi | 3,376/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $431,000 | $473,200 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,330 | $1,350 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 80.3% | 67.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.1% | 4.6% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.5% | 1.2% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 48.9% | 70.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 4.1% | 4.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 180 | 31 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 13.4 | 2.4 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -12.6% | 138.5% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 84°F | 82°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 8°F | 17°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 30.6" | 29.2" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 28 mi | 35 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 27.0 min | 27.0 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 38.4 | 41.2 | 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
Waconia
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind, hail, tornado.
Rochester
No hazard reaches elevated exposure.
Full profiles: Waconia, MN · Rochester, MI · How this is calculated: methodology