Albert Lea, MN vs Rochester, MN

Side-by-side comparison from the latest government data.

MetricAlbert Lea, MNRochester, MN
Population18,330122,330
Median Household Income$64,603$89,389
Median Rent$857/mo$1,399/mo
Median Home Value$157,500$310,500
Cost of Living (US = 100)—91
Renters Paying 30%+ of Income45.7%45.7%
Poverty Rate12.8%8.5%
Unemployment Rate3.9% (county)3.1%
Violent Crime Rate /100k122186
Property Crime Rate /100k1,9641,444
Median AQI—39
Good AQI Days /yr—239
Summer Highs80°F79°F
Winter Lows10°F10°F
Snowfall40 in/yr52 in/yr
Avg Commute17.8 min17.4 min
Hospitals13
Avg Hospital Rating5.0 / 54.5 / 5
Students per Teacher1516.2
College Degree Rate17.4%50.9%
Foreign-Born %5.5%13.3%
Population Growth (2020–2025)-1.5%+2.4%

Green = clearly better (more than 5% apart). Population, growth, weather, hospital count and foreign-born share aren’t scored.