Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US metro and micro areas.

Safety79#191/924
Economy65#321/925
Housing74#241/925
Health70#274/925
Healthcare56#406/923
Environment94#56/917
Education34#612/925
Infrastructure37#581/925
Community73#249/925
Leisure & amenities54#429/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Albert Lea, MN micropolitan area ranks highest and lowest among US metro and micro areas (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

Social associations · high18.4 /10k
98/100Minnesota 12.2 /10kUnited States 9.1 /10k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Drought exposure · low4%
90/100Minnesota 36%United States 43%Oct 2025–Sep 2026National Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAAAggregated from counties
Home price to income ratio · low2.4×
89/100Minnesota 3.7×United States 4.1×2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25077
Violent crime rate · low111 /100k
88/100Minnesota 224 /100kUnited States 328 /100k2025Federal Bureau of InvestigationAggregated from counties
Firearm deaths · low9.3 /100k
88/100Minnesota 9.4 /100kUnited States 12.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Severe housing problems · low10.7%
86/100Minnesota 12.6%United States 16.8%2017-2021University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties

Weaknesses

Pharmacies · low0.7 /10k
5/100Minnesota 1.7 /10kUnited States 1.8 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
Gyms and fitness centers · low0.3 /10k
7/100Minnesota 1.4 /10kUnited States 1.3 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
New homes permitted · low0.7 /1k
13/100Minnesota 3.9 /1kUnited States 4.2 /1kSep 2025–Aug 2026U.S. Census BureauProvisional data
Bachelor's degree or higher · low18.2%
15/100Minnesota 39.4%United States 35.7%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B15003
Public libraries · low0.3 /10k
16/100Minnesota 0.6 /10kUnited States 0.5 /10k2024Institute of Museum and Library ServicesAggregated from counties
New business applications · low8.8 /1k
18/100Minnesota 12.7 /1kUnited States 16.6 /1k2025U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

Drought exposureImproving
48% (2021) → 3% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
−45 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
New business applicationsImproving
5.0 /1k (2020) → 8.8 /1k (2025)
+77%5 yearsUS 13.1 /1k → 16.6 /1k
New homes permittedWorsening
2.4 /1k (2021) → 0.7 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
−71%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k
Traffic deathsWorsening
7.9 /100k (2015-2019) → 13.0 /100k (2020-2024)
+66%5 yearsUS 11.3 /100k → 12.3 /100k
Child care cost burdenWorsening
22.6% (2020 & 2021) → 32.6% (2023 & 2024)
+10 pts3 yearsUS 24.5% → 27.9%
PharmaciesWorsening
1.3 /10k (2020) → 0.7 /10k (2025)
−49%5 yearsUS 1.9 /10k → 1.8 /10k

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Albert Lea, MN micropolitan area improved on 10 of 30 measures with a comparison and declined on 8. 8 moved within the margin of error and 4 barely changed.

Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among metro and micro areas: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts. Periods differ by measure (most compare 2015-2019 with 2020-2024); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved10

Real income+38%$49,780 → $68,849
New businesses+77%5.0 /1k → 8.8 /1k
Household income+32%$53,631 → $71,023
Restaurants+8.5%9.4 /10k → 10.2 /10k
Violent crime−30%160 /100k → 111 /100k

Declined8

Overdose deaths+86%7.3 /100k → 13.6 /100k
Pharmacies−49%1.3 /10k → 0.7 /10k
Inequality+0.0430.414 → 0.457
Traffic deaths+66%7.9 /100k → 13.0 /100k
Uninsured+1.7 points6.7% → 8.4%

All 30 measures

Change of every measure of Albert Lea, MN micropolitan area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	3.6 /10k2020	3.9 /10k2025	+11%	Improved	56%
Average commute time	19.1 min2015-2019	19.7 min2020-2024	+0.6 min	Within the margin of error	44%
Average weekly wage	$8662020	$1,0722025	+24%	Improved	55%
Bachelor's degree or higher	17.1%2015-2019	18.2%2020-2024	+1.1 points	Within the margin of error	18%
Broadband subscriptions	77.3%2015-2019	86.3%2020-2024	+8.9 points	Improved	51%
Child poverty rate	15.6%2015-2019	12.1%2020-2024	−3.5 points	Within the margin of error	64%
Distance to an airport	85 mi2020	85 mi2025	0 mi	Little change	50%
Drug overdose deaths	7.3 /100k2020	13.6 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	+86%	Declined	4%
Effective property tax rate	1.05%2015-2019	1.08%2020-2024	+0 points	Within the margin of error	5%
Firearm deaths	7.6 /100k2020	9.3 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+22%	Declined	23%
Grocery stores	1.6 /10k2020	1.6 /10k2025	+1.5%	Little change	57%
Gyms and fitness centers	0.3 /10k2020	0.3 /10k2025	+1.5%	Little change	47%
High school diploma or higher	88.8%2015-2019	91.4%2020-2024	+2.6 points	Within the margin of error	72%
Home price to income ratio	2.1×2015-2019	2.4×2020-2024	+0.3×	Declined	70%
Income adjusted for local prices	$49,7802019	$68,8492024	+38%	Improved	85%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4142015-2019	0.4572020-2024	+0.043	Declined	2%
Median household income	$53,6312015-2019	$71,0232020-2024	+32%	Improved	77%
New business applications	5.0 /1k2020	8.8 /1k2025	+77%	Improved	86%
Pharmacies	1.3 /10k2020	0.7 /10k2025	−49%	Declined	2%
Poverty rate	11.0%2015-2019	10.6%2020-2024	−0.4 points	Within the margin of error	36%
Property crime rate	2,022 /100k2020	1,462 /100k2025	−28%	Improved	36%
Public libraries	0.3 /10k2019	0.3 /10k2024	−0.1%	Little change	63%
Rent as share of income	26.1%2015-2019	27.2%2020-2024	+1.1 points	Within the margin of error	35%
Rent-burdened households	43.0%2015-2019	44.9%2020-2024	+1.9 points	Within the margin of error	41%
Restaurants and bars	9.4 /10k2020	10.2 /10k2025	+8.5%	Improved	76%
Suicide rate	12.8 /100k2020	14.0 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+9.4%	Declined	39%
Traffic deaths	7.9 /100k2015-2019	13.0 /100k2020-2024	+66%	Declined	3%
Unemployment rate	5.7%2020	3.9%2025	−1.8 points	Improved	18%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	6.7%2015-2019	8.4%2020-2024	+1.7 points	Declined	11%
Violent crime rate	160 /100k2020	111 /100k2025	−30%	Improved	76%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 708 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts; Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence; American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; Business Formation Statistics; Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master files; Public Libraries Survey; Fatality Analysis Reporting System; Distance to airports and intercity rail. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 925 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Metro and micro areas like Albert Lea, MN micropolitan area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Albert Lea, MN micropolitan area in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Albert Lea, MN micropolitan area itself moved −5.9 points in standing on average over the same 29 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

30,623 residents

Men
Women

80 and over
70–79
60–69

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

12,846 households (±259)

Albert Lea, MN micropolitan area
United States share

Under $25k15%1,863
$25k–50k21%2,641
$50k–75k19%2,419

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

12,846 households (±259)

Albert Lea, MN micropolitan area
United States share

Own80%10,213
Rent20%2,633

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (+2.8 points).

Table view

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

14,231 workers (±328)

Albert Lea, MN micropolitan area
United States share

Drive alone79%11,304
Carpool7.8%1,115
Public transit0.1%†19

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes no occupation wages for Albert Lea, MN micropolitan area.

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

Albert Lea, MN has 755 employer establishments, 248 for every 10,000 residents (1.00× the US rate of 248), with 10,861 paid employees at an average annual pay of $50,569. The Census Bureau also counts 1,961 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 755; 1,961 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 248; US 248
Paid employees: 10,861
Average annual pay: $50,569; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Albert Lea, MN by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Specialty trade contractors	56	18.4	1.19×About typical	318	$62,906	161
Restaurants and other eating places	48	15.8	0.86×About typical	755	$19,433	4
Religious organizations	39	12.8	2.31×More than typical	217	$21,410	—
Building equipment contractors	27	8.9	1.47×More than typical	246	$64,492	16
Ambulatory health care services	26	8.5	0.41×Fewer than typical	221	$48,955	41
Full-service restaurants	24	7.9	1.03×About typical	326	$19,113	—
Limited-service restaurants	23	7.5	0.94×About typical	427	$19,698	—
Lessors of real estate	21	6.9	0.56×Fewer than typical	40	$33,975	216
Truck transportation	21	6.9	1.36×More than typical	78	$44,256	99
Automotive repair and maintenance	19	6.2	1.24×About typical	118	$47,305	47
Gasoline stations	18	5.9	1.82×More than typical	323	$30,331	—
Banks and credit unions	17	5.6	1.73×More than typical	140	$62,014	—

Rank places for an industry

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 30,469 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
A metro area's figures are the exact sums of its counties.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contract spending

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $1.8M on contracts performed in Albert Lea, MN micropolitan area: $58.27 per resident (US $1,995).

Obligations: $1.8M; +5% vs FY2025
Per resident: $58.27; US $1,995
Sole-source: 0.5%; US 30%
Single offer: 1.0%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Department of Veterans Affairs$951.2K54%
Defense Logistics Agency$822.6K46%

Top recipients

AMERICAN BAPTIST HOMES OF THE MIDWEST$951.2K54%
C&J RESOLUTIONS LLC$770.8K43%
J & K SOLUTIONS LLC$51.8K2.9%

Spending by fiscal year

472.7KFY2017
1.2MFY2018
818.9KFY2019
155.1KFY2020
486.6KFY2021
754.3KFY2022
1.3MFY2023
1.4M

Top industries (NAICS)

Nursing care facilities (skilled nursing facilities) · 6231$951.2K54%
Navigational, measuring, electromedical, and control instruments manufacturing · 3345$249.9K14%
Semiconductor and other electronic component manufacturing · 3344$246K14%
Architectural and structural metals manufacturing · 3323$163.3K9.2%
Other fabricated metal product manufacturing · 3329$43.3K2.4%
Medical equipment and supplies manufacturing · 3391

Largest awards

EXPRESS REPORT: NURSING HOME SERVICES$951.2K
AMERICAN BAPTIST HOMES OF THE MIDWEST· Freeborn County, MN· Health & medical· Apr 28, 2026 – Apr 28, 2026· 36C26326K0002
8512151694!PANEL,PROTECTION,EL$249.9K
C&J RESOLUTIONS LLC· Freeborn County, MN· Other equipment & supplies· Jun 2, 2026 – Jun 2, 2026· SPE7M126P7358
INSERT,ELECTRICAL C WAA EHP MOLDED INSERT$246K
C&J RESOLUTIONS LLC· Freeborn County, MN· Other equipment & supplies· Mar 5, 2026 – Mar 5, 2026· SPMYM226P5556
HAZMAT BUILDING$163.3K

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 6, 2026, loaded Oct 6, 2026.

Federal grants & assistance

Grants, loans (counted at their subsidy cost), direct payments and insurance, by fiscal year of the action (USAspending.gov, FABS). Reported apart from contracts and never added to them.

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $242.1M in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Albert Lea, MN micropolitan area: $7,954 per resident (US $12,957).

Assistance · FY2026: $242.1M; −9.2% vs FY2025
Per resident: $7,954; US $12,957
Loan face value: $10.1M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 13%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$150.4M62%
10.988 · Supplemental Disaster Relief Program$21.5M8.9%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$17M7.0%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$16.6M6.9%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$10.8M4.5%
10.990 · Farmer Bridge Assistance Program$8.2M3.4%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$4.9M2.0%
20.263 · Bridge Formula Program$2.5M1.0%

Top recipients (organizations)

MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION$3.2M1.3%
SAINT PAUL, MN
EMMONS, CITY OF$1.6M0.7%
EMMONS, MN
ALBERT LEA HOUSING AUTHORITY$1.1M0.5%
ALBERT LEA, MN
ANDERSLAND INC$600K0.2%
EMMONS, MN
ALBERT LEA TRADES & LABOR ASSEMBLY SENIOR HOUSING INC$508.3K

Organizations only: awards to individuals and county aggregate records count in the totals but are never listed. Grants to state governments recorded at the agency's own address are counted statewide, not in the capital's county.

Top agencies

Social Security Administration$182.6M75%
Farm Service Agency$30M12%
Department of Agriculture
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$18.7M7.7%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Federal Highway Administration$3.2M1.3%
Department of Transportation
Natural Resources Conservation Service

Assistance by fiscal year

219.4MFY2021
211.6MFY2022
200.7MFY2023
210MFY2024
266.6MFY2025
242.1MFY2026

County aggregates

84%

Share of obligations reported only as county totals of many small awards (for example Social Security or Medicare payments), with no recipient named.

Source: Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 6, 2026, loaded Oct 6, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Counties in Albert Lea, MN

Whole counties, as the U.S. Office of Management and Budget delineates the area. Federal spending below is the exact sum of these counties.

Freeborn CountyCentral county7730,440

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

Albert LeaPrincipal city18,330

Largest cities and towns

By population, for places with most of their residents in the area.

Other metro and micro areas in Minnesota

Areas based in Minnesota, best score first.

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Places that share a border, best score first.

Similar metro and micro areas

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

Mapping Injury, Overdose, and ViolenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2026-10-01
PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Daily county PM2.5 and ozone (EPA downscaler model)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2022
Care Compare: Hospital General Information and Timely and Effective CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services · release 2026-07-22
Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master filesFederal Bureau of Investigation · release 2025
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-09-29
Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration · release 2024
nClimGrid-Daily county averagesNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · release 2025
Regional Economic AccountsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · release 2024
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2026 Q1
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Business Formation StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-10-01
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Alternative Fuels Data Center station locatorU.S. Department of Energy · release 2026-10
Election Administration and Voting SurveyU.S. Election Assistance Commission · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/M10660

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved10

Declined8

Metro and micro areas like Albert Lea, MN micropolitan area five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Getting to work

How people get to work

Jobs and pay

Local businesses

Federal contract spending

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

Federal grants & assistance

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Counties in Albert Lea, MN

Principal cities

Largest cities and towns

Other metro and micro areas in Minnesota

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Similar metro and micro areas

Data and sources

Improved10

Declined8

Age and sex

Household income

Owners and renters

How people get to work

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Time to get to work

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

What was bought

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

By type