Scores by category

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

Safety84#153/924
Economy67#305/925
Housing73#248/925
Health73#254/925
Healthcare39#564/923
Environment95#43/917
Education37#586/925
Infrastructure56#408/925
Community90#98/925
Leisure & amenities64#332/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

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

Strengths

Drought exposure · low0%
96/100Minnesota 36%United States 43%Oct 2025–Sep 2026National Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAAAggregated from counties
Traffic deaths · low7.4 /100k
94/100Minnesota 7.7 /100kUnited States 12.3 /100k2020-2024National Highway Traffic Safety AdministrationAggregated from counties
Grocery stores · high2.7 /10k
94/100Minnesota 1.6 /10kUnited States 1.7 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
Firearm deaths · low8.4 /100k
91/100Minnesota 9.4 /100kUnited States 12.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Mammography screening · high55.0%
89/100Minnesota 54.0%United States 46.0%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Income inequality (Gini index) · low0.420
88/100Minnesota 0.452United States 0.4832020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B19083

Weaknesses

Distance to an emergency room · high19.2 mi
4/100Minnesota 6.2 miUnited States 5.5 miJul 2026Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesAggregated from counties
New business applications · low7.5 /1k
5/100Minnesota 12.7 /1kUnited States 16.6 /1k2025U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties
Pharmacies · low1.0 /10k
15/100Minnesota 1.7 /10kUnited States 1.8 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
Job growth · low-1.6%
20/100Minnesota -0.3%United States 0.1%2026 Q1U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsProvisional data
New homes permitted · low1.3 /1k
24/100Minnesota 3.9 /1kUnited States 4.2 /1kSep 2025–Aug 2026U.S. Census BureauProvisional data
Distance to an airport · high86 mi
25/100Minnesota 43 miUnited States 33 mi2025Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties

Trends

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

Drought exposureImproving
33% (2021) → 0% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
−33 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
Access to exercise opportunitiesImproving
57.6% (2010 & 2021) → 77.0% (2022 & 2024)
+19 pts3 yearsUS 79.8% → 84.5%
New business applicationsImproving
4.2 /1k (2020) → 7.5 /1k (2025)
+77%5 yearsUS 13.1 /1k → 16.6 /1k
Traffic deathsWorsening
4.5 /100k (2015-2019) → 7.5 /100k (2020-2024)
+65%5 yearsUS 11.3 /100k → 12.3 /100k
Mental health providersImproving
117 /100k (2021) → 178 /100k (2025)
+52%4 yearsUS 282 /100k → 348 /100k
Child care cost burdenWorsening
22.9% (2020 & 2021) → 32.4% (2023 & 2024)
+9.6 pts3 yearsUS 24.5% → 27.9%

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, Austin, MN micropolitan area improved on 13 of 31 measures with a comparison and declined on 6. 7 moved within the margin of error and 5 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.

Improved13

Inequality−0.0300.450 → 0.420
Arts & recreation+40%3.5 /10k → 4.9 /10k
Grocery stores+20%2.2 /10k → 2.7 /10k
Poverty−3.1 points13.5% → 10.4%
New businesses+77%4.2 /1k → 7.5 /1k

Declined6

Traffic deaths+65%4.5 /100k → 7.5 /100k
Property crime+7.2%1,152 /100k → 1,235 /100k
Commute+2.5 min18.2 min → 20.7 min
Transit use−0.8 points1.9% → 1.0%
Pharmacies−22%1.2 /10k → 1.0 /10k

All 31 measures

Change of every measure of Austin, MN micropolitan area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	3.5 /10k2020	4.9 /10k2025	+40%	Improved	94%
Average commute time	18.2 min2015-2019	20.7 min2020-2024	+2.5 min	Declined	9%
Average weekly wage	$1,0052020	$1,2222025	+22%	Improved	35%
Bachelor's degree or higher	22.2%2015-2019	23.9%2020-2024	+1.7 points	Within the margin of error	26%
Broadband subscriptions	79.3%2015-2019	87.9%2020-2024	+8.6 points	Improved	46%
Child poverty rate	18.2%2015-2019	15.5%2020-2024	−2.7 points	Within the margin of error	54%
Distance to an airport	86 mi2020	86 mi2025	0 mi	Little change	50%
Drug overdose deaths	27.5 /100k2020	13.9 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	−49%	Improved	81%
Effective property tax rate	0.97%2015-2019	0.98%2020-2024	+0 points	Within the margin of error	7%
Firearm deaths	8.7 /100k2020	8.4 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−3.4%	Little change	55%
Grocery stores	2.2 /10k2020	2.7 /10k2025	+20%	Improved	88%
Gyms and fitness centers	0.7 /10k2020	0.7 /10k2025	−2.2%	Little change	34%
High school diploma or higher	87.6%2015-2019	88.6%2020-2024	+1 points	Within the margin of error	28%
Home price to income ratio	2.3×2015-2019	2.5×2020-2024	+0.3×	Declined	75%
Homicide rate	2.3 /100k2020	2.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−8.7%	Improved	30%
Income adjusted for local prices	$50,8352019	$67,0662024	+32%	Improved	53%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4502015-2019	0.4202020-2024	−0.030	Improved	96%
Median household income	$54,2952015-2019	$73,0742020-2024	+35%	Improved	84%
New business applications	4.2 /1k2020	7.5 /1k2025	+77%	Improved	86%
Pharmacies	1.2 /10k2020	1.0 /10k2025	−22%	Declined	16%
Poverty rate	13.5%2015-2019	10.4%2020-2024	−3.1 points	Improved	87%
Property crime rate	1,152 /100k2020	1,235 /100k2025	+7.2%	Declined	3%
Public libraries	1.0 /10k2019	1.0 /10k2024	−1.6%	Little change	52%
Public transit commuters	1.9%2015-2019	1.0%2020-2024	−0.8 points	Declined	20%
Rent as share of income	27.3%2015-2019	27.6%2020-2024	+0.3 points	Within the margin of error	52%
Rent-burdened households	41.0%2015-2019	43.7%2020-2024	+2.8 points	Within the margin of error	34%
Restaurants and bars	7.5 /10k2020	7.8 /10k2025	+4.3%	Little change	64%
Traffic deaths	4.5 /100k2015-2019	7.5 /100k2020-2024	+65%	Declined	3%
Unemployment rate	5.2%2020	3.7%2025	−1.5 points	Improved	11%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	8.0%2015-2019	8.6%2020-2024	+0.6 points	Within the margin of error	26%
Violent crime rate	202 /100k2020	163 /100k2025	−20%	Improved	55%

“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 Austin, MN micropolitan area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Austin, 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, Austin, MN micropolitan area itself moved −0.1 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

40,343 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

15,719 households (±231)

Austin, MN micropolitan area
United States share

Under $25k13%2,093
$25k–50k19%2,926
$50k–75k20%3,094

Homes

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

Owners and renters

15,719 households (±231)

Austin, MN micropolitan area
United States share

Own78%12,195
Rent22%3,524

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (+4.6 points).

Table view

Getting to work

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

How people get to work

19,059 workers (±473)

Austin, MN micropolitan area
United States share

Drive alone76%14,567
Carpool11%2,041
Public transit1.0%†200

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 Austin, 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.

Austin, MN has 800 employer establishments, 199 for every 10,000 residents (0.80× the US rate of 248), with 13,890 paid employees at an average annual pay of $52,516. The Census Bureau also counts 2,112 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 800; 2,112 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 199; US 248
Paid employees: 13,890
Average annual pay: $52,516; US $68,342

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

Specialty trade contractors	60	14.9	0.96×About typical	343	$81,297	155
Restaurants and other eating places	48	11.9	0.65×Fewer than typical	822	$19,055	—
Religious organizations	38	9.5	1.70×More than typical	188	$17,793	—
Ambulatory health care services	31	7.7	0.37×Fewer than typical	332	$42,377	30
Building equipment contractors	29	7.2	1.20×About typical	263	$83,308	12
Truck transportation	28	7	1.38×More than typical	506	$61,840	127
Automotive repair and maintenance	24	6	1.19×About typical	98	$45,908	63
Gasoline stations	24	6	1.84×More than typical	277	$22,643	3
Full-service restaurants	23	5.7	0.74×Fewer than typical	359	$19,643	—
Limited-service restaurants	23	5.7	0.71×Fewer than typical	449	$18,715	—
Banks and credit unions	20	5	1.54×More than typical	143	$55,965	—
Lessors of real estate	18	4.5	0.36×Fewer than typical	128	$31,625	182

Rank places for an industry

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 40,207 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 $974.1K on contracts performed in Austin, MN micropolitan area: $23.78 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $974.1K; −16% vs FY2025
Per resident: $23.78; US $1,994
Sole-source: 0.0%; US 30%
Single offer: 0.0%; 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$986.3K100%

Top recipients

ST. MARK'S LUTHERAN HOME, INC$986.3K100%
MAYO CLINIC HEALTH SYSTEM-SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA REGION-$3370.0%
ELECTRONIC METROLOGY LABORATORY, LLC-$11.8K0.0%

Spending by fiscal year

1.6MFY2017
723.4KFY2018
679.6KFY2019
1.4MFY2020
533.3KFY2021
407.3KFY2022
413.1KFY2023
473.1K

Top industries (NAICS)

Nursing care facilities (skilled nursing facilities) · 6231$986.3K100%

Largest awards

EXPRESS REPORT: NURSING HOME SERVICES$986.3K
ST. MARK'S LUTHERAN HOME, INC· Mower County, MN· Health & medical· Apr 28, 2026 – Apr 28, 2026· 36C26326K0006
MEDICAL SERVICES FOR INMATES AT FCI WASECA FOR SEPTEMBER FY25 AT MAYO CLINIC HEALTH SYSTEMS - OWATONNA.$14K
MAYO CLINIC HEALTH SYSTEM-SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA REGION· Mower County, MN· Health & medical· Sep 9, 2025 – Feb 23, 2026· 15B41525P00000123
MEDICAL SERVICES FOR INMATES AT FCI WASECA FOR JULY FY25 AT MAYO CLINIC HEALTH SYSTEMS - OWATONNA.$8,996
MAYO CLINIC HEALTH SYSTEM-SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA REGION· Mower County, MN· Health & medical· Jul 22, 2025 – Oct 9, 2025· 15B41525P00000094

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 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 $248.6M in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Austin, MN micropolitan area: $6,067 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $248.6M; −9% vs FY2025
Per resident: $6,067; US $12,955
Loan face value: $6.4M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 10%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$151.1M61%
10.988 · Supplemental Disaster Relief Program$21.3M8.6%

Counties in Austin, 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.

Mower CountyCentral county8240,971

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

AustinPrincipal city26,358

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/M12380

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved13

Declined6

Metro and micro areas like Austin, 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

Counties in Austin, 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

Improved13

Declined6

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

Top programs

What was bought

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

By type

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates