A typical home in each town, bought with 20% down at 6.3% for 30 years, plus property tax at the town’s own rate and insurance. Change the numbers to fit you.

Down paymentRate%

Akeley$1,790/mo

Typical home $293K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.02% · or rent about $1,094/mo · Housing →

Sanborn$420/mo

Typical home $68K (Census) · tax rate 1.09% · or rent about $99/mo · Housing →

The difference: $1,370 a month, about $16,400 a year, between Akeley and Sanborn.

Estimates, not a quote: your price, rate, tax bill and insurance will differ. Tax rate = the Census median tax bill over the median home value.

Life in each

What daily life feels like in each

The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.

Seasons

AkeleySanborn

Snow a year—46″

January low—5°F

July high—82°F

Growing season (days)—152d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)53rd 27th

Outdoors & history

AkeleySanborn

Settled1916 —

Archive photos9 —

Famous people born here2 —

Community

AkeleySanborn

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined0 0

A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.

Where they are

194 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

AkeleyMN SanbornMN

Akeley ↔ Sanborn194 miles apart

Everything, side by side

What matters to you?

Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

Only big differences vs Minnesota average

AkeleySanborn

People

Population 289Lowest 299Highest

Median age 55.8±6.2Highest 44% above MN 54.1±3.7Lowest 39% above MN

Akeley and Sanborn are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Kids under 18 12.1%±7.2Lowest MN: 22.9% 16.1%±4.6Highest MN: 22.9%

Sanborn and Akeley are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Age 65+ 29.1%±6.6Highest MN: 17.3% 27.1%±7Lowest MN: 17.3%

Akeley and Sanborn are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 16%Highest MN: 39.4% 10.5%Lowest MN: 39.4%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 0%±4.9Lowest MN: 5.8% 4.7%±3Highest MN: 5.8%

Sanborn and Akeley are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $44,000±$19kLowest 51% below MN $48,750±$16kHighest 45% below MN

Sanborn and Akeley are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $110,500±$20kHighest 66% below MN $68,200±$14kLowest 79% below MN

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,094±$302Highest 15% below MN $99Lowest 92% below MN

Property taxmedian, yearly $1,128Highest 66% below MN $741Lowest 78% below MN

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 92.3%±67.6Highest MN: 48.1% 14.3%±100Lowest MN: 48.1%

Akeley and Sanborn are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Below poverty line 14.2%Lowest MN: 9.3% 15.4%Highest MN: 9.3%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 89.4%Highest MN: 72.2% 89.3%Lowest MN: 72.2%

Typical home builtmedian year 1977Highest 2 yrs older than MN 1943Lowest 36 yrs older than MN

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 17 minLowest 27% below MN 22 minHighest 5% below MN

Work from home 4.4%±4.9Lowest MN: 17.6% 6.8%±3.8Highest MN: 17.6%

Sanborn and Akeley are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Work in townworking residents 2.7%Lowest 5%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 16.8 miHighest 14.8 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.57Highest 0.33Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Park Rapids (30%)Lamberton (26%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in SanbornFew work in Akeley

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 4.3%Lowest 5.4%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 0.0 mi 0.0 mi

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 mi 0.0 mi

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0 0

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 33.5Highest 23.2Lowest

Minnesota average“±” Census margin of errorACS 2020–2024

Deciding?

Ask the people who live there

The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.

Akeley neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Akeley’s Town Square.

Sanborn neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Sanborn’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Akeley and Sanborn

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Towns like Akeley

+ Compare

Lake Wilson237 people · $99K homes

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Tower367 people · $110K homes

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Echo197 people · $104K homes

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Field Township285 people · $172K homes

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.

Akeley vs Sanborn

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs $1,370 more a month in Akeley

What daily life feels like in each

194 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Akeley and Sanborn

Towns like Akeley

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