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Akeley vs Tower

128 miles apart. The biggest differences: rent (+87% in Akeley) and jobs per worker (4.6× in Tower).

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Akeley, MNA small town of 289Minnesota · 289 people
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Tower, MNA regional job hubMinnesota · 367 people
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Where each one shines

Two towns, two different strengths

What each town does better than most of its state (not better than each other). Tap one to see the page behind it.

AkeleyA small town of 289
Quiet strengthsAkeley doesn’t stand out on the data we haveNeighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.
All about Akeley →
TowerA regional job hub
Work338 jobsbased in Tower, a regional job hub All about Tower →
The biggest differences

Where they part ways

The rows below where the towns are furthest apart, beyond the Census margin of error. The full table is further down.

Rent+87%
Rent runs higher in Akeley
Akeley $1,094Tower $586
Jobs per worker4.6×
Tower is more of a job hub
Tower 2.60Akeley 0.57
Street grid2.6×
Akeley has the more walkable street grid
Akeley 33.5Tower 13.1
Average commute10 min
Akeley has the shorter commute
Tower 27 minAkeley 17 min
Property tax bill+38%
Tax bills are bigger in Tower
Tower $1,555Akeley $1,128
Typical home built20 yrs
Tower’s homes are older
Akeley 1977Tower 1957
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $520 more a month in Tower

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.

Akeley$1,790/mo
Typical home $293K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.02% · or rent about $1,094/mo · Housing →
Tower$2,310/mo
Typical home $359K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.42% · or rent about $586/mo · Housing →

The difference: $520 a month, about $6,300 a year, between Tower and Akeley.

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.

Report cards

Grades and rankings, side by side

Our letter grades for safety, schools and health, then every Minnesota ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

Schools
–AkeleyNot graded BTowerBetter than 60% of districts in the state
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
AkeleyTower
Snow a year—69″
January low—-7°F
July high—77°F
Growing season (days)—89d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)53rd43rd
Outdoors & history
AkeleyTower
Trails—3 mi
Conserved land—6.4%
Settled19161889
National Register places—2
Archive photos9—
Famous people born here2—
Community
AkeleyTower
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined00

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

128 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

AkeleyMNTowerMN
Akeley ↔ Tower128 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.

AkeleyTower
People
Population 289Lowest 367Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census — -14% MN: +7.6%
Median age 55.8±6.2Highest 44% above MN 55.4±9.4Lowest 43% above MN
Akeley and Tower 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% 14.4%±9.2Highest MN: 22.9%
Tower 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% 28.6%±9.1Lowest MN: 17.3%
Akeley and Tower 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% 12.6%Lowest MN: 39.4%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 0%±4.9Lowest MN: 5.8% 3.3%±3.4Highest MN: 5.8%
Tower 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 $65,893±$14kHighest 26% below MN
Tower 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 $109,600±$27kLowest 67% below MN
Akeley and Tower are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,094±$302Highest 15% below MN $586±$36Lowest 54% below MN
Property taxmedian, yearly $1,128Lowest 66% below MN $1,555Highest 54% below MN
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 92.3%±67.6Highest MN: 48.1% 30.8%±67Lowest MN: 48.1%
Akeley and Tower are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 14.2%Highest MN: 9.3% 9.8%Lowest MN: 9.3%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 89.4%Highest MN: 72.2% 83.4%Lowest MN: 72.2%
Typical home builtmedian year 1977Highest 2 yrs older than MN 1957Lowest 22 yrs older than MN
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 17 minLowest 27% below MN 27 minHighest 18% above MN
Work from home 4.4%±4.9Lowest MN: 17.6% 12.6%±12Highest MN: 17.6%
Tower 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 15.4%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 16.8 miLowest 23.3 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.57Lowest 2.60Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Park Rapids (30%)Virginia (16%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in TowerFew work in Akeley
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 4.3%Lowest 6.4%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 0.0 miLowest 2.8 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 miLowest 1.0 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0 0
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 33.5Highest 13.1Lowest
Schools
School district —ST. LOUIS COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT · Vermilion Country School
High school in town —Vermilion Country School
Students per teacherat that high school — 9.3
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.

Tower neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Tower’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Akeley and Tower

One tap adds it. Up to 4 towns at once.

Towns like Akeley

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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.

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