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Compare towns

Alden vs Stephen

367 miles apart. The biggest differences: property tax bill (+85% in Alden) and street grid (2.4× in Stephen).

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Alden, MNHomes around $161KMinnesota · 629 people
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Stephen, MNKnown for its schoolsMinnesota · 526 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.

AldenHomes around $161K
Housing$161K typical home54% below the MN typical home All about Alden →
StephenKnown for its schools
SchoolsBetter than 86%of MN districts All about Stephen →
The biggest differences

Where they differ most

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

Property tax bill+85%
Tax bills are bigger in Alden
Alden $1,921Stephen $1,041
Street grid2.4×
Stephen has the more walkable street grid
Stephen 86.5Alden 35.4
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $500 more a month in Alden

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.

Alden$1,040/mo
Typical home $161K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.50% · or rent about $1,042/mo · Housing →
Stephen$550/mo
Typical home $88K (Census) · tax rate 1.19% · or rent about $1,063/mo · Housing →

The difference: $500 a month, about $6,000 a year, between Alden and Stephen.

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
BAldenBetter than 55% of districts in the state AStephenBetter than 86% 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
AldenStephen
Snow a year40″44″
January low5°F-5°F
July high82°F82°F
Growing season (days)158d134d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)40th74th
Outdoors & history
AldenStephen
Trails—0 mi
Conserved land—0%
Settled1869—
Archive photos2—
Famous people born here1—
Community
AldenStephen
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

367 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

AldenMNStephenMN
Alden ↔ Stephen367 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.

AldenStephen
People
Population 629Highest 526Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -11.8%Lowest MN: +7.6% -10%Highest MN: +7.6%
Median age 50.5±7.5Lowest 30% above MN 51.6±8.4Highest 33% above MN
Stephen and Alden are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 17.3%±4.3 MN: 22.9% 17.3%±3.4 MN: 22.9%
Age 65+ 21.6%±3.8Lowest MN: 17.3% 24.1%±0.8Highest MN: 17.3%
Stephen and Alden are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 18.2%Lowest MN: 39.4% 20.7%Highest MN: 39.4%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 6.5%±4.5Highest MN: 5.8% 2.5%±3.2Lowest MN: 5.8%
Alden and Stephen are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $73,250±$14kHighest 18% below MN $71,250±$23kLowest 20% below MN
Alden and Stephen are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $128,400±$20kHighest 61% below MN $87,500±$27kLowest 73% below MN
Alden and Stephen are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,042±$505Lowest 19% below MN $1,063±$577Highest 17% below MN
Stephen and Alden are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $1,921Highest 43% below MN $1,041Lowest 69% below MN
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 28.9%±27.1Lowest MN: 48.1% 66.7%±55.7Highest MN: 48.1%
Stephen and Alden are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 4.5%Lowest MN: 9.3% 9.9%Highest MN: 9.3%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 82.8%Lowest MN: 72.2% 88.6%Highest MN: 72.2%
Typical home builtmedian year 1957Lowest 22 yrs older than MN 1959Highest 20 yrs older than MN
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 20 minLowest 11% below MN 21 minHighest 6% below MN
Work from home 6.1%±3.2Highest MN: 17.6% 2.8%±1.5Lowest MN: 17.6%
Alden and Stephen are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 4%Lowest 8.7%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 12.8 miLowest 21.8 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.74Highest 0.61Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Albert Lea (41%)Warren (12%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in StephenFew work in Alden
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 0% 0%
Trailsmapped miles 0.0 miLowest 0.2 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 miLowest 0.3 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0Lowest 2Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 35.4Lowest 86.5Highest
Schools
School district Southern MN Education Consortium · ALDEN-CONGER PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICTSTEPHEN-ARGYLE CENTRAL SCHOOLS
High school in town Alden-Conger SecondaryStephen-Argyle Central High School
Students per teacherat that high school 12.7Lowest 13.2Highest
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.

Alden neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Alden’s Town Square.

Stephen neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Stephen’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Alden and Stephen

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

Bordering Alden

C
+ Compare
Carlston Township277 people · $269K homes
A
+ Compare
Alden Township298 people · $245K homes

Towns like Alden

M
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Mabel730 people · $131K homes
K
+ Compare
Kellogg513 people · $173K homes
+ Compare
Bird Island930 people · $142K homes
M
+ Compare
Minnesota Falls Township396 people · $158K 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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