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Alta Township vs Valley Township

Next-door neighbors in Barnes County. The biggest differences: size (5.7× in Valley Township) and street grid (2× in Valley Township).

A ×
Alta Township, NDA small town of 103Barnes County · 103 people
V ×
Valley Township, NDA small town of 589Barnes County · 589 people
Swap order
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.

Alta TownshipA small town of 103
Quiet strengthsAlta Township doesn’t stand out on the data we haveNeighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.
All about Alta Township →
Valley TownshipA small town of 589
Quiet strengthsValley Township doesn’t stand out on the data we haveNeighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.
All about Valley Township →
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.

Size5.7×
Valley Township is the bigger place
Valley Township 589Alta Township 103
Street grid2×
Valley Township has the more walkable street grid
Valley Township 1.0Alta Township 0.5
Trails2.1×
Alta Township has more miles of trail
Alta Township 10.7 miValley Township 5.1 mi
Jobs per worker+68%
Valley Township is more of a job hub
Valley Township 0.62Alta Township 0.37
Property tax bill+16%
Tax bills are bigger in Valley Township
Valley Township $2,252Alta Township $1,938
★ What stands out · Where they are

Alta Township and Valley Township share a border

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Alta TownshipValley TownshipAlta TownshipValley Township
Alta Township ↔ Valley Township4.6 miles apart · They share a border · Same county
Monthly cost

A typical home costs about the same each month

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.

Alta Township$1,390/mo
Typical home $235K (Census) · tax rate 0.82% · Housing →
Valley Township$1,370/mo
Typical home $226K (Census) · tax rate 1.00% · Housing →

Within $50 a month of each other.

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
Alta TownshipValley Township
Snow a year35″35″
January low-6°F-6°F
July high81°F81°F
Growing season (days)136d136d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)53rd82nd
Outdoors & history
Alta TownshipValley Township
Trails11 mi5 mi
Conserved land4.7%4.4%
Community
Alta TownshipValley Township
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.

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.

Alta TownshipValley Township
People
Population 103Lowest 589Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census — -5.8% ND: +15.8%
Median age 39.1±21.7Lowest 9% above ND 57±4.9Highest 59% above ND
Valley Township and Alta Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 34%±16.2Highest ND: 23.5% 19.5%±8.5Lowest ND: 23.5%
Alta Township and Valley Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 25.2%±21.8Lowest ND: 16.5% 25.8%±5.3Highest ND: 16.5%
Valley Township and Alta Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 27.1%Highest ND: 32.7% 22.6%Lowest ND: 32.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 8.7%±16Highest ND: 7.6% 0.3%±1.9Lowest ND: 7.6%
Alta Township and Valley Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $65,781±$13k 14% below ND —
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $235,000±$143kHighest 6% below ND $225,600±$24kLowest 10% below ND
Alta Township and Valley Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $1,938Lowest 21% below ND $2,252Highest 9% below ND
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent — 0%±100 ND: 38.9%
Below poverty line 0%Lowest ND: 10.8% 1%Highest ND: 10.8%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 100%Highest ND: 62.9% 95.6%Lowest ND: 62.9%
Typical home builtmedian year 1980Highest 2 yrs older than ND 1969Lowest 13 yrs older than ND
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 24 minHighest 32% above ND 20 minLowest 13% above ND
Work from home 16.1%±19.8Highest ND: 8.1% 0%±2.9Lowest ND: 8.1%
Alta Township and Valley Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 0%Lowest 0.9%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 46.3 miHighest 32.3 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.37Lowest 0.62Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Valley City (26%)Valley City (33%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Valley TownshipFew work in Alta Township
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 4.7%Highest 4.4%Lowest
Trailsmapped miles 10.7 miHighest 5.1 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.3 miHighest 0.2 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0Lowest 1Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 0.5Lowest 1.0Highest
North Dakota 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.

Alta Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Alta Township’s Town Square.

Valley Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Valley Township’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Alta Township and Valley Township

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

Bordering Alta Township

O
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Oriska Township96 people · $500K homes
C
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Cuba Township50 people · $265K homes

Towns like Alta Township

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Moraine Township124 people · $234K homes
L
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Levant Township125 people · $225K homes
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Edna Township96 people · $254K homes
S
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Springer Township105 people · $303K 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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