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Badger vs Comfrey

327 miles apart. The biggest differences: street grid (2.5× in Comfrey) and jobs per worker (2.5× in Badger).

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Badger, MNHomes around $204KMinnesota · 391 people
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Comfrey, MNKnown for its schoolsMinnesota · 338 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.

BadgerHomes around $204K
Housing$204K typical home42% below the MN typical home All about Badger →
ComfreyKnown for its schools
SchoolsBetter than 32%of MN districts Housing$286K typical home18% below the MN typical home All about Comfrey →
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.

Street grid2.5×
Comfrey has the more walkable street grid
Comfrey 107Badger 42.2
Jobs per worker2.5×
Badger is more of a job hub
Badger 1.01Comfrey 0.41
Property tax bill+40%
Tax bills are bigger in Badger
Badger $2,114Comfrey $1,513
Typical home built19 yrs
Comfrey’s homes are older
Badger 1976Comfrey 1957
Average commute4 min
Badger has the shorter commute
Comfrey 21 minBadger 16 min
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $480 more a month in Comfrey

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.

Badger$1,400/mo
Typical home $204K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.92% · or rent about $1,013/mo · Housing →
Comfrey$1,880/mo
Typical home $286K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.57% · or rent about $622/mo · Housing →

The difference: $480 a month, about $5,700 a year, between Comfrey and Badger.

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
BBadgerBetter than 61% of districts in the state CComfreyBetter than 32% 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
BadgerComfrey
Snow a year—42″
January low—4°F
July high—82°F
Growing season (days)—150d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)74th44th
Outdoors & history
BadgerComfrey
Settled—1902
Community
BadgerComfrey
Library hours a week—28 hrs
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

327 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

BadgerMNComfreyMN
Badger ↔ Comfrey327 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.

BadgerComfrey
People
Population 391Highest 338Lowest
Median age 39.7±6.4Lowest about the MN average 42.7±6Highest 10% above MN
Comfrey and Badger are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 27.6%±6.7Highest MN: 22.9% 20.7%±7.7Lowest MN: 22.9%
Badger and Comfrey are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 18.7%±4Lowest MN: 17.3% 22.5%±4.9Highest MN: 17.3%
Comfrey and Badger are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 17.6%Highest MN: 39.4% 17%Lowest MN: 39.4%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 1.5%±3.1Highest MN: 5.8% 1.2%±1.3Lowest MN: 5.8%
Badger and Comfrey are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $64,167±$16kHighest 28% below MN $61,875±$21kLowest 31% below MN
Badger and Comfrey are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $110,000±$19kHighest 67% below MN $96,300±$17kLowest 71% below MN
Badger and Comfrey are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,013±$462Highest 21% below MN $622±$58Lowest 51% below MN
Badger and Comfrey are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $2,114Highest 37% below MN $1,513Lowest 55% below MN
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 21.1%±28Lowest MN: 48.1% 34.1%±15.8Highest MN: 48.1%
Comfrey and Badger are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 14.9%Highest MN: 9.3% 13.3%Lowest MN: 9.3%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 76.3%Highest MN: 72.2% 72.7%Lowest MN: 72.2%
Typical home builtmedian year 1976Highest 3 yrs older than MN 1957Lowest 22 yrs older than MN
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 16 minLowest 28% below MN 21 minHighest 9% below MN
Work from home 6.5%±5.3Highest MN: 17.6% 1.5%±2Lowest MN: 17.6%
Badger and Comfrey are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 9.1%Highest 4.4%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 12.8 miLowest 16.3 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.01Highest 0.41Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Roseau (37%)Springfield (34%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in ComfreyFew work in Badger
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 0% 0%
Trailsmapped miles 0.4 miHighest 0.0 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.3 miHighest 0.0 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0 0
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 42.2Lowest 107Highest
Schools
School district BADGER PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICTCOMFREY PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT
High school in town Badger SecondaryComfrey Secondary
Students per teacherat that high school 10.4Highest 8.7Lowest
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.

Badger neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Badger’s Town Square.

Comfrey neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Comfrey’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Badger and Comfrey

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Bordering Badger

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Skagen Township226 people · $160K homes
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Stokes Township189 people · $182K homes

Towns like Badger

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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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