Guest, Sign inJoin
Compare towns

Barnesville vs Plainview

268 miles apart. The biggest differences: trails (14× in Barnesville).

×
Barnesville, MNKnown for its schoolsMinnesota · 2,762 people
×
Plainview, MNKnown for its schoolsMinnesota · 3,500 people
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.

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.

★ What stands out · Report cards

Barnesville places higher on 12 of 19 MN lists

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.

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.

Barnesville$1,890/mo
Typical home $310K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.04% · or rent about $848/mo · Housing →
Plainview$1,770/mo
Typical home $284K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.17% · or rent about $828/mo · Housing →

The difference: $120 a month, about $1,400 a year, between Barnesville and Plainview.

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
BarnesvillePlainview
Snow a year50″45″
January low-1°F—
July high80°F—
Growing season (days)149d—
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)80th20th
Outdoors & history
BarnesvillePlainview
Trails1 mi0 mi
Conserved land0%1.8%
Settled1874—
National Register places1—
Archive photos12—
Community
BarnesvillePlainview
Library hours a week34 hrs45 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

268 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Barnesville ↔ Plainview268 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.

BarnesvillePlainview
People
Population 2,762Lowest 3,500Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +7.6%Highest MN: +7.6% +4.3%Lowest MN: +7.6%
Median age 32.7±1.7Lowest 16% below MN 34±2.4Highest 12% below MN
Plainview and Barnesville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 31.9%±5.7Lowest MN: 22.9% 32.1%±5.3Highest MN: 22.9%
Plainview and Barnesville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 13%±2.7Lowest MN: 17.3% 15.3%±3.1Highest MN: 17.3%
Plainview and Barnesville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 30.7%Lowest MN: 39.4% 31%Highest MN: 39.4%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 5.4%±2.5Highest MN: 5.8% 3.2%±1.3Lowest MN: 5.8%
Barnesville and Plainview are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $97,917±$12kHighest 10% above MN $82,926±$8kLowest 7% below MN
Barnesville and Plainview are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $248,700±$17kHighest 24% below MN $245,300±$15kLowest 26% below MN
Barnesville and Plainview are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $848±$92Highest 34% below MN $828±$78Lowest 35% below MN
Barnesville and Plainview are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $2,577Lowest 23% below MN $2,882Highest 14% below MN
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 23.1%±20Lowest MN: 48.1% 49.5%±32.4Highest MN: 48.1%
Plainview and Barnesville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 1.8%Lowest MN: 9.3% 5.9%Highest MN: 9.3%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 83.3%Lowest MN: 72.2% 83.7%Highest MN: 72.2%
Typical home builtmedian year 1977 2 yrs older than MN 1977 2 yrs older than MN
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 26 minHighest 15% above MN 23 minLowest about the MN average
Work from home 6.8%±2.1Highest MN: 17.6% 4.5%±2.7Lowest MN: 17.6%
Barnesville and Plainview are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 12.6%Lowest 17.9%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 24.8 miHighest 17.8 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.54Lowest 0.57Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Fargo (38%)Rochester (45%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in PlainviewFew work in Barnesville
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 0%Lowest 1.8%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 1.4 miHighest 0.1 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.7 miHighest 0.0 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 8Highest 7Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 81.6Highest 68.1Lowest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #29 of 230 in MN#62 of 230 in MN
School district BARNESVILLE PUBLIC SCHOOL DIST.Plainview-Elgin-Millville
High school in town Barnesville High SchoolPlainview-Elgin-Millville High
Students per teacherat that high school 16.2Lowest 17.5Highest
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.

Barnesville neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Barnesville’s Town Square.

Plainview neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Plainview’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Barnesville and Plainview

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

Bordering Barnesville

Towns like Barnesville

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.

Post to Barnesville

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in