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.

Down paymentRate%

Becker$2,340/mo

Typical home $382K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.06% · or rent about $889/mo · Housing →

Lindstrom$2,450/mo

Typical home $394K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.19% · or rent about $1,176/mo · Housing →

The difference: $110 a month, about $1,400 a year, between Lindstrom and Becker.

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

Lindstrom places higher on 9 of 20 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.

Safety

A−BeckerSafer than 81% of U.S. towns –LindstromNot graded

Schools

ABeckerBetter than 85% of districts in the state A−LindstromBetter than 79% of districts in the state

Health

A−BeckerHealthier than 76% of U.S. towns A−LindstromHealthier than 77% of U.S. towns

7Becker

9Lindstrom

Lists won, of 20 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Lowest property taxCost of living · 275 towns #97#213 Cheapest rentCost of living · 257 towns #50#125 Most walkableOutdoors · 275 towns #207#127 Lowest obesityHealth · 273 towns #212#138 Most affordableCost of living · 275 towns #98#168 Fewest uninsuredHealth · 273 towns #89#35 Most remote workersWork · 272 towns #162#112 Highest incomeIncome · 275 towns #154#111

Left end = #1 in Minnesota. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Becker’s rankings →

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

BeckerLindstrom

Snow a year49″52″

January low4°F 3°F

July high81°F 83°F

Growing season (days)144d 154d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)45th 28th

Outdoors & history

BeckerLindstrom

Trails13 mi 3 mi

Conserved land2.2%3.6%

Settled1867 —

National Register places1 3

Famous people born here4 —

Community

BeckerLindstrom

Library hours a week32 hrs —

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined1 0

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

50 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

BeckerMN LindstromMN

Becker ↔ Lindstrom50 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.

Only big differences vs Minnesota average

BeckerLindstrom

People

Population 5,034Highest 4,978Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +7.5%Lowest MN: +7.6% +10%Highest MN: +7.6%

Median age 34.2±4.2Lowest 12% below MN 35±4.5Highest 10% below MN

Lindstrom and Becker are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Kids under 18 29.5%±5.5Lowest MN: 22.9% 30.5%±6.9Highest MN: 22.9%

Lindstrom and Becker are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Age 65+ 14.7%±4.2Highest MN: 17.3% 13.5%±3.6Lowest MN: 17.3%

Becker and Lindstrom are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 19.9%Lowest MN: 39.4% 21.4%Highest MN: 39.4%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 1.8%±1.2Lowest MN: 5.8% 3.9%±2.8Highest MN: 5.8%

Lindstrom and Becker are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $86,094±$16kLowest 3% below MN $98,226±$21kHighest 10% above MN

Lindstrom and Becker are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $271,300±$19kLowest 18% below MN $358,100±$25kHighest 9% above MN

Rentmedian gross, monthly $889±$202Lowest 31% below MN $1,176±$248Highest 8% below MN

Lindstrom and Becker are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Property taxmedian, yearly $2,872Lowest 14% below MN $4,246Highest 26% above MN

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 53.9%±23.8Highest MN: 48.1% 38.5%±17.7Lowest MN: 48.1%

Becker and Lindstrom are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Below poverty line 9.5%Highest MN: 9.3% 6.5%Lowest MN: 9.3%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 79.3%Lowest MN: 72.2% 85.1%Highest MN: 72.2%

Typical home builtmedian year 1997Highest 18 yrs newer than MN 1992Lowest 13 yrs newer than MN

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 27 minLowest 19% above MN 30 minHighest 33% above MN

Work from home 12.1%±4.2Lowest MN: 17.6% 16.7%±5.5Highest MN: 17.6%

Lindstrom and Becker are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Work in townworking residents 11.7%Highest 6.1%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 19.8 miLowest 27.8 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.88Highest 0.45Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town St. Cloud (9%)Minneapolis (8%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in LindstromFew work in Becker

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 2.2%Lowest 3.6%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 13.3 miHighest 3.4 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 1.1 miHighest 0.9 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 8Highest 7Lowest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 18.5Lowest 52.3Highest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #83 of 230 in MN #103 of 230 in MN

School district BECKER PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICTChisago Lakes School District

High school in town Becker Senior HighChisago Lakes Senior High

Students per teacherat that high school 18.6Highest 15.2Lowest

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.

Becker neighborsTown Square →

T Weaver · 1w

Ordinary Days in Becker

1 neighbor in Becker can answer.

Lindstrom neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Lindstrom’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Becker and Lindstrom

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

Bordering Becker

+ Compare

Becker Township5,601 people · $419K homes

+ Compare

Silver Creek Township2,582 people · $453K homes

+ Compare

Monticello Township3,328 people · $371K homes

+ Compare

Monticello14,858 people · $324K homes

Towns like Becker

+ Compare

Watertown4,790 people · $337K homes

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Zimmerman6,546 people · $324K homes

+ Compare

Montgomery3,434 people · $235K homes

+ Compare

Jordan6,771 people · $336K 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.

Becker vs Lindstrom

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they differ most

A typical home costs about the same each month

Lindstrom places higher on 9 of 20 MN lists

What daily life feels like in each

50 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Ordinary Days in Becker

Set another town beside Becker and Lindstrom

Bordering Becker

Towns like Becker

Post to Becker

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