Guest, Sign inJoin
Compare towns

Comfrey vs Badger

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

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

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

Comfrey$1,880/mo
Typical home $286K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.57% · or rent about $622/mo · Housing →
Badger$1,400/mo
Typical home $204K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.92% · or rent about $1,013/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
CComfreyBetter than 32% of districts in the state BBadgerBetter than 61% 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
ComfreyBadger
Snow a year42″—
January low4°F—
July high82°F—
Growing season (days)150d—
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)44th74th
Outdoors & history
ComfreyBadger
Settled1902—
Community
ComfreyBadger
Library hours a week28 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.

ComfreyMNBadgerMN
Comfrey ↔ Badger327 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.

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

Comfrey neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Comfrey’s Town Square.

Badger neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Badger’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Comfrey and Badger

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

Bordering Comfrey

S
+ Compare
Selma Township140 people · $264K homes
B
+ Compare
Bashaw Township188 people · $180K homes

Towns like Comfrey

R
+ Compare
Round Lake333 people · $110K homes
H
+ Compare
Hollandale340 people · $152K homes
M
+ Compare
Middle River319 people · $102K homes
S
+ Compare
Storden244 people · $81K 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.

Post to Comfrey

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