Guest, Sign inJoin
Compare towns

Comfrey vs Middle River

305 miles apart. The biggest differences: property tax bill (+66% in Comfrey) and street grid (+75% in Comfrey).

×
Comfrey, MNKnown for its schoolsMinnesota · 338 people
M ×
Middle River, MNA small town of 319Minnesota · 319 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 →
Middle RiverA small town of 319
Quiet strengthsMiddle River doesn’t stand out on the data we haveNeighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.
All about Middle River →
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.

Property tax bill+66%
Tax bills are bigger in Comfrey
Comfrey $1,513Middle River $909
Street grid+75%
Comfrey has the more walkable street grid
Comfrey 107Middle River 60.8
Average commute4 min
Comfrey has the shorter commute
Middle River 25 minComfrey 21 min
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $1,270 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 →
Middle River$610/mo
Typical home $102K (Census) · tax rate 0.89% · or rent about $408/mo · Housing →

The difference: $1,270 a month, about $15,200 a year, between Comfrey and Middle River.

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 –Middle RiverNot graded
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
ComfreyMiddle River
Snow a year42″—
January low4°F—
July high82°F—
Growing season (days)150d—
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)44th78th
Outdoors & history
ComfreyMiddle River
Trails—0 mi
Conserved land—0%
Settled1902—
Community
ComfreyMiddle River
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

305 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

ComfreyMNMiddle RiverMN
Comfrey ↔ Middle River305 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.

ComfreyMiddle River
People
Population 338Highest 319Lowest
Median age 42.7±6Highest 10% above MN 41.1±2.5Lowest 6% above MN
Comfrey and Middle River 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% 26.6%±5.9Highest MN: 22.9%
Middle River 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% 17.6%±5.6Lowest MN: 17.3%
Comfrey and Middle River are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 17%Highest MN: 39.4% 15.1%Lowest MN: 39.4%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 1.2%±1.3Lowest MN: 5.8% 2.5%±4Highest MN: 5.8%
Middle River 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 $76,250±$33kHighest 14% below MN
Middle River 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 $101,900±$26kHighest 69% below MN
Middle River and Comfrey are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $622±$58Highest 51% below MN $408±$227Lowest 68% below MN
Comfrey and Middle River are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $1,513Highest 55% below MN $909Lowest 73% below MN
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 34.1%±15.8Highest MN: 48.1% 24.1%±64.4Lowest MN: 48.1%
Comfrey and Middle River 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% 78.7%Highest MN: 72.2%
Typical home builtmedian year 1957Highest 22 yrs older than MN 1951Lowest 28 yrs older than MN
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 21 minLowest 9% below MN 25 minHighest 10% above MN
Work from home 1.5%±2Lowest MN: 17.6% 4.3%±2.3Highest MN: 17.6%
Middle River 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%Highest 2%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 16.3 miLowest 22.8 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.41Highest 0.40Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Springfield (34%)Thief River Falls (43%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Middle RiverFew work in Comfrey
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 0% 0%
Trailsmapped miles 0.0 mi 0.0 mi
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 mi 0.0 mi
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0Lowest 1Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 107Highest 60.8Lowest
Schools
School district COMFREY PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT—
High school in town Comfrey Secondary—
Students per teacherat that high school 8.7 —
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.

Middle River neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Middle River’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Comfrey and Middle River

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
B
+ Compare
Badger391 people · $110K homes
H
+ Compare
Hollandale340 people · $152K 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