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Duluth vs Moorhead

218 miles apart. The biggest differences: trails (7.9× in Duluth) and work in town (+41.2 pts in Duluth).

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Duluth, MNA colonial town, settled 1679Minnesota · 87,093 people
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Moorhead, MNA history townMinnesota · 45,036 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.

DuluthA colonial town, settled 1679
HistorySettled in 167944 places on the National Register Outdoors#9 most trails in MN172 miles of trails across 70 parks and preserves Famous people59 notable peopleborn in Duluth All about Duluth →
MoorheadA history town
HistorySettled in 187112 places on the National Register Outdoors#52 most trails in MN22 miles of trails across 31 parks and preserves HealthHealthier than 76%of U.S. towns on CDC estimates All about Moorhead →
The biggest differences

Where they part ways

The rows below where the towns are furthest apart, beyond the Census margin of error. The full table is further down.

Trails7.9×
Duluth has more miles of trail
Duluth 172.4 miMoorhead 21.7 mi
Work in town+41.2 pts
More of Duluth’s workers stay in town
Duluth 63.2%Moorhead 22%
Growth since 2010+16.4 pts
Moorhead has grown faster since 2010
Moorhead +16.9%Duluth +0.5%
Jobs per worker2.4×
Duluth is more of a job hub
Duluth 1.65Moorhead 0.68
Typical home built32 yrs
Duluth’s homes are older
Moorhead 1983Duluth 1951
Street grid+70%
Moorhead has the more walkable street grid
Moorhead 61.8Duluth 36.3
★ What stands out · 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.

Duluth$1,860/mo
Typical home $298K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.19% · or rent about $1,087/mo · Housing →
Moorhead$1,810/mo
Typical home $289K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.25% · or rent about $1,033/mo · Housing →

Within $50 a month of each other.

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

Moorhead places higher on 12 of 23 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
C−DuluthSafer than 18% of U.S. towns CMoorheadSafer than 25% of U.S. towns
Schools
B−DuluthBetter than 48% of districts in the state B−MoorheadBetter than 48% of districts in the state
Health
B+DuluthHealthier than 66% of U.S. towns A−MoorheadHealthier than 76% of U.S. towns
11Duluth
12Moorhead

Lists won, of 23 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Fastest growingGrowth · 272 towns #231#38 Highest graduation rateSchools · 238 towns #227#144 Most walkableOutdoors · 275 towns #170#89 Most new homesHousing · 239 towns #131#77 Fewest uninsuredHealth · 273 towns #89#148 HealthiestHealth · 273 towns #183#125 Most conserved landOutdoors · 268 towns #72#126 Most trailsOutdoors · 223 towns #9#52

Left end = #1 in Minnesota. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Duluth’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
DuluthMoorhead
Snow a year56″51″
January low6°F0°F
July high76°F82°F
Growing season (days)154d143d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)28th76th
Outdoors & history
DuluthMoorhead
Trails172 mi22 mi
Conserved land8.6%5.2%
Settled16791871
National Register places4412
Archive photos1717
Famous people born here5932
Community
DuluthMoorhead
Library hours a week44 hrs61 hrs
Colleges in town32
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

218 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

DuluthMNMoorheadMN
Duluth ↔ Moorhead218 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.

DuluthMoorhead
People
Population 87,093Highest 45,036Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +0.5%Lowest MN: +7.6% +16.9%Highest MN: +7.6%
Median age 35.2±0.7Highest 9% below MN 31.3±0.5Lowest 19% below MN
Kids under 18 17.6%±0.8Lowest MN: 22.9% 23%±1.2Highest MN: 22.9%
Age 65+ 17.3%±0.7Highest MN: 17.3% 12.7%±1Lowest MN: 17.3%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 44%Highest MN: 39.4% 41.6%Lowest MN: 39.4%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 14.6%±0.9Highest MN: 5.8% 13.9%±1Lowest MN: 5.8%
Duluth and Moorhead are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $68,807±$2kLowest 23% below MN $72,761±$6kHighest 18% below MN
Moorhead and Duluth are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $242,700±$5kLowest 26% below MN $249,000±$8kHighest 24% below MN
Moorhead and Duluth are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,087±$45Highest 15% below MN $1,033±$50Lowest 19% below MN
Duluth and Moorhead are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $2,885Lowest 14% below MN $3,104Highest 8% below MN
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 54%±3.2Highest MN: 48.1% 53.9%±5.2Lowest MN: 48.1%
Duluth and Moorhead are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 16.8%Highest MN: 9.3% 16.1%Lowest MN: 9.3%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 59.4%Highest MN: 72.2% 58.1%Lowest MN: 72.2%
Typical home builtmedian year 1951Lowest 28 yrs older than MN 1983Highest 4 yrs newer than MN
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 17 minLowest 24% below MN 18 minHighest 22% below MN
Work from home 13.2%±1.3Highest MN: 17.6% 12.6%±1.6Lowest MN: 17.6%
Duluth and Moorhead are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 63.2%Highest 22%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 4.8 miHighest 3.8 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.65Highest 0.68Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Superior (5%)Fargo (48%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in MoorheadFew work in Duluth
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 8.6%Highest 5.2%Lowest
Trailsmapped miles 172.4 miHighest 21.7 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 2.2 miHighest 1.0 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 70Highest 31Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 36.3Lowest 61.8Highest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #136 of 230 in MN#159 of 230 in MN
School district DULUTH PUBLIC SCHOOLS ACADEMY · DULUTH PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICTMoorhead Area Public Schools
High school in town East High SchoolMoorhead High School
Students per teacherat that high school 20.3Highest 19.0Lowest
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.

Duluth neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Duluth’s Town Square.

Moorhead neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Moorhead’s Town Square.

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Bordering Duluth

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Superior, WI26,677 people · $180K homes
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Superior, WI2,107 people · $299K homes
H
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Hermantown10,218 people · $382K homes
R
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Rice Lake4,153 people · $310K homes

Towns like Duluth

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Burnsville64,463 people · $355K homes
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Rochester122,330 people · $311K homes
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Bloomington88,665 people · $362K homes
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Richfield36,642 people · $344K 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.

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