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%

Elba$930/mo

Typical home $159K (Census) · tax rate 0.69% · or rent about $825/mo · Housing →

Brookston$1,250/mo

Typical home $210K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.86% · Housing →

The difference: $320 a month, about $3,900 a year, between Brookston and Elba.

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

ElbaBrookston

Snow a year45″71″

January low—2°F

July high—79°F

Growing season (days)—118d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)65th 67th

Outdoors & history

ElbaBrookston

Trails1 mi —

Conserved land5.7%—

Settled1856 —

Archive photos1 3

Community

ElbaBrookston

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined0 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

194 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

ElbaMN BrookstonMN

Elba ↔ Brookston194 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

ElbaBrookston

People

Population 102Lowest 103Highest

Median age 53.7±2.9Lowest 38% above MN 54.9±6.3Highest 41% above MN

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

Kids under 18 3.9%±24.2Lowest MN: 22.9% 10.7%±14.5Highest MN: 22.9%

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

Age 65+ 28.4%±13.9Lowest MN: 17.3% 36.9%±24.1Highest MN: 17.3%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 16.7%Highest MN: 39.4% 15.2%Lowest MN: 39.4%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 3.9%±3.3Highest MN: 5.8% 0%±13.7Lowest MN: 5.8%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $76,250±$28kHighest 14% below MN $52,500±$24kLowest 41% below MN

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $159,400±$65kHighest 52% below MN $145,800±$46kLowest 56% below MN

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

Rentmedian gross, monthly $825±$112 36% below MN —

Property taxmedian, yearly $1,104Lowest 67% below MN $1,250Highest 63% below MN

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 0%±100Lowest MN: 48.1% 66.7%±100Highest MN: 48.1%

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

Below poverty line 8.8%Lowest MN: 9.3% 14.6%Highest MN: 9.3%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 87.5%Lowest MN: 72.2% 91.2%Highest MN: 72.2%

Typical home builtmedian year 1964Lowest 15 yrs older than MN 1975Highest 4 yrs older than MN

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 27 minLowest 18% above MN 32 minHighest 39% above MN

Work from home 5.7%±5.3Lowest MN: 17.6% 13.6%±11.8Highest MN: 17.6%

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

Work in townworking residents 0%Lowest 4.2%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 19.3 miHighest 12.8 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.41Lowest 1.46Highest

Top workplaceoutside town Winona (35%)Cloquet (50%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in BrookstonFew work in Elba

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 5.7%Highest 0.9%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 0.9 miHighest 0.0 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.5 miHighest 0.0 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 3Highest 0Lowest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 7.3Lowest 22.0Highest

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.

Elba neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Elba’s Town Square.

Brookston neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Brookston’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Elba and Brookston

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

Towns like Elba

+ Compare

Amboy Township109 people · $178K homes

+ Compare

Riceville Township71 people · $138K homes

+ Compare

Williams Township105 people · $176K homes

+ Compare

Bloom Township111 people · $188K 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.

Elba vs Brookston

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they differ most

A typical home costs $320 more a month in Brookston

What daily life feels like in each

194 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Elba and Brookston

Towns like Elba

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