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Folden Township vs Elmo Township

Next-door neighbors in Otter Tail County. The biggest differences: jobs per worker (12× in Elmo Township) and homeowners (+10.7 pts renters in Elmo Township).

F ×
Folden Township, MNAn outdoors townOtter Tail County · 272 people
E ×
Elmo Township, MNAn outdoors townOtter Tail County · 356 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.

Folden TownshipAn outdoors town
Outdoors15.8% conserved land2.2 miles of trails across 2 parks and preserves All about Folden Township →
Elmo TownshipAn outdoors town
Outdoors15.2% conserved land2.4 miles of trails across 2 parks and preserves All about Elmo Township →
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.

Jobs per worker12×
Elmo Township is more of a job hub
Elmo Township 0.24Folden Township 0.02
Homeowners+10.7 pts renters
Elmo Township has more renters
Folden Township 93.9%Elmo Township 83.2%
Property tax bill+20%
Tax bills are bigger in Folden Township
Folden Township $1,813Elmo Township $1,512
Average commute5 min
Folden Township has the shorter commute
Elmo Township 29 minFolden Township 24 min
Street grid+50%
Elmo Township has the more walkable street grid
Elmo Township 1.2Folden Township 0.8
★ What stands out · Where they are

Folden Township and Elmo Township share a border

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Folden TownshipElmo TownshipFolden TownshipElmo Township
Folden Township ↔ Elmo Township5.1 miles apart · They share a border · Same county
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.

Folden Township$1,570/mo
Typical home $270K (Census) · tax rate 0.67% · Housing →
Elmo Township$1,480/mo
Typical home $258K (Census) · tax rate 0.59% · Housing →

The difference: $90 a month, about $1,000 a year, between Folden Township and Elmo Township.

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
Folden TownshipElmo Township
Snow a year51″51″
January low-2°F-2°F
July high78°F78°F
Growing season (days)141d141d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)21st21st
Outdoors & history
Folden TownshipElmo Township
Trails2 mi2 mi
Conserved land15.8%15.2%
Settled—1880
Community
Folden TownshipElmo Township
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.

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.

Folden TownshipElmo Township
People
Population 272Lowest 356Highest
Median age 43.5±12.8Highest 12% above MN 39.8±6.1Lowest about the MN average
Folden Township and Elmo Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 20.2%±5.4Lowest MN: 22.9% 25.3%±3.9Highest MN: 22.9%
Elmo Township and Folden Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 27.2%±4.8Highest MN: 17.3% 22.2%±5.2Lowest MN: 17.3%
Folden Township and Elmo Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 22.4%Highest MN: 39.4% 22.1%Lowest MN: 39.4%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 5.9%±3.4Highest MN: 5.8% 1.1%±3.3Lowest MN: 5.8%
Folden Township and Elmo Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $66,667±$33kLowest 25% below MN $66,964±$11kHighest 25% below MN
Elmo Township and Folden Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $270,000±$49kHighest 18% below MN $258,300±$116kLowest 22% below MN
Folden Township and Elmo Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $1,813Highest 46% below MN $1,512Lowest 55% below MN
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 100%±100Highest MN: 48.1% 0%±100Lowest MN: 48.1%
Folden Township and Elmo Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 9.6%Highest MN: 9.3% 8.7%Lowest MN: 9.3%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 93.9%Highest MN: 72.2% 83.2%Lowest MN: 72.2%
Typical home builtmedian year 1971Lowest 8 yrs older than MN 1981Highest 2 yrs newer than MN
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 24 minLowest 7% above MN 29 minHighest 29% above MN
Work from home 17.3%±10Highest MN: 17.6% 10.7%±5Lowest MN: 17.6%
Folden Township and Elmo Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 0%Lowest 1.5%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 23.3 miLowest 24.3 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.02Lowest 0.24Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Parkers Prairie (18%)Alexandria (13%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Elmo TownshipFew work in Folden Township
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 15.8%Highest 15.2%Lowest
Trailsmapped miles 2.2 miLowest 2.4 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.1 mi 0.1 mi
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 2 2
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 0.8Lowest 1.2Highest
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.

Folden Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Folden Township’s Town Square.

Elmo Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Elmo Township’s Town Square.

Add a town

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Bordering Folden Township

N
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Nidaros Township346 people · $346K homes
E
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Effington Township205 people · $313K homes
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Vining86 people · $125K homes
H
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Henning Township309 people · $272K homes

Towns like Folden Township

C
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Culver Township278 people · $252K homes
M
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Moose Lake Township310 people · $269K homes
D
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Delhi Township349 people · $267K homes
H
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Hendrickson Township338 people · $262K 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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