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Foreston vs Buse Township

120 miles apart. The biggest differences: street grid (23× in Foreston) and rent (+76% in Foreston).

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Foreston, MNA small town of 757Minnesota · 757 people

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Buse Township, MNAn outdoors townOtter Tail County · 612 people

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.

ForestonA small town of 757

Quiet strengthsForeston doesn’t stand out on the data we haveNeighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.

All about Foreston →

Buse TownshipAn outdoors town

Outdoors24.5% conserved land5.3 miles of trails across 9 parks and preserves All about Buse Township →

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.

Street grid23×

Foreston has the more walkable street grid

Foreston 29.9Buse Township 1.3

Rent runs higher in Foreston

Foreston $1,278Buse Township $725

Property tax bill+63%

Tax bills are bigger in Foreston

Foreston $3,092Buse Township $1,896

Average commute15 min

Buse Township has the shorter commute

Foreston 33 minBuse Township 18 min

Conserved land+24.5 pts

Buse Township has more conserved land

Buse Township 24.5%Foreston 0%

Typical home built23 yrs

Buse Township’s homes are older

Foreston 2001Buse Township 1978

★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $520 more a month in Foreston

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%

Foreston$2,240/mo

Typical home $358K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.22% · or rent about $1,278/mo · Housing →

Buse Township$1,720/mo

Typical home $299K (Census) · tax rate 0.64% · or rent about $725/mo · Housing →

The difference: $520 a month, about $6,200 a year, between Foreston and Buse 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

ForestonBuse Township

Snow a year49″50″

January low1°F -1°F

July high80°F 80°F

Growing season (days)143d 149d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)55th 17th

Outdoors & history

ForestonBuse Township

Trails0 mi 5 mi

Conserved land0%24.5%

Settled—1870

Archive photos3 —

Community

ForestonBuse Township

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

120 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

ForestonMN Buse TownshipOtter Tail County

Foreston ↔ Buse Township120 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

ForestonBuse Township

People

Population 757Highest 612Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +4.9% MN: +7.6% —

Median age 34.6±5.9Highest 11% below MN 32.7±7Lowest 16% below MN

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

Kids under 18 32.8%±4.5Lowest MN: 22.9% 36.4%±6.4Highest MN: 22.9%

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

Age 65+ 6.9%±3Lowest MN: 17.3% 16%±0.7Highest MN: 17.3%

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 26.1%Highest MN: 39.4% 25.3%Lowest MN: 39.4%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 1.6%±1.5Lowest MN: 5.8% 1.8%±2.1Highest MN: 5.8%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $92,000±$32kLowest 3% above MN $92,500±$10kHighest 4% above MN

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $253,600±$23kLowest 23% below MN $298,500±$40kHighest 9% below MN

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

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,278±$133Highest about the MN average $725±$238Lowest 43% below MN

Property taxmedian, yearly $3,092Highest 8% below MN $1,896Lowest 44% below MN

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 48.7%±47.9Lowest MN: 48.1% 50%±100Highest MN: 48.1%

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

Below poverty line 7.1%Highest MN: 9.3% 4.8%Lowest MN: 9.3%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 85.6%Lowest MN: 72.2% 86.7%Highest MN: 72.2%

Typical home builtmedian year 2001Highest 22 yrs newer than MN 1978Lowest 1 yr older than MN

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 33 minHighest 45% above MN 18 minLowest 22% below MN

Work from home 18.6%±10.1Highest MN: 17.6% 8.3%±7.5Lowest MN: 17.6%

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

Work in townworking residents 1.5%Highest 1%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 26.3 miHighest 4.3 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.81Highest 0.45Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Milaca (10%)Fergus Falls (64%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Buse TownshipFew work in Foreston

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 0%Lowest 24.5%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 0.0 miLowest 5.3 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 miLowest 0.2 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 1Lowest 9Highest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 29.9Highest 1.3Lowest

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.

Foreston neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Foreston’s Town Square.

Buse Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Buse Township’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Foreston and Buse Township

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Bordering Foreston

Milaca Township1,947 people · $294K homes

Milo Township1,304 people · $281K homes

Towns like Foreston

Stockton811 people · $258K homes

Lammers Township691 people · $277K homes

Glyndon1,098 people · $265K homes

Elgin1,116 people · $232K 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.