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%

Hammond$870/mo

Typical home $147K (Census) · tax rate 0.81% · or rent about $863/mo · Housing →

Brooks$580/mo

Typical home $97K (Census) · tax rate 0.87% · or rent about $470/mo · Housing →

The difference: $290 a month, about $3,500 a year, between Hammond and Brooks.

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

HammondBrooks

Snow a year48″50″

January low4°F -3°F

July high83°F 79°F

Growing season (days)148d 142d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)79th 80th

Outdoors & history

HammondBrooks

Trails—1 mi

Conserved land—0%

Settled—1904

Community

HammondBrooks

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

303 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

HammondMN BrooksMN

Hammond ↔ Brooks303 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

HammondBrooks

People

Population 134Highest 133Lowest

Median age 41.5±14.2Highest 7% above MN 39.3±28.6Lowest about the MN average

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

Kids under 18 20.1%±13.4Lowest MN: 22.9% 32.3%±9.8Highest MN: 22.9%

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

Age 65+ 11.2%±22.5Lowest MN: 17.3% 19.5%±16Highest MN: 17.3%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 11.4%Highest MN: 39.4% 6.5%Lowest MN: 39.4%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 6%±4.1Highest MN: 5.8% 0%±10.6Lowest MN: 5.8%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $58,438±$13kLowest 34% below MN $62,143±$36kHighest 30% below MN

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $146,900±$47kHighest 55% below MN $96,800±$11kLowest 71% below MN

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

Rentmedian gross, monthly $863±$108Highest 33% below MN $470±$12Lowest 63% below MN

Property taxmedian, yearly $1,183Highest 65% below MN $838Lowest 75% below MN

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 35.3%±100Highest MN: 48.1% 0%±100Lowest MN: 48.1%

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

Below poverty line 10.4%Highest MN: 9.3% 9%Lowest MN: 9.3%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 71.6%Lowest MN: 72.2% 74%Highest MN: 72.2%

Typical home builtmedian year 1938Lowest 41 yrs older than MN 1951Highest 28 yrs older than MN

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 25 minLowest 9% above MN 30 minHighest 31% above MN

Work from home 7.8%±6.1Highest MN: 17.6% 7.1%±4Lowest MN: 17.6%

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

Work in townworking residents 0% 0%

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 14.8 miLowest 21.8 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.09Lowest 0.37Highest

Top workplaceoutside town Rochester (43%)Thief River Falls (25%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in BrooksFew work in Hammond

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 0% 0%

Trailsmapped miles 0.0 miLowest 0.7 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 miLowest 0.6 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0Lowest 1Highest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 118Highest 16.6Lowest

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.

Hammond neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Hammond’s Town Square.

Brooks neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Brooks’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Hammond and Brooks

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

Bordering Hammond

+ Compare

Zumbro Township534 people · $447K homes

+ Compare

Hyde Park Township309 people · $390K homes

Towns like Hammond

+ Compare

Harding169 people · $175K homes

+ Compare

Dovray Township124 people · $175K homes

+ Compare

Federal Dam142 people · $123K homes

+ Compare

Pease217 people · $179K 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.

Hammond vs Brooks

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs $290 more a month in Hammond

What daily life feels like in each

303 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Hammond and Brooks

Bordering Hammond

Towns like Hammond

Post to Hammond

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