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Harmony vs Rush Lake Township

268 miles apart. The biggest differences: street grid (28.8× in Harmony) and jobs per worker (12.4× in Harmony).

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Harmony, MNOne of the healthiest townsMinnesota · 1,024 people
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Rush Lake Township, MNA small town of 940Otter Tail County · 940 people
Swap order
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.

HarmonyOne of the healthiest towns
Health71% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates Housing$265K typical home24% below the MN typical home All about Harmony →
Rush Lake TownshipA small town of 940
Quiet strengthsRush Lake Township doesn’t stand out on the data we haveNeighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.
All about Rush Lake 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 grid28.8×
Harmony has the more walkable street grid
Harmony 72.1Rush Lake Township 2.5
Jobs per worker12.4×
Harmony is more of a job hub
Harmony 1.49Rush Lake Township 0.12
Home values+91%
Homes cost more in Rush Lake Township
Rush Lake Township $325,700Harmony $170,100
Trails4.5×
Rush Lake Township has more miles of trail
Rush Lake Township 1.8 miHarmony 0.4 mi
Seasonal homes+37.5 pts
Rush Lake Township has more second homes
Rush Lake Township 41.7%Harmony 4.2%
Work in town+19 pts
More of Harmony’s workers stay in town
Harmony 19.6%Rush Lake Township 0.6%
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $290 more a month in Rush Lake Township

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.

Harmony$1,630/mo
Typical home $265K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.08% · or rent about $742/mo · Housing →
Rush Lake Township$1,910/mo
Typical home $326K (Census) · tax rate 0.76% · or rent about $619/mo · Housing →

The difference: $290 a month, about $3,400 a year, between Rush Lake Township and Harmony.

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

Grades and rankings, side by side

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.

Schools
C+HarmonyBetter than 40% of districts in the state –Rush Lake TownshipNot graded
Health
CHarmonyHealthier than 29% of U.S. towns –Rush Lake TownshipNot graded
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
HarmonyRush Lake Township
Snow a year47″46″
January low—-2°F
July high—79°F
Growing season (days)—141d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)38th48th
Outdoors & history
HarmonyRush Lake Township
Trails0 mi2 mi
Conserved land0%2.2%
National Register places1—
Archive photos6—
Community
HarmonyRush Lake Township
Library hours a week38 hrs—
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

268 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

HarmonyMNRush Lake TownshipOtter Tail County
Harmony ↔ Rush Lake Township268 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.

HarmonyRush Lake Township
People
Population 1,024Highest 940Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +2.3%Lowest MN: +7.6% +6.7%Highest MN: +7.6%
Median age 58.8±5.8Lowest 52% above MN 59.3±3.3Highest 53% above MN
Rush Lake Township and Harmony are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 12.6%±2.8Lowest MN: 22.9% 13.1%±4.1Highest MN: 22.9%
Rush Lake Township and Harmony are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 40.1%±4.3Highest MN: 17.3% 31.1%±3.2Lowest MN: 17.3%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 21.1%Lowest MN: 39.4% 22.6%Highest MN: 39.4%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 1.5%±0.9Highest MN: 5.8% 1%±1.4Lowest MN: 5.8%
Harmony and Rush Lake Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $68,125±$10kLowest 24% below MN $75,000±$11kHighest 16% below MN
Rush Lake Township and Harmony are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $170,100±$19kLowest 48% below MN $325,700±$25kHighest about the MN average
Rentmedian gross, monthly $742±$492Highest 42% below MN $619±$72Lowest 52% below MN
Harmony and Rush Lake Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $1,832Lowest 45% below MN $2,465Highest 27% below MN
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 57.7%±40.2Highest MN: 48.1% 40.7%±33.6Lowest MN: 48.1%
Harmony and Rush Lake Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 8.2%Lowest MN: 9.3% 10.1%Highest MN: 9.3%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 84.2%Lowest MN: 72.2% 90.2%Highest MN: 72.2%
Typical home builtmedian year 1961Lowest 18 yrs older than MN 1984Highest 5 yrs newer than MN
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 22 minHighest 5% below MN 20 minLowest 11% below MN
Work from home 12.5%±6.7Highest MN: 17.6% 12%±4.9Lowest MN: 17.6%
Harmony and Rush Lake Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 19.6%Highest 0.6%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 21.3 miHighest 19.3 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.49Highest 0.12Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Rochester (16%)Perham (20%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Rush Lake TownshipFew work in Harmony
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 0%Lowest 2.2%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 0.4 miLowest 1.8 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.4 miHighest 0.1 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 3Highest 1Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 72.1Highest 2.5Lowest
Schools
School district FILLMORE CENTRAL—
High school in town Fillmore Central Senior High—
Students per teacherat that high school 12.9 —
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.

Harmony neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Harmony’s Town Square.

Rush Lake Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Rush Lake Township’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Harmony and Rush Lake Township

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Towns like Harmony

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East Side Township749 people · $243K homes
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Hallock829 people · $140K homes
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Nordland Township1,108 people · $303K homes
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Sandstone Township728 people · $209K 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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