Guest, Sign inJoin
Compare towns

Leaf Mountain Township vs Effington Township

Next-door neighbors in Otter Tail County. The biggest differences: property tax bill (+83% in Effington Township) and jobs per worker (3.6× in Effington Township).

L ×
Leaf Mountain Township, MNAn outdoors townOtter Tail County · 340 people
E ×
Effington Township, MNA small town of 205Otter Tail County · 205 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.

Effington TownshipA small town of 205
Quiet strengthsEffington Township doesn’t stand out on the data we haveNeighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.
All about Effington 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.

★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $220 more a month in Effington 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.

Leaf Mountain Township$1,600/mo
Typical home $286K (Census) · tax rate 0.41% · Housing →
Effington Township$1,820/mo
Typical home $313K (Census) · tax rate 0.69% · Housing →

The difference: $220 a month, about $2,700 a year, between Effington Township and Leaf Mountain 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.

Where they are

Leaf Mountain Township and Effington Township share a border

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Leaf Mountain TownshipEffington TownshipLeaf Mountain TownshipEffington Township
Leaf Mountain Township ↔ Effington Township5.6 miles apart · They share a border · Same county
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
Leaf Mountain TownshipEffington Township
Snow a year—51″
January low—-2°F
July high—78°F
Growing season (days)—141d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)22nd21st
Outdoors & history
Leaf Mountain TownshipEffington Township
Trails2 mi1 mi
Conserved land19.6%9.1%
Settled18741872
Community
Leaf Mountain TownshipEffington 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.

Leaf Mountain TownshipEffington Township
People
Population 340Highest 205Lowest
Median age 41.3±0.5Lowest 6% above MN 50.8±17Highest 31% above MN
Effington Township and Leaf Mountain Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 35%±5.5Highest MN: 22.9% 18.5%±8.7Lowest MN: 22.9%
Age 65+ 12.4%±6.7Lowest MN: 17.3% 23.9%±6.3Highest MN: 17.3%
Effington Township and Leaf Mountain Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 47.9%Highest MN: 39.4% 15.9%Lowest MN: 39.4%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 1.5%±1.5Highest MN: 5.8% 0%±6.9Lowest MN: 5.8%
Leaf Mountain Township and Effington Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $107,628±$26kHighest 21% above MN $95,625±$18kLowest 7% above MN
Leaf Mountain Township and Effington Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $285,600±$13kLowest 13% below MN $312,500±$47kHighest 5% below MN
Effington Township and Leaf Mountain Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $1,173Lowest 65% below MN $2,152Highest 36% below MN
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 100%±100 MN: 48.1% —
Below poverty line 3.8%Lowest MN: 9.3% 9.1%Highest MN: 9.3%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 99.1%Highest MN: 72.2% 95.2%Lowest MN: 72.2%
Typical home builtmedian year 1977Lowest 2 yrs older than MN 1991Highest 12 yrs newer than MN
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 32 minHighest 42% above MN 28 minLowest 23% above MN
Work from home 5.4%±3.4Lowest MN: 17.6% 21.3%±10.2Highest MN: 17.6%
Work in townworking residents 0.8%Highest 0%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 23.3 mi 23.3 mi
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.05Lowest 0.18Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Fergus Falls (24%)Alexandria (17%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Effington TownshipFew work in Leaf Mountain Township
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 19.6%Highest 9.1%Lowest
Trailsmapped miles 1.8 miHighest 0.9 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.1 miHighest 0.0 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 4Highest 1Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 1.1Highest 0.9Lowest
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.

Leaf Mountain Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Leaf Mountain Township’s Town Square.

Effington Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Effington Township’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Leaf Mountain Township and Effington Township

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

Bordering Leaf Mountain Township

Towns like Leaf Mountain Township

Not sure which town to add? Find your place ranks Minnesota towns on what matters to you.Find your place →

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.

Post to Leaf Mountain Township

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in