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%

Lindstrom$2,450/mo

Typical home $394K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.19% · or rent about $1,176/mo · Housing →

Becker$2,340/mo

Typical home $382K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.06% · or rent about $889/mo · Housing →

The difference: $110 a month, about $1,400 a year, between Lindstrom and Becker.

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

Lindstrom places higher on 9 of 20 MN lists

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.

Safety

–LindstromNot graded A−BeckerSafer than 81% of U.S. towns

Schools

A−LindstromBetter than 79% of districts in the state ABeckerBetter than 85% of districts in the state

Health

A−LindstromHealthier than 77% of U.S. towns A−BeckerHealthier than 76% of U.S. towns

9Lindstrom

7Becker

Lists won, of 20 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Lowest property taxCost of living · 275 towns #213#97 Cheapest rentCost of living · 257 towns #125#50 Most walkableOutdoors · 275 towns #127#207 Lowest obesityHealth · 273 towns #138#212 Most affordableCost of living · 275 towns #168#98 Fewest uninsuredHealth · 273 towns #35#89 Most remote workersWork · 272 towns #112#162 Highest incomeIncome · 275 towns #111#154

Left end = #1 in Minnesota. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Lindstrom’s rankings →

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

LindstromBecker

Snow a year52″49″

January low3°F 4°F

July high83°F 81°F

Growing season (days)154d 144d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)28th 45th

Outdoors & history

LindstromBecker

Trails3 mi 13 mi

Conserved land3.6%2.2%

Settled—1867

National Register places3 1

Famous people born here—4

Community

LindstromBecker

Library hours a week—32 hrs

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined0 1

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

50 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

LindstromMN BeckerMN

Lindstrom ↔ Becker50 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

LindstromBecker

People

Population 4,978Lowest 5,034Highest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +10%Highest MN: +7.6% +7.5%Lowest MN: +7.6%

Median age 35±4.5Highest 10% below MN 34.2±4.2Lowest 12% below MN

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

Kids under 18 30.5%±6.9Highest MN: 22.9% 29.5%±5.5Lowest MN: 22.9%

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

Age 65+ 13.5%±3.6Lowest MN: 17.3% 14.7%±4.2Highest MN: 17.3%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 21.4%Highest MN: 39.4% 19.9%Lowest MN: 39.4%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 3.9%±2.8Highest MN: 5.8% 1.8%±1.2Lowest MN: 5.8%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $98,226±$21kHighest 10% above MN $86,094±$16kLowest 3% below MN

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $358,100±$25kHighest 9% above MN $271,300±$19kLowest 18% below MN

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,176±$248Highest 8% below MN $889±$202Lowest 31% below MN

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

Property taxmedian, yearly $4,246Highest 26% above MN $2,872Lowest 14% below MN

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 38.5%±17.7Lowest MN: 48.1% 53.9%±23.8Highest MN: 48.1%

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

Below poverty line 6.5%Lowest MN: 9.3% 9.5%Highest MN: 9.3%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 85.1%Highest MN: 72.2% 79.3%Lowest MN: 72.2%

Typical home builtmedian year 1992Lowest 13 yrs newer than MN 1997Highest 18 yrs newer than MN

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 30 minHighest 33% above MN 27 minLowest 19% above MN

Work from home 16.7%±5.5Highest MN: 17.6% 12.1%±4.2Lowest MN: 17.6%

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

Work in townworking residents 6.1%Lowest 11.7%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 27.8 miHighest 19.8 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.45Lowest 0.88Highest

Top workplaceoutside town Minneapolis (8%)St. Cloud (9%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in BeckerFew work in Lindstrom

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 3.6%Highest 2.2%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 3.4 miLowest 13.3 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.9 miLowest 1.1 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 7Lowest 8Highest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 52.3Highest 18.5Lowest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #103 of 230 in MN #83 of 230 in MN

School district Chisago Lakes School DistrictBECKER PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT

High school in town Chisago Lakes Senior HighBecker Senior High

Students per teacherat that high school 15.2Lowest 18.6Highest

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.

Lindstrom neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Lindstrom’s Town Square.

Becker neighborsTown Square →

T Weaver · 1w

Ordinary Days in Becker

1 neighbor in Becker can answer.

Add a town

Set another town beside Lindstrom and Becker

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

Bordering Lindstrom

+ Compare

Chisago Lake Township4,908 people · $438K homes

+ Compare

Center City651 people · $362K homes

+ Compare

Franconia Township1,817 people · $432K homes

+ Compare

Chisago City5,899 people · $413K homes

Towns like Lindstrom

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Watertown4,790 people · $337K homes

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Zimmerman6,546 people · $324K homes

+ Compare

Jordan6,771 people · $336K homes

+ Compare

Isanti7,210 people · $291K 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.

Lindstrom vs Becker

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they differ most

A typical home costs about the same each month

Lindstrom places higher on 9 of 20 MN lists

What daily life feels like in each

50 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Ordinary Days in Becker

Set another town beside Lindstrom and Becker

Bordering Lindstrom

Towns like Lindstrom

Post to Lindstrom

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