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Compare towns

Middle River vs Badger

24 miles apart. The biggest differences: property tax bill (2.3× in Badger) and jobs per worker (2.5× in Badger).

M ×
Middle River, MNA small town of 319Minnesota · 319 people
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Badger, MNHomes around $204KMinnesota · 391 people
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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.

Middle RiverA small town of 319
Quiet strengthsMiddle River doesn’t stand out on the data we haveNeighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.
All about Middle River →
BadgerHomes around $204K
Housing$204K typical home42% below the MN typical home All about Badger →
The biggest differences

Where they differ most

The rows below where the towns are furthest apart, beyond the Census margin of error. The full table is further down.

Property tax bill2.3×
Tax bills are bigger in Badger
Badger $2,114Middle River $909
Jobs per worker2.5×
Badger is more of a job hub
Badger 1.01Middle River 0.40
Average commute9 min
Badger has the shorter commute
Middle River 25 minBadger 16 min
Typical home built25 yrs
Middle River’s homes are older
Badger 1976Middle River 1951
Street grid+44%
Middle River has the more walkable street grid
Middle River 60.8Badger 42.2
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $790 more a month in Badger

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.

Middle River$610/mo
Typical home $102K (Census) · tax rate 0.89% · or rent about $408/mo · Housing →
Badger$1,400/mo
Typical home $204K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.92% · or rent about $1,013/mo · Housing →

The difference: $790 a month, about $9,500 a year, between Badger and Middle River.

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
–Middle RiverNot graded BBadgerBetter than 61% of districts in the state
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
Middle RiverBadger
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)78th74th
Outdoors & history
Middle RiverBadger
Trails0 mi—
Conserved land0%—
Community
Middle RiverBadger
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

24 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Middle RiverBadgerMiddle RiverBadger
Middle River ↔ Badger24 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.

Middle RiverBadger
People
Population 319Lowest 391Highest
Median age 41.1±2.5Highest 6% above MN 39.7±6.4Lowest about the MN average
Middle River and Badger are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 26.6%±5.9Lowest MN: 22.9% 27.6%±6.7Highest MN: 22.9%
Badger and Middle River are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 17.6%±5.6Lowest MN: 17.3% 18.7%±4Highest MN: 17.3%
Badger and Middle River are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 15.1%Lowest MN: 39.4% 17.6%Highest MN: 39.4%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 2.5%±4Highest MN: 5.8% 1.5%±3.1Lowest MN: 5.8%
Middle River and Badger are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $76,250±$33kHighest 14% below MN $64,167±$16kLowest 28% below MN
Middle River and Badger are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $101,900±$26kLowest 69% below MN $110,000±$19kHighest 67% below MN
Badger and Middle River are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $408±$227Lowest 68% below MN $1,013±$462Highest 21% below MN
Badger and Middle River are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $909Lowest 73% below MN $2,114Highest 37% below MN
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 24.1%±64.4Highest MN: 48.1% 21.1%±28Lowest MN: 48.1%
Middle River and Badger are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 14.9% MN: 9.3% 14.9% MN: 9.3%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 78.7%Highest MN: 72.2% 76.3%Lowest MN: 72.2%
Typical home builtmedian year 1951Lowest 28 yrs older than MN 1976Highest 3 yrs older than MN
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 25 minHighest 10% above MN 16 minLowest 28% below MN
Work from home 4.3%±2.3Lowest MN: 17.6% 6.5%±5.3Highest MN: 17.6%
Badger and Middle River are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 2%Lowest 9.1%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 22.8 miHighest 12.8 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.40Lowest 1.01Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Thief River Falls (43%)Roseau (37%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in BadgerFew work in Middle River
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 0% 0%
Trailsmapped miles 0.0 miLowest 0.4 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 miLowest 0.3 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 1Highest 0Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 60.8Highest 42.2Lowest
Schools
School district —BADGER PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT
High school in town —Badger Secondary
Students per teacherat that high school — 10.4
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.

Middle River neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Middle River’s Town Square.

Badger neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Badger’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Middle River and Badger

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Towns like Middle River

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Plummer369 people · $125K homes
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.

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