Guest, Sign inJoin
Compare towns

Middle River vs Comfrey

305 miles apart. The biggest differences: property tax bill (+66% in Comfrey) and street grid (+75% in Comfrey).

M ×
Middle River, MNA small town of 319Minnesota · 319 people
×
Comfrey, MNKnown for its schoolsMinnesota · 338 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.

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 →
ComfreyKnown for its schools
SchoolsBetter than 32%of MN districts Housing$286K typical home18% below the MN typical home All about Comfrey →
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 bill+66%
Tax bills are bigger in Comfrey
Comfrey $1,513Middle River $909
Street grid+75%
Comfrey has the more walkable street grid
Comfrey 107Middle River 60.8
Average commute4 min
Comfrey has the shorter commute
Middle River 25 minComfrey 21 min
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $1,270 more a month in Comfrey

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 →
Comfrey$1,880/mo
Typical home $286K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.57% · or rent about $622/mo · Housing →

The difference: $1,270 a month, about $15,200 a year, between Comfrey 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 CComfreyBetter than 32% 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 RiverComfrey
Snow a year—42″
January low—4°F
July high—82°F
Growing season (days)—150d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)78th44th
Outdoors & history
Middle RiverComfrey
Trails0 mi—
Conserved land0%—
Settled—1902
Community
Middle RiverComfrey
Library hours a week—28 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

305 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Middle RiverMNComfreyMN
Middle River ↔ Comfrey305 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 RiverComfrey
People
Population 319Lowest 338Highest
Median age 41.1±2.5Lowest 6% above MN 42.7±6Highest 10% above MN
Comfrey and Middle River are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 26.6%±5.9Highest MN: 22.9% 20.7%±7.7Lowest MN: 22.9%
Middle River and Comfrey 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% 22.5%±4.9Highest MN: 17.3%
Comfrey 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%Highest MN: 39.4%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 2.5%±4Highest MN: 5.8% 1.2%±1.3Lowest MN: 5.8%
Middle River and Comfrey 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 $61,875±$21kLowest 31% below MN
Middle River and Comfrey are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $101,900±$26kHighest 69% below MN $96,300±$17kLowest 71% below MN
Middle River and Comfrey 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 $622±$58Highest 51% below MN
Comfrey 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 $1,513Highest 55% below MN
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 24.1%±64.4Lowest MN: 48.1% 34.1%±15.8Highest MN: 48.1%
Comfrey and Middle River are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 14.9%Highest MN: 9.3% 13.3%Lowest MN: 9.3%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 78.7%Highest MN: 72.2% 72.7%Lowest MN: 72.2%
Typical home builtmedian year 1951Lowest 28 yrs older than MN 1957Highest 22 yrs older than MN
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 25 minHighest 10% above MN 21 minLowest 9% below MN
Work from home 4.3%±2.3Highest MN: 17.6% 1.5%±2Lowest MN: 17.6%
Middle River and Comfrey are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 2%Lowest 4.4%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 22.8 miHighest 16.3 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.40Lowest 0.41Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Thief River Falls (43%)Springfield (34%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in ComfreyFew work in Middle River
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 0% 0%
Trailsmapped miles 0.0 mi 0.0 mi
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 mi 0.0 mi
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 1Highest 0Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 60.8Lowest 107Highest
Schools
School district —COMFREY PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT
High school in town —Comfrey Secondary
Students per teacherat that high school — 8.7
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.

Comfrey neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Comfrey’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Middle River and Comfrey

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

Towns like Middle River

B
+ Compare
Badger391 people · $110K homes
R
+ Compare
Round Lake333 people · $110K homes
+ Compare
Ellsworth428 people · $86K homes
P
+ Compare
Plummer369 people · $125K 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.

Post to Middle River

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