Guest, Sign inJoin
Compare towns

Moorhead vs Duluth

218 miles apart. The biggest differences: trails (7.9× in Duluth) and work in town (+41.2 pts in Duluth).

×
Moorhead, MNA history townMinnesota · 45,036 people
×
Duluth, MNA colonial town, settled 1679Minnesota · 87,093 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.

MoorheadA history town
HistorySettled in 187112 places on the National Register Outdoors#52 most trails in MN22 miles of trails across 31 parks and preserves HealthHealthier than 76%of U.S. towns on CDC estimates All about Moorhead →
DuluthA colonial town, settled 1679
HistorySettled in 167944 places on the National Register Outdoors#9 most trails in MN172 miles of trails across 70 parks and preserves Famous people59 notable peopleborn in Duluth All about Duluth →
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.

Trails7.9×
Duluth has more miles of trail
Duluth 172.4 miMoorhead 21.7 mi
Work in town+41.2 pts
More of Duluth’s workers stay in town
Duluth 63.2%Moorhead 22%
Growth since 2010+16.4 pts
Moorhead has grown faster since 2010
Moorhead +16.9%Duluth +0.5%
Jobs per worker2.4×
Duluth is more of a job hub
Duluth 1.65Moorhead 0.68
Typical home built32 yrs
Duluth’s homes are older
Moorhead 1983Duluth 1951
Street grid+70%
Moorhead has the more walkable street grid
Moorhead 61.8Duluth 36.3
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs about the same each month

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.

Moorhead$1,810/mo
Typical home $289K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.25% · or rent about $1,033/mo · Housing →
Duluth$1,860/mo
Typical home $298K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.19% · or rent about $1,087/mo · Housing →

Within $50 a month of each other.

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

Moorhead places higher on 12 of 23 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
CMoorheadSafer than 25% of U.S. towns C−DuluthSafer than 18% of U.S. towns
Schools
B−MoorheadBetter than 48% of districts in the state B−DuluthBetter than 48% of districts in the state
Health
A−MoorheadHealthier than 76% of U.S. towns B+DuluthHealthier than 66% of U.S. towns
12Moorhead
11Duluth

Lists won, of 23 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Fastest growingGrowth · 272 towns #38#231 Highest graduation rateSchools · 238 towns #144#227 Most walkableOutdoors · 275 towns #89#170 Most new homesHousing · 239 towns #77#131 Fewest uninsuredHealth · 273 towns #148#89 HealthiestHealth · 273 towns #125#183 Most conserved landOutdoors · 268 towns #126#72 Most trailsOutdoors · 223 towns #52#9

Left end = #1 in Minnesota. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Moorhead’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
MoorheadDuluth
Snow a year51″56″
January low0°F6°F
July high82°F76°F
Growing season (days)143d154d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)76th28th
Outdoors & history
MoorheadDuluth
Trails22 mi172 mi
Conserved land5.2%8.6%
Settled18711679
National Register places1244
Archive photos1717
Famous people born here3259
Community
MoorheadDuluth
Library hours a week61 hrs44 hrs
Colleges in town23
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

218 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

MoorheadMNDuluthMN
Moorhead ↔ Duluth218 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.

MoorheadDuluth
People
Population 45,036Lowest 87,093Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +16.9%Highest MN: +7.6% +0.5%Lowest MN: +7.6%
Median age 31.3±0.5Lowest 19% below MN 35.2±0.7Highest 9% below MN
Kids under 18 23%±1.2Highest MN: 22.9% 17.6%±0.8Lowest MN: 22.9%
Age 65+ 12.7%±1Lowest MN: 17.3% 17.3%±0.7Highest MN: 17.3%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 41.6%Lowest MN: 39.4% 44%Highest MN: 39.4%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 13.9%±1Lowest MN: 5.8% 14.6%±0.9Highest MN: 5.8%
Duluth and Moorhead are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $72,761±$6kHighest 18% below MN $68,807±$2kLowest 23% below MN
Moorhead and Duluth are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $249,000±$8kHighest 24% below MN $242,700±$5kLowest 26% below MN
Moorhead and Duluth are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,033±$50Lowest 19% below MN $1,087±$45Highest 15% below MN
Duluth and Moorhead are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $3,104Highest 8% below MN $2,885Lowest 14% below MN
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 53.9%±5.2Lowest MN: 48.1% 54%±3.2Highest MN: 48.1%
Duluth and Moorhead are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 16.1%Lowest MN: 9.3% 16.8%Highest MN: 9.3%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 58.1%Lowest MN: 72.2% 59.4%Highest MN: 72.2%
Typical home builtmedian year 1983Highest 4 yrs newer than MN 1951Lowest 28 yrs older than MN
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 18 minHighest 22% below MN 17 minLowest 24% below MN
Work from home 12.6%±1.6Lowest MN: 17.6% 13.2%±1.3Highest MN: 17.6%
Duluth and Moorhead are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 22%Lowest 63.2%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 3.8 miLowest 4.8 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.68Lowest 1.65Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Fargo (48%)Superior (5%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in DuluthFew work in Moorhead
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 5.2%Lowest 8.6%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 21.7 miLowest 172.4 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 1.0 miLowest 2.2 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 31Lowest 70Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 61.8Highest 36.3Lowest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #159 of 230 in MN#136 of 230 in MN
School district Moorhead Area Public SchoolsDULUTH PUBLIC SCHOOLS ACADEMY · DULUTH PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT
High school in town Moorhead High SchoolEast High School
Students per teacherat that high school 19.0Lowest 20.3Highest
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.

Moorhead neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Moorhead’s Town Square.

Duluth neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Duluth’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Moorhead and Duluth

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

Bordering Moorhead

+ Compare
Fargo, ND131,627 people · $282K homes
+ Compare
Moorhead Township149 people · $407K homes
D
+ Compare
Dilworth4,713 people · $262K homes
O
+ Compare
Oakport Township448 people · $425K homes

Towns like Moorhead

+ Compare
Winona26,009 people · $202K homes
+ Compare
Mankato45,473 people · $262K homes
+ Compare
Burnsville64,463 people · $355K homes
+ Compare
Sartell19,758 people · $297K 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 Moorhead

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