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%

Mora$1,520/mo

Typical home $235K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.48% · or rent about $788/mo · Housing →

Park Rapids$2,000/mo

Typical home $327K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.04% · or rent about $825/mo · Housing →

The difference: $470 a month, about $5,700 a year, between Park Rapids and Mora.

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

Park Rapids places higher on 12 of 21 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

–MoraNot graded C−Park RapidsSafer than 24% of U.S. towns

Schools

B+MoraBetter than 67% of districts in the state C+Park RapidsBetter than 36% of districts in the state

Health

CMoraHealthier than 32% of U.S. towns B−Park RapidsHealthier than 55% of U.S. towns

8Mora

12Park Rapids

Lists won, of 21 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Lowest depressionHealth · 273 towns #199#15 Fastest growingGrowth · 272 towns #208#75 Highest graduation rateSchools · 238 towns #144#231 Fewest smokersHealth · 273 towns #260#167 Most remote workersWork · 272 towns #260#184 Most activeHealth · 273 towns #258#198 HealthiestHealth · 273 towns #266#217 Most trailsOutdoors · 223 towns #160#199

Left end = #1 in Minnesota. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Mora’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

MoraPark Rapids

Snow a year52″52″

January low1°F -4°F

July high80°F 79°F

Growing season (days)142d 130d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)47th 31st

Outdoors & history

MoraPark Rapids

Trails2 mi 1 mi

Conserved land2.9%1.9%

Settled1882 1890

National Register places3 2

Archive photos6 —

Famous people born here3 —

Community

MoraPark Rapids

Library hours a week52 hrs 41 hrs

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined0 0

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

111 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

MoraMN Park RapidsMN

Mora ↔ Park Rapids111 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

MoraPark Rapids

People

Population 3,732Lowest 4,270Highest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +2.6%Lowest MN: +7.6% +11.7%Highest MN: +7.6%

Median age 43.2±5Lowest 11% above MN 45.8±4.2Highest 18% above MN

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

Kids under 18 18.9%±4.5Lowest MN: 22.9% 21.9%±3.4Highest MN: 22.9%

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

Age 65+ 28%±5Lowest MN: 17.3% 28.3%±5.4Highest MN: 17.3%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 16.7%Lowest MN: 39.4% 22%Highest MN: 39.4%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 1.8%±0.8Lowest MN: 5.8% 3.5%±1.9Highest MN: 5.8%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $52,535±$17kHighest 41% below MN $44,747±$8kLowest 50% below MN

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $171,800±$15kLowest 48% below MN $227,500±$19kHighest 31% below MN

Rentmedian gross, monthly $788±$253Lowest 38% below MN $825±$297Highest 36% below MN

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

Property taxmedian, yearly $2,549Highest 24% below MN $2,365Lowest 30% below MN

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 41.6%±10.6Lowest MN: 48.1% 49.5%±18.4Highest MN: 48.1%

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

Below poverty line 16.6%Lowest MN: 9.3% 21.2%Highest MN: 9.3%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 60.7%Highest MN: 72.2% 54.6%Lowest MN: 72.2%

Typical home builtmedian year 1979 same as MN 1979 same as MN

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 26 minHighest 16% above MN 26 minLowest 14% above MN

Work from home 4.4%±3.1Lowest MN: 17.6% 9.9%±4.6Highest MN: 17.6%

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

Work in townworking residents 34.1%Lowest 43.3%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 21.3 miHighest 5.3 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 2.00 2.00

Top workplaceoutside town Cambridge (6%)Detroit Lakes (4%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Park RapidsFew work in Mora

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 2.9%Highest 1.9%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 1.9 miHighest 1.4 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.4 miHighest 0.2 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 1Lowest 2Highest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 39.0Highest 35.0Lowest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #113 of 230 in MN #87 of 230 in MN

School district Mora Public SchoolsPARK RAPIDS PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT · Heartland Lakes Community School

High school in town Mora High SchoolPark Rapids Senior High

Students per teacherat that high school 16.0Highest 12.7Lowest

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.

Mora neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Mora’s Town Square.

Park Rapids neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Park Rapids’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Mora and Park Rapids

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

Bordering Mora

+ Compare

Arthur Township1,597 people · $233K homes

Towns like Mora

+ Compare

Pine City3,468 people · $187K homes

+ Compare

Milaca3,044 people · $203K homes

+ Compare

Wadena4,419 people · $161K homes

+ Compare

Sauk Centre4,621 people · $226K 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.

Mora vs Park Rapids

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they differ most

A typical home costs $470 more a month in Park Rapids

Park Rapids places higher on 12 of 21 MN lists

What daily life feels like in each

111 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Mora and Park Rapids

Bordering Mora

Towns like Mora

Post to Mora

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