Compare towns
Nelson vs Effie 155 miles apart. The biggest differences: street grid (9.5× in Nelson) and seasonal homes (+32.8 pts in Effie).
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Effie, MN Homes around $188K Minnesota · 77 people
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.
Nelson A small town of 155
Quiet strengths Nelson doesn’t stand out on the data we have Neighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.
All about Nelson →
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.
★ What stands out · Monthly cost A typical home costs $330 more a month in Effie 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 payment3.5% 10% 20% Rate
Nelson $940 /mo
Typical home $158K (Census) · tax rate 0.90% · or rent about $1,000/mo · Housing →
Effie $1,270 /mo
Typical home $188K (Zillow) · tax rate est. 1.8% · or rent about $1,042/mo · Housing →
The difference: $330 a month , about $3,900 a year , between Effie and Nelson.
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.
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.
Outdoors & history
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 155 miles apart Straight-line miles between town centers.
Nelson ↔ Effie 155 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.
Raising kids Affordability Owning a home Short commute Working from home Younger crowd Settled, older crowd Growing town Outdoorsy Walkable streets
Population
155 Highest 77 Lowest
Median age
48.1 ±5 Lowest 24% above MN 49.4 ±6.9 Highest 27% above MN
Kids under 18
20% ±17.8 Highest MN: 22.9% 15.6% ±31.7 Lowest MN: 22.9%
Age 65+
10.3% ±14.2 Lowest MN: 17.3% 20.8% ±34.4 Highest MN: 17.3%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+
3.5% Lowest MN: 39.4% 8.2% Highest MN: 39.4%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents
3.9% ±7.8 Highest MN: 5.8% 0% ±18.4 Lowest MN: 5.8%
Household incomemedian
$57,188 ±$7k 36% below MN —
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied
$157,500 ±$21k 52% below MN —
Rentmedian gross, monthly
$1,000 ±$537 Lowest 22% below MN $1,042 ±$335 Highest 19% below MN
Property taxmedian, yearly
$1,423 58% below MN —
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent
70% ±43.2 MN: 48.1% 70% ±100 MN: 48.1%
Below poverty line
9% Highest MN: 9.3% 3.9% Lowest MN: 9.3%
Homeownersof occupied homes
54.5% Lowest MN: 72.2% 60.5% Highest MN: 72.2%
Typical home builtmedian year
1974 Highest 5 yrs older than MN 1967 Lowest 12 yrs older than MN
Average commuteone way
25 min Highest 10% above MN 11 min Lowest 54% below MN
Work from home
4.2% ±7.2 Lowest MN: 17.6% 16% ±30.7 Highest MN: 17.6%
Work in townworking residents
0% Lowest 4.1% Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line
6.3 mi Lowest 21.8 mi Highest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub
1.03 Lowest 1.27 Highest
Top workplaceoutside town
Alexandria (52%) Bigfork (27%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others
Few work in Effie Few work in Nelson
Conserved landshare of the town
0% Lowest 16.7% Highest
Trailsmapped miles
0.0 mi Lowest 0.2 mi Highest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi
0.0 mi Lowest 0.1 mi Highest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map
0 Lowest 1 Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure
30.5 Highest 3.2 Lowest
“±” Census margin of error ACS 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.
Nelson or Effie: which would you pick? → What’s it really like to live in Nelson? → Moving to Nelson: what should I know? →
Your question goes to Nelson’s Town Square.
Effie or Nelson: which would you pick? → What’s it really like to live in Effie? → Moving to Effie: what should I know? →
Your question goes to Effie’s Town Square.
Add a town Set another town beside Nelson and Effie One tap adds it. Up to 4 towns at once.
Bordering Nelson Towns like Nelson 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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