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Compare towns

Northome vs Echo

232 miles apart. The biggest differences: street grid (6.7× in Echo) and property tax bill (+20% in Echo).

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Northome, MNHomes around $193KMinnesota · 159 people
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Echo, MNHomes around $187KMinnesota · 197 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.

NorthomeHomes around $193K
Housing$193K typical home45% below the MN typical home SchoolsBetter than 30%of MN districts All about Northome →
EchoHomes around $187K
Housing$187K typical home47% below the MN typical home SchoolsBetter than 36%of MN districts All about Echo →
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.

Street grid6.7×
Echo has the more walkable street grid
Echo 80.3Northome 11.9
Property tax bill+20%
Tax bills are bigger in Echo
Echo $1,155Northome $965
Average commute5 min
Echo has the shorter commute
Northome 30 minEcho 25 min
Conserved land+10 pts
Northome has more conserved land
Northome 10%Echo 0%
Jobs per worker+53%
Northome is more of a job hub
Northome 1.12Echo 0.73
★ 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.

Northome$1,190/mo
Typical home $193K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.10% · or rent about $663/mo · Housing →
Echo$1,150/mo
Typical home $187K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.11% · or rent about $617/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

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
CNorthomeBetter than 30% of districts in the state C+EchoBetter than 36% 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
NorthomeEcho
Snow a year—44″
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)75th44th
Outdoors & history
NorthomeEcho
Trails2 mi—
Conserved land10%—
Settled19031884
Archive photos6—
Community
NorthomeEcho
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

232 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

NorthomeMNEchoMN
Northome ↔ Echo232 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.

NorthomeEcho
People
Population 159Lowest 197Highest
Median age 55±5.3Highest 42% above MN 53.4±5Lowest 38% above MN
Northome and Echo are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 12.6%±9.3Highest MN: 22.9% 11.7%±5.8Lowest MN: 22.9%
Northome and Echo are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 34%±8.6Highest MN: 17.3% 21.3%±9.8Lowest MN: 17.3%
Northome and Echo are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 20.8%Highest MN: 39.4% 16.3%Lowest MN: 39.4%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 6.9%±12.2Highest MN: 5.8% 3.6%±5.4Lowest MN: 5.8%
Northome and Echo are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $63,750±$36kLowest 28% below MN $70,833±$19kHighest 20% below MN
Echo and Northome are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $87,700±$6kLowest 73% below MN $103,600±$24kHighest 69% below MN
Echo and Northome are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $663±$356Highest 48% below MN $617±$24Lowest 52% below MN
Northome and Echo are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $965Lowest 71% below MN $1,155Highest 66% below MN
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 8.3%±100Lowest MN: 48.1% 70%±100Highest MN: 48.1%
Echo and Northome are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 11.3%Lowest MN: 9.3% 14.2%Highest MN: 9.3%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 85.7%Lowest MN: 72.2% 89.8%Highest MN: 72.2%
Typical home builtmedian year 1955Highest 24 yrs older than MN 1949Lowest 30 yrs older than MN
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 30 minHighest 32% above MN 25 minLowest 10% above MN
Work from home 9.2%±7.6Highest MN: 17.6% 0%±8.2Lowest MN: 17.6%
Northome and Echo are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 3.5%Lowest 5%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 62.3 miHighest 21.3 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.12Highest 0.73Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town International Falls (33%)Marshall (15%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in EchoFew work in Northome
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 10%Highest 0%Lowest
Trailsmapped miles 2.0 miHighest 0.0 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 1.1 miHighest 0.0 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 1Highest 0Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 11.9Lowest 80.3Highest
Schools
School district SOUTH KOOCHICHING SCHOOL DISTRICT—
High school in town Northome Secondary—
Students per teacherat that high school 9.9 —
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.

Northome neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Northome’s Town Square.

Echo neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Echo’s Town Square.

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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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