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%

Ostrander$1,760/mo

Typical home $290K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.00% · or rent about $768/mo · Housing →

Darwin$2,300/mo

Typical home $386K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.86% · or rent about $791/mo · Housing →

The difference: $540 a month, about $6,500 a year, between Darwin and Ostrander.

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.

Seasons

OstranderDarwin

Snow a year51″41″

January low5°F 2°F

July high79°F 82°F

Growing season (days)146d 162d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)58th 49th

Outdoors & history

OstranderDarwin

Trails—0 mi

Conserved land—5.8%

Community

OstranderDarwin

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

142 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

OstranderMN DarwinMN

Ostrander ↔ Darwin142 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

OstranderDarwin

People

Population 313Lowest 358Highest

Median age 38.1±11.6Highest about the MN average 37.7±7Lowest about the MN average

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

Kids under 18 22.7%±10.3Lowest MN: 22.9% 25.1%±5.8Highest MN: 22.9%

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

Age 65+ 23%±14.5Highest MN: 17.3% 18.2%±3.8Lowest MN: 17.3%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 21.3%Highest MN: 39.4% 16.2%Lowest MN: 39.4%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 7%±6.2Highest MN: 5.8% 1.1%±3Lowest MN: 5.8%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $74,063±$13kHighest 17% below MN $70,000±$23kLowest 21% below MN

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $146,900±$14kLowest 55% below MN $175,000±$34kHighest 47% below MN

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

Rentmedian gross, monthly $768±$459Lowest 40% below MN $791±$75Highest 38% below MN

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

Property taxmedian, yearly $1,471Lowest 56% below MN $1,500Highest 55% below MN

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 44.4%±28Lowest MN: 48.1% 52%±47.3Highest MN: 48.1%

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

Below poverty line 13.6%Highest MN: 9.3% 10.5%Lowest MN: 9.3%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 77.9%Lowest MN: 72.2% 80.9%Highest MN: 72.2%

Typical home builtmedian year 1973Lowest 6 yrs older than MN 1975Highest 4 yrs older than MN

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 26 minHighest 13% above MN 22 minLowest 3% below MN

Work from home 19%±10.5Highest MN: 17.6% 3.7%±3.6Lowest MN: 17.6%

Work in townworking residents 0.9%Highest 0%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 28.3 miHighest 19.3 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.38Highest 0.18Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Rochester (40%)Litchfield (20%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in DarwinFew work in Ostrander

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 0%Lowest 5.8%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 0.0 mi 0.0 mi

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 mi 0.0 mi

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0Lowest 1Highest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 27.7Highest 17.4Lowest

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.

Ostrander neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Ostrander’s Town Square.

Darwin neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Darwin’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Ostrander and Darwin

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

Towns like Ostrander

+ Compare

Vernon Center329 people · $143K homes

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Hartland422 people · $167K homes

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Hendrum240 people · $128K homes

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Eitzen281 people · $117K 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.

Ostrander vs Darwin

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they differ most

A typical home costs $540 more a month in Darwin

What daily life feels like in each

142 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Ostrander and Darwin

Towns like Ostrander

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