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%

Park Rapids$2,000/mo

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

Milaca$1,480/mo

Typical home $239K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.17% · or rent about $835/mo · Housing →

The difference: $510 a month, about $6,100 a year, between Park Rapids and Milaca.

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 14 of 22 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

C−Park RapidsSafer than 24% of U.S. towns B−MilacaSafer than 45% of U.S. towns

Schools

C+Park RapidsBetter than 36% of districts in the state BMilacaBetter than 59% of districts in the state

Health

B−Park RapidsHealthier than 55% of U.S. towns B−MilacaHealthier than 49% of U.S. towns

14Park Rapids

8Milaca

Lists won, of 22 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Fastest growingGrowth · 272 towns #75#210 Lowest depressionHealth · 273 towns #15#118 Highest graduation rateSchools · 238 towns #231#144 Most new homesHousing · 239 towns #97#181 Best schoolsSchools · 230 towns #87#162 Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 275 towns #255#173 Shortest commuteGetting around · 275 towns #188#266 Most trailsOutdoors · 223 towns #199#151

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

Park RapidsMilaca

Snow a year52″49″

January low-4°F 1°F

July high79°F 80°F

Growing season (days)130d 143d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)31st 51st

Outdoors & history

Park RapidsMilaca

Trails1 mi 1 mi

Conserved land1.9%1.3%

Settled1890 —

National Register places2 2

Community

Park RapidsMilaca

Library hours a week41 hrs 26 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

104 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Park RapidsMN MilacaMN

Park Rapids ↔ Milaca104 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

Park RapidsMilaca

People

Population 4,270Highest 3,044Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +11.7%Highest MN: +7.6% +2.5%Lowest MN: +7.6%

Median age 45.8±4.2Lowest 18% above MN 46.6±5Highest 20% above MN

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

Kids under 18 21.9%±3.4Highest MN: 22.9% 14.5%±4.7Lowest MN: 22.9%

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

Age 65+ 28.3%±5.4Highest MN: 17.3% 22.5%±5.1Lowest MN: 17.3%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 22%Highest MN: 39.4% 15.2%Lowest MN: 39.4%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 3.5%±1.9Highest MN: 5.8% 1.9%±1.4Lowest MN: 5.8%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $44,747±$8kLowest 50% below MN $49,588±$5kHighest 44% below MN

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $227,500±$19kHighest 31% below MN $203,400±$25kLowest 38% below MN

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

Rentmedian gross, monthly $825±$297Lowest 36% below MN $835±$51Highest 35% below MN

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

Property taxmedian, yearly $2,365Lowest 30% below MN $2,385Highest 29% below MN

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 49.5%±18.4Highest MN: 48.1% 40.2%±11.8Lowest MN: 48.1%

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

Below poverty line 21.2%Highest MN: 9.3% 16.9%Lowest MN: 9.3%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 54.6%Lowest MN: 72.2% 58.4%Highest MN: 72.2%

Typical home builtmedian year 1979Highest same as MN 1978Lowest 1 yr older than MN

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 26 minLowest 14% above MN 33 minHighest 46% above MN

Work from home 9.9%±4.6Highest MN: 17.6% 9.5%±4.9Lowest MN: 17.6%

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

Work in townworking residents 43.3%Highest 18.6%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 5.3 miLowest 27.3 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 2.00Highest 1.29Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Detroit Lakes (4%)Princeton (7%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in MilacaFew work in Park Rapids

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 1.9%Highest 1.3%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 1.4 mi 1.4 mi

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.2 miLowest 0.4 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 2Lowest 3Highest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 35.0Lowest 36.3Highest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #87 of 230 in MN #162 of 230 in MN

School district PARK RAPIDS PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT · Heartland Lakes Community SchoolMILACA PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT

High school in town Park Rapids Senior HighMilaca Secondary High

Students per teacherat that high school 12.7Lowest 17.4Highest

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.

Park Rapids neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Park Rapids’s Town Square.

Milaca neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Milaca’s Town Square.

Add a town

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Bordering Park Rapids

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Todd Township1,414 people · $294K homes

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Henrietta Township1,389 people · $296K homes

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Straight River Township790 people · $249K homes

Towns like Park Rapids

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Sauk Centre4,621 people · $226K homes

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Mora3,732 people · $172K homes

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Aitkin2,323 people · $181K homes

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Pine City3,468 people · $187K 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.

Park Rapids vs Milaca

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they differ most

A typical home costs $510 more a month in Park Rapids

Park Rapids places higher on 14 of 22 MN lists

What daily life feels like in each

104 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Park Rapids and Milaca

Bordering Park Rapids

Towns like Park Rapids

Post to Park Rapids

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