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%

Pemberton$1,600/mo

Typical home $243K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.62% · or rent about $1,714/mo · Housing →

Meadow Township$990/mo

Typical home $169K (Census) · tax rate 0.76% · Housing →

The difference: $610 a month, about $7,300 a year, between Pemberton and Meadow Township.

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

PembertonMeadow Township

Snow a year52″46″

January low5°F -2°F

July high81°F 79°F

Growing season (days)155d 141d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)39th 46th

Outdoors & history

PembertonMeadow Township

Trails—1 mi

Conserved land—8.1%

Community

PembertonMeadow Township

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

193 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

PembertonMN Meadow TownshipWadena County

Pemberton ↔ Meadow Township193 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

PembertonMeadow Township

People

Population 223Lowest 322Highest

Median age 27.7±2.7Highest 29% below MN 26.8±18.5Lowest 31% below MN

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

Kids under 18 36.8%±7.8Lowest MN: 22.9% 43.8%±28.2Highest MN: 22.9%

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

Age 65+ 9%±10.6Lowest MN: 17.3% 10.6%±6.2Highest MN: 17.3%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 18.5%Lowest MN: 39.4% 18.7%Highest MN: 39.4%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 1.8%±5Lowest MN: 5.8% 3.4%±2.5Highest MN: 5.8%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $50,417±$11kLowest 43% below MN $52,569±$9kHighest 41% below MN

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $170,800±$16kHighest 48% below MN $169,400±$44kLowest 49% below MN

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

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,714±$84 34% above MN —

Property taxmedian, yearly $2,768Highest 18% below MN $1,281Lowest 62% below MN

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 87.5%±100Highest MN: 48.1% 0%±100Lowest MN: 48.1%

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

Below poverty line 12.6%Lowest MN: 9.3% 17.7%Highest MN: 9.3%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 89.9%Lowest MN: 72.2% 92.8%Highest MN: 72.2%

Typical home builtmedian year 1970Lowest 9 yrs older than MN 1977Highest 2 yrs older than MN

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 25 minLowest 10% above MN 37 minHighest 64% above MN

Work from home 1.9%±1.8Lowest MN: 17.6% 32.4%±22.7Highest MN: 17.6%

Work in townworking residents 1%Highest 0%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 15.8 miLowest 19.8 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.60Highest 0.33Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Mankato (34%)Park Rapids (19%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Meadow TownshipFew work in Pemberton

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 0%Lowest 8.1%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 0.0 miLowest 1.3 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 mi 0.0 mi

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0Lowest 3Highest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 75.9Highest 0.9Lowest

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.

Pemberton neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Pemberton’s Town Square.

Meadow Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Meadow Township’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Pemberton and Meadow Township

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Towns like Pemberton

+ Compare

Cedarbend Township220 people · $166K homes

+ Compare

Monroe Township261 people · $173K homes

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Peterson244 people · $134K homes

+ Compare

Bristol Township357 people · $219K 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.

Pemberton vs Meadow Township

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs $610 more a month in Pemberton

What daily life feels like in each

193 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Pemberton and Meadow Township

Towns like Pemberton

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