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

B−Pine CityBetter than 45% of districts in the state B+MoraBetter than 67% of districts in the state

Health

C+Pine CityHealthier than 38% of U.S. towns CMoraHealthier than 32% of U.S. towns

8Pine City

10Mora

Lists won, of 20 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Most new homesHousing · 239 towns #7#113 Best schoolsSchools · 230 towns #187#113 Most conserved landOutdoors · 268 towns #242#183 Fewest uninsuredHealth · 273 towns #148#206 Lowest obesityHealth · 273 towns #233#178 Shortest commuteGetting around · 275 towns #231#199 Lowest property taxCost of living · 275 towns #41#70 Fastest growingGrowth · 272 towns #236#208

Left end = #1 in Minnesota. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Pine City’s rankings →

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.

Down paymentRate%

Pine City$1,520/mo

Typical home $245K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.16% · or rent about $680/mo · Housing →

Mora$1,520/mo

Typical home $235K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.48% · or rent about $788/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.

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

Pine CityMora

Snow a year52″52″

January low1°F 1°F

July high82°F 80°F

Growing season (days)141d 142d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)64th 47th

Outdoors & history

Pine CityMora

Trails0 mi 2 mi

Conserved land1.1%2.9%

Settled1881 1882

National Register places—3

Archive photos—6

Famous people born here—3

Community

Pine CityMora

Library hours a week41 hrs 52 hrs

Colleges in town1 —

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

16 miles apart

And the people who already live in one and work in the other.

Pine CityMora

Pine City ↔ Mora16 miles apart

Who commutes between them

40 Pine City residents work in Mora (3.1% of its workers)

21 Mora residents work in Pine City (1.4% of its workers)

Work & commute in Pine City →

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

Pine CityMora

People

Population 3,468Lowest 3,732Highest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +0.2%Lowest MN: +7.6% +2.6%Highest MN: +7.6%

Median age 41±4.6Lowest 6% above MN 43.2±5Highest 11% above MN

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

Kids under 18 18.7%±4.3Lowest MN: 22.9% 18.9%±4.5Highest MN: 22.9%

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

Age 65+ 22.9%±5.2Lowest MN: 17.3% 28%±5Highest MN: 17.3%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 17.9%Highest MN: 39.4% 16.7%Lowest MN: 39.4%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 2.7%±2.5Highest MN: 5.8% 1.8%±0.8Lowest MN: 5.8%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $52,056±$8kLowest 42% below MN $52,535±$17kHighest 41% below MN

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $186,900±$13kHighest 43% below MN $171,800±$15kLowest 48% below MN

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

Rentmedian gross, monthly $680±$146Lowest 47% below MN $788±$253Highest 38% below MN

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

Property taxmedian, yearly $2,162Lowest 36% below MN $2,549Highest 24% below MN

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 55.8%±21Highest MN: 48.1% 41.6%±10.6Lowest MN: 48.1%

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

Below poverty line 12.4%Lowest MN: 9.3% 16.6%Highest MN: 9.3%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 60.9%Highest MN: 72.2% 60.7%Lowest MN: 72.2%

Typical home builtmedian year 1975Lowest 4 yrs older than MN 1979Highest same as MN

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 29 minHighest 29% above MN 26 minLowest 16% above MN

Work from home 4.3%±2.3Lowest MN: 17.6% 4.4%±3.1Highest MN: 17.6%

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

Work in townworking residents 27.4%Lowest 34.1%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 20.3 miLowest 21.3 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.73Lowest 2.00Highest

Top workplaceoutside town Hinckley (5%)Cambridge (6%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others 3% work in Mora1% work in Pine City

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 1.1%Lowest 2.9%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 0.2 miLowest 1.9 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 miLowest 0.4 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 4Highest 1Lowest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 33.8Lowest 39.0Highest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #187 of 230 in MN #113 of 230 in MN

School district PINE CITY PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICTMora Public Schools

High school in town Pine City SecondaryMora High School

Students per teacherat that high school 19.2Highest 16.0Lowest

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.

Pine City neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Pine City’s Town Square.

Mora neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Mora’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Pine City and Mora

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Bordering Pine City

+ Compare

Pine City Township1,456 people · $289K homes

+ Compare

Pokegama Township2,847 people · $316K homes

Towns like Pine City

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Wadena4,419 people · $161K homes

+ Compare

Roseau2,736 people · $164K homes

+ Compare

Pelican Rapids2,586 people · $174K homes

+ Compare

Princeton5,274 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.

Pine City vs Mora

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they differ most

Mora places higher on 10 of 20 MN lists

A typical home costs about the same each month

What daily life feels like in each

16 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Pine City and Mora

Bordering Pine City

Towns like Pine City

Post to Pine City

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