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

–RiceNot graded ABarnesvilleSafer than 91% of U.S. towns

Schools

BRiceBetter than 58% of districts in the state A+BarnesvilleBetter than 99% of districts in the state

Health

A−RiceHealthier than 77% of U.S. towns ABarnesvilleHealthier than 87% of U.S. towns

Monthly cost

A typical home costs $220 more a month in Rice

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%

Rice$2,110/mo

Typical home $351K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.91% · or rent about $1,144/mo · Housing →

Barnesville$1,890/mo

Typical home $310K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.04% · or rent about $848/mo · Housing →

The difference: $220 a month, about $2,600 a year, between Rice and Barnesville.

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

RiceBarnesville

Snow a year51″50″

January low—-1°F

July high—80°F

Growing season (days)—149d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)68th 80th

Outdoors & history

RiceBarnesville

Trails1 mi 1 mi

Conserved land1.1%0%

Settled1890 1874

National Register places—1

Archive photos—12

Community

RiceBarnesville

Library hours a week—34 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

121 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

RiceMN BarnesvilleMN

Rice ↔ Barnesville121 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

RiceBarnesville

People

Population 2,085Lowest 2,762Highest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +54.9%Highest MN: +7.6% +7.6%Lowest MN: +7.6%

Median age 33.2±2Highest 14% below MN 32.7±1.7Lowest 16% below MN

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

Kids under 18 30.9%±3.9Lowest MN: 22.9% 31.9%±5.7Highest MN: 22.9%

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

Age 65+ 8.6%±2.1Lowest MN: 17.3% 13%±2.7Highest MN: 17.3%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 28.8%Lowest MN: 39.4% 30.7%Highest MN: 39.4%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 3.2%±1.5Lowest MN: 5.8% 5.4%±2.5Highest MN: 5.8%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $107,692±$12kHighest 21% above MN $97,917±$12kLowest 10% above MN

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $266,600±$6kHighest 19% below MN $248,700±$17kLowest 24% below MN

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

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,144±$408Highest 11% below MN $848±$92Lowest 34% below MN

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

Property taxmedian, yearly $2,425Lowest 28% below MN $2,577Highest 23% below MN

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 28.6%±25Highest MN: 48.1% 23.1%±20Lowest MN: 48.1%

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

Below poverty line 3%Highest MN: 9.3% 1.8%Lowest MN: 9.3%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 88.6%Highest MN: 72.2% 83.3%Lowest MN: 72.2%

Typical home builtmedian year 2003Highest 24 yrs newer than MN 1977Lowest 2 yrs older than MN

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 24 minLowest 7% above MN 26 minHighest 15% above MN

Work from home 12%±3.2Highest MN: 17.6% 6.8%±2.1Lowest MN: 17.6%

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

Work in townworking residents 7.7%Lowest 12.6%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 13.8 miLowest 24.8 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.11Highest 0.54Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town St. Cloud (30%)Fargo (38%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in BarnesvilleFew work in Rice

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 1.1%Highest 0%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 0.7 miLowest 1.4 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.1 miLowest 0.7 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 2Lowest 8Highest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 17.9Lowest 81.6Highest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading —#29 of 230 in MN

School district Sauk Rapids-Rice Public SchoolsBARNESVILLE PUBLIC SCHOOL DIST.

High school in town None in townBarnesville High School

Students per teacherat that high school — 16.2

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.

Rice neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Rice’s Town Square.

Barnesville neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Barnesville’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Rice and Barnesville

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Bordering Rice

+ Compare

Langola Township980 people · $370K homes

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Brockway Township2,951 people · $363K homes

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Watab Township3,433 people · $318K homes

Towns like Rice

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Coleraine2,150 people · $212K homes

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Blue Hill Township2,571 people · $373K homes

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Plainview3,500 people · $245K homes

+ Compare

Glyndon1,098 people · $265K 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.

Rice vs Barnesville

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they differ most

Grades and rankings, side by side

A typical home costs $220 more a month in Rice

What daily life feels like in each

121 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Rice and Barnesville

Bordering Rice

Towns like Rice

Post to Rice

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