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River Township vs O'Brien Township

65 miles apart. The biggest differences: trails (34× in O'Brien Township) and street grid (5× in River Township).

R ×
River Township, MNA small town of 52Red Lake County · 52 people
O ×
O'Brien Township, MNA small town of 43Beltrami County · 43 people
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Where each one shines

Two towns, two different strengths

What each town does better than most of its state (not better than each other). Tap one to see the page behind it.

River TownshipA small town of 52
Quiet strengthsRiver Township doesn’t stand out on the data we haveNeighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.
All about River Township →
O'Brien TownshipA small town of 43
Quiet strengthsO'Brien Township doesn’t stand out on the data we haveNeighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.
All about O'Brien Township →
The biggest differences

Where they differ most

The rows below where the towns are furthest apart, beyond the Census margin of error. The full table is further down.

Trails34×
O'Brien Township has more miles of trail
O'Brien Township 3.4 miRiver Township 0.1 mi
Street grid5×
River Township has the more walkable street grid
River Township 1.0O'Brien Township 0.2
Typical home built27 yrs
River Township’s homes are older
O'Brien Township 1965River Township 1938
★ What stands out · 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.

River Township$1,310/mo
Typical home $223K (Census) · tax rate 0.77% · Housing →
O'Brien Township$1,330/mo
Typical home $228K (Census) · tax rate 0.72% · 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
River TownshipO'Brien Township
Snow a year50″—
January low-3°F—
July high79°F—
Growing season (days)142d—
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)74th19th
Outdoors & history
River TownshipO'Brien Township
Trails—3 mi
Conserved land—1%
Community
River TownshipO'Brien Township
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined00

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

65 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

River TownshipRed Lake CountyO'Brien TownshipBeltrami County
River Township ↔ O'Brien Township65 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.

River TownshipO'Brien Township
People
Population 52Highest 43Lowest
Median age 38.1±6.9Lowest about the MN average 40.5±28.5Highest 4% above MN
O'Brien Township and River Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 19.2%±37.2Lowest MN: 22.9% 20.9%±60Highest MN: 22.9%
O'Brien Township and River Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 23.1%±61.7Lowest MN: 17.3% 25.6%±51.9Highest MN: 17.3%
O'Brien Township and River Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 16.7%Lowest MN: 39.4% 17.6%Highest MN: 39.4%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 1.9%±19.6Highest MN: 5.8% 0%±32.9Lowest MN: 5.8%
River Township and O'Brien Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $82,125±$36kLowest 8% below MN $107,500±$44kHighest 21% above MN
O'Brien Township and River Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $222,900±$34kLowest 32% below MN $227,800±$96kHighest 31% below MN
O'Brien Township and River Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $1,712Highest 49% below MN $1,643Lowest 51% below MN
Below poverty line 0%Lowest MN: 9.3% 7%Highest MN: 9.3%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 100% MN: 72.2% 100% MN: 72.2%
Typical home builtmedian year 1938Lowest 41 yrs older than MN 1965Highest 14 yrs older than MN
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 16 min 30% below MN —
Work from home 59%±49.4Highest MN: 17.6% 0%±71.4Lowest MN: 17.6%
River Township and O'Brien Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 0% 0%
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 10.3 miLowest 21.3 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.00Lowest 0.35Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Red Lake Falls (39%)Bemidji (47%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in O'Brien TownshipFew work in River Township
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 0%Lowest 1%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 0.1 miLowest 3.4 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 miLowest 0.1 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0 0
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 1.0Highest 0.2Lowest
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.

River Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to River Township’s Town Square.

O'Brien Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to O'Brien Township’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside River Township and O'Brien Township

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

Bordering River Township

R
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River Falls Township222 people · $273K homes
G
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Gervais Township250 people · $218K homes
B
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Browns Creek Township57 people · $257K homes
E
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Emardville Township190 people · $200K homes

Towns like River Township

K
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Kenneth72 people
M
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Middle River Township60 people · $250K homes
B
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Bradford Township66 people · $221K homes
N
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Nilsen Township56 people · $231K 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.

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