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%

Sanborn$420/mo

Typical home $68K (Census) · tax rate 1.09% · or rent about $99/mo · Housing →

Akeley$1,790/mo

Typical home $293K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.02% · or rent about $1,094/mo · Housing →

The difference: $1,370 a month, about $16,400 a year, between Akeley and Sanborn.

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

SanbornAkeley

Snow a year46″—

January low5°F —

July high82°F —

Growing season (days)152d —

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)27th 53rd

Outdoors & history

SanbornAkeley

Settled—1916

Archive photos—9

Famous people born here—2

Community

SanbornAkeley

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

194 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

SanbornMN AkeleyMN

Sanborn ↔ Akeley194 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

SanbornAkeley

People

Population 299Highest 289Lowest

Median age 54.1±3.7Lowest 39% above MN 55.8±6.2Highest 44% above MN

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

Kids under 18 16.1%±4.6Highest MN: 22.9% 12.1%±7.2Lowest MN: 22.9%

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

Age 65+ 27.1%±7Lowest MN: 17.3% 29.1%±6.6Highest MN: 17.3%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 10.5%Lowest MN: 39.4% 16%Highest MN: 39.4%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 4.7%±3Highest MN: 5.8% 0%±4.9Lowest MN: 5.8%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $48,750±$16kHighest 45% below MN $44,000±$19kLowest 51% below MN

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $68,200±$14kLowest 79% below MN $110,500±$20kHighest 66% below MN

Rentmedian gross, monthly $99Lowest 92% below MN $1,094±$302Highest 15% below MN

Property taxmedian, yearly $741Lowest 78% below MN $1,128Highest 66% below MN

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 14.3%±100Lowest MN: 48.1% 92.3%±67.6Highest MN: 48.1%

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

Below poverty line 15.4%Highest MN: 9.3% 14.2%Lowest MN: 9.3%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 89.3%Lowest MN: 72.2% 89.4%Highest MN: 72.2%

Typical home builtmedian year 1943Lowest 36 yrs older than MN 1977Highest 2 yrs older than MN

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 22 minHighest 5% below MN 17 minLowest 27% below MN

Work from home 6.8%±3.8Highest MN: 17.6% 4.4%±4.9Lowest MN: 17.6%

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

Work in townworking residents 5%Highest 2.7%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 14.8 miLowest 16.8 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.33Lowest 0.57Highest

Top workplaceoutside town Lamberton (26%)Park Rapids (30%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in AkeleyFew work in Sanborn

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 5.4%Highest 4.3%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 0.0 mi 0.0 mi

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 mi 0.0 mi

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0 0

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 23.2Lowest 33.5Highest

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.

Sanborn neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Sanborn’s Town Square.

Akeley neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Akeley’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Sanborn and Akeley

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

Bordering Sanborn

+ Compare

Charlestown Township152 people · $250K homes

Towns like Sanborn

+ Compare

Lismore233 people

+ Compare

Tower367 people · $110K homes

+ Compare

Lake Wilson237 people · $99K homes

+ Compare

Echo197 people · $104K 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.

Sanborn vs Akeley

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs $1,370 more a month in Akeley

What daily life feels like in each

194 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Sanborn and Akeley

Bordering Sanborn

Towns like Sanborn

Post to Sanborn

Check your email