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Smiley Township vs Silver Brook Township

200 miles apart. The biggest differences: trails (13.9× in Silver Brook Township) and conserved land (+29.9 pts in Silver Brook Township).

S ×
Smiley Township, MNA small town of 471Pennington County · 471 people
S ×
Silver Brook Township, MNAn outdoors townCarlton County · 544 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.

Smiley TownshipA small town of 471
Quiet strengthsSmiley Township doesn’t stand out on the data we haveNeighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.
All about Smiley Township →
Silver Brook TownshipAn outdoors town
Outdoors30.2% conserved land15 miles of trails across 2 parks and preserves All about Silver Brook Township →
The biggest differences

Where they part ways

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

Trails13.9×
Silver Brook Township has more miles of trail
Silver Brook Township 15.3 miSmiley Township 1.1 mi
Conserved land+29.9 pts
Silver Brook Township has more conserved land
Silver Brook Township 30.2%Smiley Township 0.3%
Growth since 2010+12.1 pts
Smiley Township has grown faster since 2010
Smiley Township +6.9%Silver Brook Township -5.2%
Jobs per worker2.3×
Silver Brook Township is more of a job hub
Silver Brook Township 0.18Smiley Township 0.08
Average commute9 min
Smiley Township has the shorter commute
Silver Brook Township 28 minSmiley Township 19 min
Street grid+55%
Smiley Township has the more walkable street grid
Smiley Township 1.7Silver Brook Township 1.1
★ 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.

Smiley Township$1,630/mo
Typical home $271K (Census) · tax rate 0.93% · or rent about $1,042/mo · Housing →
Silver Brook Township$1,640/mo
Typical home $276K (Census) · tax rate 0.87% · or rent about $1,281/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
Smiley TownshipSilver Brook Township
Snow a year50″71″
January low-3°F2°F
July high79°F79°F
Growing season (days)142d118d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)95th35th
Outdoors & history
Smiley TownshipSilver Brook Township
Trails1 mi15 mi
Conserved land0.3%30.2%
Community
Smiley TownshipSilver Brook 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

200 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Smiley TownshipPennington CountySilver Brook TownshipCarlton County
Smiley Township ↔ Silver Brook Township200 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.

Smiley TownshipSilver Brook Township
People
Population 471Lowest 544Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +6.9%Highest MN: +7.6% -5.2%Lowest MN: +7.6%
Median age 45.8±6.6Lowest 18% above MN 47.4±8Highest 22% above MN
Silver Brook Township and Smiley Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 21.4%±4.8Lowest MN: 22.9% 22.6%±5.4Highest MN: 22.9%
Silver Brook Township and Smiley Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 20.4%±6.3Highest MN: 17.3% 17.6%±3.8Lowest MN: 17.3%
Smiley Township and Silver Brook Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 23.1%Lowest MN: 39.4% 23.6%Highest MN: 39.4%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 1.1%±2.9Lowest MN: 5.8% 2.4%±2.8Highest MN: 5.8%
Silver Brook Township and Smiley Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $90,893±$10kHighest about the MN average $88,036±$7kLowest about the MN average
Smiley Township and Silver Brook Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $271,400±$34kLowest 18% below MN $275,600±$32kHighest 16% below MN
Silver Brook Township and Smiley Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,042±$446Lowest 19% below MN $1,281±$683Highest about the MN average
Silver Brook Township and Smiley Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $2,516Highest 25% below MN $2,387Lowest 29% below MN
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 15%±87.3Lowest MN: 48.1% 57.1%±76.7Highest MN: 48.1%
Silver Brook Township and Smiley Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 2.1%Lowest MN: 9.3% 5.7%Highest MN: 9.3%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 89%Lowest MN: 72.2% 89.4%Highest MN: 72.2%
Typical home builtmedian year 1979Lowest same as MN 1988Highest 9 yrs newer than MN
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 19 minLowest 16% below MN 28 minHighest 25% above MN
Work from home 5.8%±4.5Lowest MN: 17.6% 11.9%±7.9Highest MN: 17.6%
Silver Brook Township and Smiley Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 0.6%Lowest 0.7%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 6.8 miLowest 14.8 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.08Lowest 0.18Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Thief River Falls (57%)Cloquet (25%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Silver Brook TownshipFew work in Smiley Township
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 0.3%Lowest 30.2%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 1.1 miLowest 15.3 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 miLowest 0.8 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 1Lowest 2Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 1.7Highest 1.1Lowest
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.

Smiley Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Smiley Township’s Town Square.

Silver Brook Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Silver Brook Township’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Smiley Township and Silver Brook Township

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

Bordering Smiley Township

R
+ Compare
Rocksbury Township1,201 people · $232K homes
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Kratka Township216 people · $417K homes
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Wyandotte Township63 people · $225K homes
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Silverton Township265 people · $225K homes

Towns like Smiley Township

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Oakwood Township405 people · $289K homes
F
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Fahlun Township406 people · $313K homes
+ Compare
Blooming Prairie Township454 people · $271K homes
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+ Compare
Pelican Lake Township578 people · $345K 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.

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