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Compare towns

Stephen vs Mabel

420 miles apart. The biggest differences: trails (3× in Mabel) and property tax bill (+43% in Mabel).

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Stephen, MNKnown for its schoolsMinnesota · 526 people
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Mabel, MNKnown for its schoolsMinnesota · 730 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.

StephenKnown for its schools
SchoolsBetter than 86%of MN districts All about Stephen →
MabelKnown for its schools
SchoolsBetter than 90%of MN districts Housing$219K typical home38% below the MN typical home All about Mabel →
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.

Trails3×
Mabel has more miles of trail
Mabel 0.6 miStephen 0.2 mi
Property tax bill+43%
Tax bills are bigger in Mabel
Mabel $1,488Stephen $1,041
Average commute9 min
Stephen has the shorter commute
Mabel 30 minStephen 21 min
Age 65++9.2 pts
Mabel has more people 65 and up
Mabel 33.3%Stephen 24.1%
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $810 more a month in Mabel

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.

Stephen$550/mo
Typical home $88K (Census) · tax rate 1.19% · or rent about $1,063/mo · Housing →
Mabel$1,360/mo
Typical home $219K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.13% · or rent about $729/mo · Housing →

The difference: $810 a month, about $9,700 a year, between Mabel and Stephen.

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.

Report cards

Grades and rankings, side by side

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
AStephenBetter than 86% of districts in the state AMabelBetter than 90% of districts in the state
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
StephenMabel
Snow a year44″47″
January low-5°F—
July high82°F—
Growing season (days)134d—
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)74th80th
Outdoors & history
StephenMabel
Trails0 mi1 mi
Conserved land0%0%
Community
StephenMabel
Library hours a week—28 hrs
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

420 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

StephenMNMabelMN
Stephen ↔ Mabel420 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.

StephenMabel
People
Population 526Lowest 730Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -10%Lowest MN: +7.6% -8.2%Highest MN: +7.6%
Median age 51.6±8.4Highest 33% above MN 49.2±5.1Lowest 27% above MN
Stephen and Mabel are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 17.3%±3.4Highest MN: 22.9% 15.2%±3.8Lowest MN: 22.9%
Stephen and Mabel are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 24.1%±0.8Lowest MN: 17.3% 33.3%±7.3Highest MN: 17.3%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 20.7%Highest MN: 39.4% 19.4%Lowest MN: 39.4%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 2.5%±3.2Lowest MN: 5.8% 4.8%±2.6Highest MN: 5.8%
Mabel and Stephen are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $71,250±$23kHighest 20% below MN $59,392±$6kLowest 33% below MN
Stephen and Mabel are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $87,500±$27kLowest 73% below MN $131,400±$20kHighest 60% below MN
Mabel and Stephen are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,063±$577Highest 17% below MN $729±$92Lowest 43% below MN
Stephen and Mabel are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $1,041Lowest 69% below MN $1,488Highest 56% below MN
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 66.7%±55.7Highest MN: 48.1% 34.1%±27.9Lowest MN: 48.1%
Stephen and Mabel are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 9.9%Highest MN: 9.3% 8.4%Lowest MN: 9.3%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 88.6%Highest MN: 72.2% 86.7%Lowest MN: 72.2%
Typical home builtmedian year 1959Lowest 20 yrs older than MN 1961Highest 18 yrs older than MN
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 21 minLowest 6% below MN 30 minHighest 33% above MN
Work from home 2.8%±1.5Highest MN: 17.6% 1.4%±1.4Lowest MN: 17.6%
Stephen and Mabel are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 8.7%Highest 7.1%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 21.8 miHighest 20.3 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.61 0.61
Top workplaceoutside town Warren (12%)Rochester (16%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in MabelFew work in Stephen
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 0% 0%
Trailsmapped miles 0.2 miLowest 0.6 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.3 miLowest 1.2 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 2 2
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 86.5Lowest 98.2Highest
Schools
School district STEPHEN-ARGYLE CENTRAL SCHOOLSMabel-Canton Public School District
High school in town Stephen-Argyle Central High SchoolMabel-Canton Secondary
Students per teacherat that high school 13.2Highest 10.1Lowest
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.

Stephen neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Stephen’s Town Square.

Mabel neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Mabel’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Stephen and Mabel

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

Bordering Stephen

T
+ Compare
Tamarac Township83 people · $198K homes
S
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Sinnott Township29 people · $213K homes

Towns like Stephen

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Alden629 people · $128K homes
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Hillsdale Township833 people
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Herman441 people · $106K homes
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Wood Lake368 people · $92K 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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