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%

Sylvan Township$1,720/mo

Typical home $298K (Census) · tax rate 0.63% · or rent about $1,188/mo · Housing →

Watab Township$1,900/mo

Typical home $318K (Census) · tax rate 0.86% · or rent about $959/mo · Housing →

The difference: $180 a month, about $2,100 a year, between Watab Township and Sylvan Township.

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

Watab Township places higher on 10 of 19 MN lists

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

BSylvan TownshipBetter than 64% of districts in the state –Watab TownshipNot graded

Health

B+Sylvan TownshipHealthier than 67% of U.S. towns B+Watab TownshipHealthier than 72% of U.S. towns

8Sylvan Township

10Watab Township

Lists won, of 19 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 275 towns #234#105 Lowest obesityHealth · 273 towns #138#252 Most conserved landOutdoors · 268 towns #69#173 Highest graduation rateSchools · 238 towns #66#144 Most activeHealth · 273 towns #157#80 Lowest depressionHealth · 273 towns #50#118 Cheapest rentCost of living · 257 towns #128#71 Lowest property taxCost of living · 275 towns #31#83

Left end = #1 in Minnesota. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Sylvan Township’s rankings →

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

Sylvan TownshipWatab Township

Snow a year48″48″

January low-2°F 3°F

July high80°F 82°F

Growing season (days)141d 144d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)47th 82nd

Outdoors & history

Sylvan TownshipWatab Township

Trails4 mi 5 mi

Conserved land9%3.3%

National Register places1 —

Community

Sylvan TownshipWatab Township

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined0 1

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

47 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Sylvan TownshipCass County Watab TownshipBenton County

Sylvan Township ↔ Watab Township47 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

Sylvan TownshipWatab Township

People

Population 2,982Lowest 3,433Highest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +6.9%Lowest MN: +7.6% +10%Highest MN: +7.6%

Median age 44.4±2.4Highest 14% above MN 44.2±2.6Lowest 14% above MN

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

Kids under 18 22.2%±3.4Lowest MN: 22.9% 25.9%±5.3Highest MN: 22.9%

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

Age 65+ 17.1%±2.9Highest MN: 17.3% 12.6%±3.4Lowest MN: 17.3%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 31.8%Highest MN: 39.4% 28%Lowest MN: 39.4%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 4.5%±1.9Highest MN: 5.8% 2.1%±1.6Lowest MN: 5.8%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $95,354±$7kLowest 7% above MN $99,018±$30kHighest 11% above MN

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $298,200±$32kLowest 9% below MN $318,200±$48kHighest 3% below MN

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

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,188±$350Highest 7% below MN $959±$604Lowest 25% below MN

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

Property taxmedian, yearly $1,890Lowest 44% below MN $2,736Highest 18% below MN

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 0%±64.5Lowest MN: 48.1% 50.8%±41.4Highest MN: 48.1%

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

Below poverty line 6.4%Lowest MN: 9.3% 6.6%Highest MN: 9.3%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 94.6%Lowest MN: 72.2% 95.3%Highest MN: 72.2%

Typical home builtmedian year 1994Highest 15 yrs newer than MN 1988Lowest 9 yrs newer than MN

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 23 minHighest about the MN average 23 minLowest about the MN average

Work from home 11.4%±4.1Highest MN: 17.6% 8.5%±3.9Lowest MN: 17.6%

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

Work in townworking residents 2.8%Highest 2.3%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 11.8 miHighest 10.3 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.22Lowest 0.32Highest

Top workplaceoutside town Brainerd (22%)St. Cloud (33%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Watab TownshipFew work in Sylvan Township

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 9%Highest 3.3%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 3.7 miLowest 4.7 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.1 miLowest 0.2 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 2Highest 1Lowest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 3.7Lowest 6.7Highest

Schools

School district Central Lakes Adventure School—

High school in town Central Lakes Adventure School—

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.

Sylvan Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Sylvan Township’s Town Square.

Watab Township neighborsTown Square →

T Weaver · 1w

Watab Neighborhood Life

1 neighbor in Watab Township can answer.

Add a town

Set another town beside Sylvan Township and Watab Township

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

Bordering Sylvan Township

+ Compare

Rosing Township194 people · $377K homes

+ Compare

Pillager547 people · $180K homes

+ Compare

Fort Ripley Township1,054 people · $322K homes

+ Compare

Scandia Valley Township1,427 people · $363K homes

Towns like Sylvan Township

+ Compare

Cohasset2,703 people · $331K homes

+ Compare

Rice Lake4,153 people · $310K homes

+ Compare

Breezy Point2,687 people · $341K homes

+ Compare

Wakefield Township2,800 people · $395K 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.

Sylvan Township vs Watab Township

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they differ most

A typical home costs $180 more a month in Watab Township

Watab Township places higher on 10 of 19 MN lists

What daily life feels like in each

47 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Watab Neighborhood Life

Set another town beside Sylvan Township and Watab Township

Bordering Sylvan Township

Towns like Sylvan Township

Post to Sylvan Township

Check your email