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Torning Township vs Benson

Next-door neighbors. The biggest differences: street grid (56.6× in Benson) and trails (13.3× in Benson).

T ×
Torning Township, MNA regional job hubSwift County · 402 people
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Benson, MNHomes around $188KMinnesota · 3,441 people
Swap order
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.

Torning TownshipA regional job hub
Work554 jobsbased in Torning Township, a regional job hub All about Torning Township →
BensonHomes around $188K
Housing$188K typical home46% below the MN typical home Outdoors#29 most trails in MN4.0 miles of trails across 1 parks and preserves SchoolsBetter than 47%of MN districts All about Benson →
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.

Street grid56.6×
Benson has the more walkable street grid
Benson 79.3Torning Township 1.4
Trails13.3×
Benson has more miles of trail
Benson 4.0 miTorning Township 0.3 mi
Size8.6×
Benson is the bigger place
Benson 3,441Torning Township 402
Household income+72%
Households in Torning Township earn more
Torning Township $90,833Benson $52,821
Jobs per worker3.3×
Torning Township is more of a job hub
Torning Township 3.09Benson 0.95
Work in town+31.8 pts
More of Benson’s workers stay in town
Benson 41.9%Torning Township 10.1%
★ 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.

Torning Township$1,190/mo
Typical home $204K (Census) · tax rate 0.70% · Housing →
Benson$1,140/mo
Typical home $188K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.97% · or rent about $982/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.

Where they are

Torning Township and Benson share a border

And the people who already live in one and work in the other.

Torning TownshipBensonTorning TownshipBenson
Torning Township ↔ Benson3.8 miles apart · They share a border
Who commutes between them
155 Benson residents work in Torning Township (10% of its workers)
62 Torning Township residents work in Benson (34.6% of its workers)
Work & commute in Benson →
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.

Safety
–Torning TownshipNot graded A−BensonSafer than 77% of U.S. towns
Schools
–Torning TownshipNot graded B−BensonBetter than 47% of districts in the state
Health
–Torning TownshipNot graded C+BensonHealthier than 39% of U.S. towns
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
Torning TownshipBenson
Snow a year43″43″
January low1°F1°F
July high83°F83°F
Growing season (days)151d151d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)65th69th
Outdoors & history
Torning TownshipBenson
Trails—4 mi
Conserved land—4.7%
Settled18791870
National Register places—3
Archive photos—18
Famous people born here—8
Community
Torning TownshipBenson
Library hours a week—46 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.

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.

Torning TownshipBenson
People
Population 402Lowest 3,441Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census — +7.4% MN: +7.6%
Median age 43.5±12.1Highest 12% above MN 39.7±3.1Lowest about the MN average
Torning Township and Benson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 22.1%±5.2Lowest MN: 22.9% 24.3%±4.1Highest MN: 22.9%
Benson and Torning Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 18.4%±2.6Lowest MN: 17.3% 22.5%±4.2Highest MN: 17.3%
Benson and Torning Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 22.5%Lowest MN: 39.4% 31.4%Highest MN: 39.4%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 1.7%±3Lowest MN: 5.8% 7%±3.2Highest MN: 5.8%
Benson and Torning Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $90,833±$13kHighest about the MN average $52,821±$9kLowest 41% below MN
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $203,800±$75kHighest 38% below MN $156,000±$15kLowest 53% below MN
Torning Township and Benson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly — $982±$72 23% below MN
Property taxmedian, yearly $1,422Lowest 58% below MN $1,516Highest 55% below MN
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 100%±100Highest MN: 48.1% 59.4%±17.2Lowest MN: 48.1%
Torning Township and Benson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 9%Lowest MN: 9.3% 9.8%Highest MN: 9.3%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 92.9%Highest MN: 72.2% 61.8%Lowest MN: 72.2%
Typical home builtmedian year 1971Highest 8 yrs older than MN 1959Lowest 20 yrs older than MN
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 12 minLowest 49% below MN 18 minHighest 23% below MN
Work from home 7.5%±3.1Highest MN: 17.6% 2.2%±1.7Lowest MN: 17.6%
Work in townworking residents 10.1%Lowest 41.9%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 13.3 miHighest 1.8 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 3.09Highest 0.95Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Benson (35%)Torning Township (10%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others 35% work in Benson10% work in Torning Township
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 0.4%Lowest 4.7%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 0.3 miLowest 4.0 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 miLowest 1.3 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0Lowest 1Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 1.4Lowest 79.3Highest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading —#177 of 230 in MN
School district —BENSON PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT
High school in town —Benson Secondary
Students per teacherat that high school — 12.7
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.

Torning Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Torning Township’s Town Square.

Benson neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Benson’s Town Square.

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Set another town beside Torning Township and Benson

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Bordering Torning Township

K
+ Compare
Kildare Township107 people · $270K homes
S
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Six Mile Grove Township155 people · $238K homes
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Benson Township261 people · $256K homes
C
+ Compare
Cashel Township294 people · $271K homes

Towns like Torning Township

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Erhards Grove Township489 people · $233K homes
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Blooming Prairie Township454 people · $271K homes
W
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West Newton Township388 people · $263K homes
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Newburg Township381 people · $199K 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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