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Vail Township vs Finlayson

170 miles apart. The biggest differences: jobs per worker (29.8× in Finlayson) and street grid (14.2× in Finlayson).

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Vail Township, MNA small town of 177Redwood County · 177 people
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Finlayson, MNA regional job hubMinnesota · 267 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.

Vail TownshipA small town of 177
Quiet strengthsVail Township doesn’t stand out on the data we haveNeighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.
All about Vail Township →
FinlaysonA regional job hub
Work222 jobsbased in Finlayson, a regional job hub SchoolsBetter than 25%of MN districts Housing$278K typical home21% below the MN typical home All about Finlayson →
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.

Jobs per worker29.8×
Finlayson is more of a job hub
Finlayson 1.79Vail Township 0.06
Street grid14.2×
Finlayson has the more walkable street grid
Finlayson 15.6Vail Township 1.1
Typical home built15 yrs
Vail Township’s homes are older
Finlayson 1977Vail Township 1962
Property tax bill+17%
Tax bills are bigger in Finlayson
Finlayson $1,978Vail Township $1,688
★ 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.

Vail Township$1,620/mo
Typical home $281K (Census) · tax rate 0.60% · or rent about $850/mo · Housing →
Finlayson$1,670/mo
Typical home $278K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.90% · or rent about $950/mo · Housing →

The difference: $50 a month, about $600 a year, between Finlayson and Vail 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

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
–Vail TownshipNot graded CFinlaysonBetter than 25% 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
Vail TownshipFinlayson
Snow a year44″45″
January low—-1°F
July high—79°F
Growing season (days)—130d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)40th44th
Outdoors & history
Vail TownshipFinlayson
Trails1 mi—
Conserved land2.1%—
Settled1879—
National Register places—2
Community
Vail TownshipFinlayson
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

170 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Vail TownshipRedwood CountyFinlaysonMN
Vail Township ↔ Finlayson170 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.

Vail TownshipFinlayson
People
Population 177Lowest 267Highest
Median age 47.6±10Highest 23% above MN 47.5±12.1Lowest 22% above MN
Vail Township and Finlayson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 28.2%±4.4Highest MN: 22.9% 20.6%±6.2Lowest MN: 22.9%
Vail Township and Finlayson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 26%±5.8Highest MN: 17.3% 25.5%±4.3Lowest MN: 17.3%
Vail Township and Finlayson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 21.4%Lowest MN: 39.4% 23.2%Highest MN: 39.4%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 3.4%±2.4Lowest MN: 5.8% 4.1%±3.3Highest MN: 5.8%
Finlayson and Vail Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $86,250±$19kHighest 3% below MN $68,500±$16kLowest 23% below MN
Vail Township and Finlayson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $281,300±$39kHighest 15% below MN $219,400±$33kLowest 33% below MN
Vail Township and Finlayson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $850±$635Lowest 34% below MN $950±$225Highest 26% below MN
Finlayson and Vail Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $1,688Lowest 50% below MN $1,978Highest 41% below MN
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 42.9%±100Lowest MN: 48.1% 61.8%±35.1Highest MN: 48.1%
Finlayson and Vail Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 15.8%Lowest MN: 9.3% 18.4%Highest MN: 9.3%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 76.9%Highest MN: 72.2% 73%Lowest MN: 72.2%
Typical home builtmedian year 1962Lowest 17 yrs older than MN 1977Highest 2 yrs older than MN
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 17 minLowest 24% below MN 20 minHighest 13% below MN
Work from home 10.7%±6.7Highest MN: 17.6% 2.9%±2.7Lowest MN: 17.6%
Vail Township and Finlayson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 0%Lowest 4.8%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 14.3 miLowest 17.8 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.06Lowest 1.79Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Redwood Falls (27%)Sandstone (11%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in FinlaysonFew work in Vail Township
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 2.1%Highest 0%Lowest
Trailsmapped miles 0.5 miHighest 0.0 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 mi 0.0 mi
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 3Highest 0Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 1.1Lowest 15.6Highest
Schools
School district —HINCKLEY-FINLAYSON SCHOOL DISTRICT
High school in town —None in town
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.

Vail Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Vail Township’s Town Square.

Finlayson neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Finlayson’s Town Square.

Add a town

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Bordering Vail Township

W
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Waterbury Township161 people · $269K homes
N
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New Avon Township227 people · $240K homes
G
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Granite Rock Township179 people · $214K homes
S
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Sheridan Township224 people · $314K homes

Towns like Vail Township

E
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Edwards Township235 people · $305K homes
F
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Flora Township134 people · $248K homes
D
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Dexter Township257 people · $278K homes
S
+ Compare
Split Rock Township175 people · $225K homes
Not sure which town to add? Find your place ranks Minnesota towns on what matters to you.Find your place →

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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