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%

Vesper$1,600/mo

Typical home $246K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.52% · or rent about $621/mo · Housing →

Mentor$850/mo

Typical home $128K (Census) · tax rate 1.68% · or rent about $1,125/mo · Housing →

The difference: $750 a month, about $9,000 a year, between Vesper and Mentor.

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

VesperMentor

Snow a year48″44″

January low—5°F

July high—80°F

Growing season (days)—144d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)51st 55th

Outdoors & history

VesperMentor

Trails1 mi 4 mi

Conserved land0%39.3%

Community

VesperMentor

Library hours a week30 hrs —

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined0 0

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

45 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

VesperWI MentorClark County

Vesper ↔ Mentor45 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 Wisconsin average

VesperMentor

People

Population 496Lowest 597Highest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -12.2%Lowest WI: +3.6% -6.5%Highest WI: +3.6%

Median age 50±15Lowest 24% above WI 50.1±4.9Highest 25% above WI

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

Kids under 18 18.3%±2.8Highest WI: 21.4% 16.2%±1.8Lowest WI: 21.4%

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

Age 65+ 31.5%±18.1Highest WI: 18.5% 15.7%±2.5Lowest WI: 18.5%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 10.6%Highest WI: 33.4% 4.5%Lowest WI: 33.4%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 2.2%±1.4Highest WI: 5.8% 1.5%±2Lowest WI: 5.8%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $61,149±$3kHighest 21% below WI $60,357±$10kLowest 22% below WI

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $120,700±$22kLowest 55% below WI $128,300±$38kHighest 52% below WI

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

Rentmedian gross, monthly $621±$39Lowest 43% below WI $1,125±$254Highest 3% above WI

Property taxmedian, yearly $1,839Lowest 52% below WI $2,158Highest 43% below WI

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 31.1%±26.7Lowest WI: 43.7% 39.4%±32.9Highest WI: 43.7%

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

Below poverty line 8%Lowest WI: 10.6% 18.8%Highest WI: 10.6%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 82.8%Highest WI: 67.8% 80.9%Lowest WI: 67.8%

Typical home builtmedian year 1958Lowest 17 yrs older than WI 1965Highest 10 yrs older than WI

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 24 minLowest 9% above WI 29 minHighest 28% above WI

Work from home 4.9%±4.3Lowest WI: 13.1% 8.1%±4.7Highest WI: 13.1%

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

Work in townworking residents 1.9%Lowest 2.5%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 17.8 miLowest 20.3 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.61Highest 0.40Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Wisconsin Rapids (23%)Neillsville (20%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in MentorFew work in Vesper

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 0%Lowest 39.3%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 0.5 miLowest 3.8 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.5 miHighest 0.1 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 1 1

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 36.6Highest 2.1Lowest

Wisconsin 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.

Vesper neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Vesper’s Town Square.

Mentor neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Mentor’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Vesper and Mentor

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

Bordering Vesper

+ Compare

Hansen801 people · $241K homes

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Sigel1,059 people · $210K homes

Towns like Vesper

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Hixton422 people · $159K homes

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Rudolph466 people · $181K homes

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Gilman388 people · $123K homes

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Catawba349 people · $133K 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.

Vesper vs Mentor

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs $750 more a month in Vesper

What daily life feels like in each

45 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Vesper and Mentor

Bordering Vesper

Towns like Vesper

Post to Vesper

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