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%

Wadena$1,280/mo

Typical home $213K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.93% · or rent about $684/mo · Housing →

Pine City$1,520/mo

Typical home $245K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.16% · or rent about $680/mo · Housing →

The difference: $240 a month, about $2,900 a year, between Pine City and Wadena.

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

Pine City places higher on 9 of 20 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.

Safety

C+WadenaSafer than 39% of U.S. towns –Pine CityNot graded

Schools

C+WadenaBetter than 42% of districts in the state B−Pine CityBetter than 45% of districts in the state

Health

CWadenaHealthier than 25% of U.S. towns C+Pine CityHealthier than 38% of U.S. towns

8Wadena

9Pine City

Lists won, of 20 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Shortest commuteGetting around · 275 towns #23#231 Most new homesHousing · 239 towns #149#7 Fewest uninsuredHealth · 273 towns #240#148 Fastest growingGrowth · 272 towns #150#236 Most conserved landOutdoors · 268 towns #186#242 Most walkableOutdoors · 275 towns #126#180 Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 275 towns #256#225 Lowest property taxCost of living · 275 towns #12#41

Left end = #1 in Minnesota. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Wadena’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

WadenaPine City

Snow a year51″52″

January low-2°F 1°F

July high78°F 82°F

Growing season (days)141d 141d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)12th 64th

Outdoors & history

WadenaPine City

Trails5 mi 0 mi

Conserved land2.8%1.1%

Settled1881 1881

National Register places3 —

Archive photos12 —

Famous people born here8 —

Community

WadenaPine City

Library hours a week38 hrs 41 hrs

Colleges in town—1

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

112 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

WadenaMN Pine CityMN

Wadena ↔ Pine City112 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

WadenaPine City

People

Population 4,419Highest 3,468Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +5.8%Highest MN: +7.6% +0.2%Lowest MN: +7.6%

Median age 39.2±2.3Lowest about the MN average 41±4.6Highest 6% above MN

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

Kids under 18 27%±5.4Highest MN: 22.9% 18.7%±4.3Lowest MN: 22.9%

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

Age 65+ 18.2%±4Lowest MN: 17.3% 22.9%±5.2Highest MN: 17.3%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 17.6%Lowest MN: 39.4% 17.9%Highest MN: 39.4%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 4.1%±2.4Highest MN: 5.8% 2.7%±2.5Lowest MN: 5.8%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $56,080±$9kHighest 37% below MN $52,056±$8kLowest 42% below MN

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $160,800±$7kLowest 51% below MN $186,900±$13kHighest 43% below MN

Rentmedian gross, monthly $684±$105Highest 47% below MN $680±$146Lowest 47% below MN

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

Property taxmedian, yearly $1,493Lowest 56% below MN $2,162Highest 36% below MN

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 41.6%±13.6Lowest MN: 48.1% 55.8%±21Highest MN: 48.1%

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

Below poverty line 17.7%Highest MN: 9.3% 12.4%Lowest MN: 9.3%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 58.1%Lowest MN: 72.2% 60.9%Highest MN: 72.2%

Typical home builtmedian year 1964Lowest 15 yrs older than MN 1975Highest 4 yrs older than MN

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 15 minLowest 33% below MN 29 minHighest 29% above MN

Work from home 5%±4.7Highest MN: 17.6% 4.3%±2.3Lowest MN: 17.6%

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

Work in townworking residents 37.8%Highest 27.4%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 15.3 miLowest 20.3 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.72Lowest 1.73Highest

Top workplaceoutside town Perham (7%)Hinckley (5%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Pine CityFew work in Wadena

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 2.8%Highest 1.1%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 4.7 miHighest 0.2 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.9 miHighest 0.0 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 5Highest 4Lowest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 52.4Highest 33.8Lowest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #205 of 230 in MN #187 of 230 in MN

School district Freshwater Education District · WADENA-DEER CREEK SCHOOL DISTRICTPINE CITY PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT

High school in town Wadena-Deer Creek Senior HighPine City Secondary

Students per teacherat that high school 19.7Highest 19.2Lowest

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.

Wadena neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Wadena’s Town Square.

Pine City neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Pine City’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Wadena and Pine City

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

Bordering Wadena

+ Compare

Leaf River Township804 people · $221K homes

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Wadena Township1,023 people · $180K homes

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Compton Township804 people · $215K homes

Towns like Wadena

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Princeton5,274 people · $219K homes

+ Compare

Mora3,732 people · $172K homes

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Litchfield6,576 people · $188K homes

+ Compare

Roseau2,736 people · $164K 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.

Wadena vs Pine City

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs $240 more a month in Pine City

Pine City places higher on 9 of 20 MN lists

What daily life feels like in each

112 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Wadena and Pine City

Bordering Wadena

Towns like Wadena

Post to Wadena

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