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Wadena Township vs Compton Township

Next-door neighbors. The biggest differences: average commute (12 min in Wadena Township) and homeowners (+15.7 pts renters in Compton Township).

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Wadena Township, MNOne of the healthiest townsWadena County · 1,023 people
C ×
Compton Township, MNA small town of 804Otter Tail County · 804 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.

Wadena TownshipOne of the healthiest towns
Health68% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates All about Wadena Township →
Compton TownshipA small town of 804
Quiet strengthsCompton Township doesn’t stand out on the data we haveNeighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.
All about Compton Township →
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.

Average commute12 min
Wadena Township has the shorter commute
Compton Township 30 minWadena Township 18 min
Homeowners+15.7 pts renters
Compton Township has more renters
Wadena Township 95.5%Compton Township 79.8%
Growth since 2010+4.9 pts
Wadena Township has grown faster since 2010
Wadena Township +4.5%Compton Township -0.4%
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $190 more a month in Compton Township

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.

Wadena Township$1,090/mo
Typical home $180K (Census) · tax rate 1.00% · or rent about $883/mo · Housing →
Compton Township$1,280/mo
Typical home $215K (Census) · tax rate 0.87% · or rent about $665/mo · Housing →

The difference: $190 a month, about $2,300 a year, between Compton Township and Wadena 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.

Where they are

Wadena Township and Compton Township share a border

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Wadena TownshipCompton TownshipWadena TownshipCompton Township
Wadena Township ↔ Compton Township5.8 miles apart · They share a border
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
–Wadena TownshipNot graded C+Compton TownshipBetter than 42% of districts in the state
Health
CWadena TownshipHealthier than 32% of U.S. towns –Compton TownshipNot graded
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
Wadena TownshipCompton Township
Snow a year51″51″
January low-2°F-2°F
July high78°F78°F
Growing season (days)141d141d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)12th24th
Outdoors & history
Wadena TownshipCompton Township
Trails4 mi3 mi
Conserved land0.3%0.1%
Settled—1875
Archive photos12—
Community
Wadena TownshipCompton Township
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.

Wadena TownshipCompton Township
People
Population 1,023Highest 804Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +4.5%Highest MN: +7.6% -0.4%Lowest MN: +7.6%
Median age 44.4±12.2Highest 14% above MN 39.8±4.8Lowest about the MN average
Wadena Township and Compton Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 23.4%±3.5Lowest MN: 22.9% 29.2%±3.5Highest MN: 22.9%
Compton Township and Wadena Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 20.8%±1.4Highest MN: 17.3% 20.6%±3.1Lowest MN: 17.3%
Wadena Township and Compton Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 23.7%Highest MN: 39.4% 18%Lowest MN: 39.4%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 2.3%±1.5Highest MN: 5.8% 1.9%±1.4Lowest MN: 5.8%
Wadena Township and Compton Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $79,063±$13kHighest 11% below MN $74,196±$6kLowest 17% below MN
Wadena Township and Compton Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $179,600±$20kLowest 45% below MN $214,500±$26kHighest 35% below MN
Compton Township and Wadena Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $883±$345Highest 31% below MN $665±$292Lowest 48% below MN
Wadena Township and Compton Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $1,792Lowest 47% below MN $1,875Highest 44% below MN
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 40%±100Highest MN: 48.1% 17%±32.4Lowest MN: 48.1%
Wadena Township and Compton Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 6.2%Highest MN: 9.3% 3.6%Lowest MN: 9.3%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 95.5%Highest MN: 72.2% 79.8%Lowest MN: 72.2%
Typical home builtmedian year 1975Lowest 4 yrs older than MN 1980Highest 1 yr newer than MN
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 18 minLowest 22% below MN 30 minHighest 32% above MN
Work from home 19.9%±18.7Highest MN: 17.6% 14.5%±7.5Lowest MN: 17.6%
Wadena Township and Compton Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 0.9%Highest 0.3%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 15.3 miLowest 22.8 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.35Lowest 0.40Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Wadena (40%)Perham (15%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Compton TownshipFew work in Wadena Township
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 0.3%Highest 0.1%Lowest
Trailsmapped miles 3.8 miHighest 3.3 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.1 mi 0.1 mi
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 1 1
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 2.2Highest 1.6Lowest
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 Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Wadena Township’s Town Square.

Compton Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Compton Township’s Town Square.

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Bordering Wadena Township

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Wadena4,419 people · $161K homes
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Leaf River Township804 people · $221K homes
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Aldrich Township679 people · $204K homes
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Stowe Prairie Township439 people · $179K homes

Towns like Wadena Township

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Comfort Township1,111 people · $238K homes
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Cottonwood Township861 people · $247K homes
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Moose Lake Township1,036 people · $242K homes
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Blackberry Township849 people · $247K 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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