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%

Watab Township$1,900/mo

Typical home $318K (Census) · tax rate 0.86% · or rent about $959/mo · Housing →

Sylvan Township$1,720/mo

Typical home $298K (Census) · tax rate 0.63% · or rent about $1,188/mo · Housing →

The difference: $180 a month, about $2,100 a year, between Watab Township and Sylvan 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

Watab Township places higher on 10 of 19 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.

Schools

–Watab TownshipNot graded BSylvan TownshipBetter than 64% of districts in the state

Health

B+Watab TownshipHealthier than 72% of U.S. towns B+Sylvan TownshipHealthier than 67% of U.S. towns

10Watab Township

8Sylvan Township

Lists won, of 19 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 275 towns #105#234 Lowest obesityHealth · 273 towns #252#138 Most conserved landOutdoors · 268 towns #173#69 Highest graduation rateSchools · 238 towns #144#66 Most activeHealth · 273 towns #80#157 Lowest depressionHealth · 273 towns #118#50 Cheapest rentCost of living · 257 towns #71#128 Lowest property taxCost of living · 275 towns #83#31

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

Watab TownshipSylvan Township

Snow a year48″48″

January low3°F -2°F

July high82°F 80°F

Growing season (days)144d 141d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)82nd 47th

Outdoors & history

Watab TownshipSylvan Township

Trails5 mi 4 mi

Conserved land3.3%9%

National Register places—1

Community

Watab TownshipSylvan Township

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined1 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

47 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Watab TownshipBenton County Sylvan TownshipCass County

Watab Township ↔ Sylvan Township47 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

Watab TownshipSylvan Township

People

Population 3,433Highest 2,982Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +10%Highest MN: +7.6% +6.9%Lowest MN: +7.6%

Median age 44.2±2.6Lowest 14% above MN 44.4±2.4Highest 14% above MN

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

Kids under 18 25.9%±5.3Highest MN: 22.9% 22.2%±3.4Lowest MN: 22.9%

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

Age 65+ 12.6%±3.4Lowest MN: 17.3% 17.1%±2.9Highest MN: 17.3%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 28%Lowest MN: 39.4% 31.8%Highest MN: 39.4%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 2.1%±1.6Lowest MN: 5.8% 4.5%±1.9Highest MN: 5.8%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $99,018±$30kHighest 11% above MN $95,354±$7kLowest 7% above MN

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $318,200±$48kHighest 3% below MN $298,200±$32kLowest 9% below MN

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

Rentmedian gross, monthly $959±$604Lowest 25% below MN $1,188±$350Highest 7% below MN

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

Property taxmedian, yearly $2,736Highest 18% below MN $1,890Lowest 44% below MN

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 50.8%±41.4Highest MN: 48.1% 0%±64.5Lowest MN: 48.1%

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

Below poverty line 6.6%Highest MN: 9.3% 6.4%Lowest MN: 9.3%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 95.3%Highest MN: 72.2% 94.6%Lowest MN: 72.2%

Typical home builtmedian year 1988Lowest 9 yrs newer than MN 1994Highest 15 yrs newer than MN

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 23 minLowest about the MN average 23 minHighest about the MN average

Work from home 8.5%±3.9Lowest MN: 17.6% 11.4%±4.1Highest MN: 17.6%

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

Work in townworking residents 2.3%Lowest 2.8%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 10.3 miLowest 11.8 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.32Highest 0.22Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town St. Cloud (33%)Brainerd (22%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Sylvan TownshipFew work in Watab Township

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 3.3%Lowest 9%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 4.7 miHighest 3.7 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.2 miHighest 0.1 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 1Lowest 2Highest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 6.7Highest 3.7Lowest

Schools

School district —Central Lakes Adventure School

High school in town —Central Lakes Adventure School

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.

Watab Township neighborsTown Square →

T Weaver · 1w

Watab Neighborhood Life

1 neighbor in Watab Township can answer.

Sylvan Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Sylvan Township’s Town Square.

Add a town

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Bordering Watab Township

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Brockway Township2,951 people · $363K homes

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Le Sauk Township1,446 people · $296K homes

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Langola Township980 people · $370K homes

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Mayhew Lake Township1,031 people · $400K homes

Towns like Watab Township

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Rockford Township3,407 people · $405K homes

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Cohasset2,703 people · $331K homes

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Wakefield Township2,800 people · $395K 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.

Watab Township vs Sylvan Township

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they differ most

A typical home costs $180 more a month in Watab Township

Watab Township places higher on 10 of 19 MN lists

What daily life feels like in each

47 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Watab Neighborhood Life

Set another town beside Watab Township and Sylvan Township

Bordering Watab Township

Towns like Watab Township

Post to Watab Township

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