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%

Willmar$1,480/mo

Typical home $243K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.02% · or rent about $910/mo · Housing →

Dovre Township$2,290/mo

Typical home $382K (Census) · tax rate 0.89% · or rent about $567/mo · Housing →

The difference: $800 a month, about $9,600 a year, between Dovre Township and Willmar.

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

Willmar and Dovre Township share a border

And the people who already live in one and work in the other.

WillmarDovre Township

Willmar ↔ Dovre Township5.3 miles apart · They share a border

Who commutes between them

561 Dovre Township residents work in Willmar (54.5% of its workers)

Work & commute in Dovre Township →

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.

Safety

CWillmarSafer than 29% of U.S. towns –Dovre TownshipNot graded

Schools

CWillmarBetter than 28% of districts in the state –Dovre TownshipNot graded

Health

C+WillmarHealthier than 36% of U.S. towns B−Dovre TownshipHealthier than 50% of U.S. towns

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

WillmarDovre Township

Snow a year46″46″

January low3°F 3°F

July high82°F 82°F

Growing season (days)159d 159d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)12th 25th

Outdoors & history

WillmarDovre Township

Trails8 mi 0 mi

Conserved land4.8%7.6%

Settled1871 1869

National Register places7 1

Archive photos6 —

Famous people born here15 1

Community

WillmarDovre Township

Library hours a week58 hrs —

Colleges in town1 —

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.

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

WillmarDovre Township

People

Population 21,378Highest 2,214Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +7.2%Highest MN: +7.6% +2.1%Lowest MN: +7.6%

Median age 35.5±1.4Lowest 9% below MN 42.3±1.6Highest 9% above MN

Kids under 18 25.8%±2Lowest MN: 22.9% 28.3%±5.5Highest MN: 22.9%

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

Age 65+ 18.8%±1.9Highest MN: 17.3% 15.4%±1.9Lowest MN: 17.3%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 25.3%Lowest MN: 39.4% 40.8%Highest MN: 39.4%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 5%±1.4Highest MN: 5.8% 2.3%±1.9Lowest MN: 5.8%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $62,280±$4kLowest 30% below MN $128,906±$7kHighest 45% above MN

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $198,400±$10kLowest 40% below MN $382,200±$35kHighest 16% above MN

Rentmedian gross, monthly $910±$64Highest 29% below MN $567±$193Lowest 56% below MN

Property taxmedian, yearly $2,031Lowest 39% below MN $3,402Highest about the MN average

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 42.7%±8.6Highest MN: 48.1% 23.5%±38.9Lowest MN: 48.1%

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

Below poverty line 13.1%Highest MN: 9.3% 6.2%Lowest MN: 9.3%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 59.4%Lowest MN: 72.2% 90.6%Highest MN: 72.2%

Typical home builtmedian year 1978Lowest 1 yr older than MN 1984Highest 5 yrs newer than MN

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 13 minLowest 44% below MN 19 minHighest 18% below MN

Work from home 8.2%±2.7Lowest MN: 17.6% 10.1%±3.7Highest MN: 17.6%

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

Work in townworking residents 60.2%Highest 1.9%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 2.3 miLowest 6.3 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.90Highest 0.19Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Minneapolis (2%)Willmar (55%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Dovre Township55% work in Willmar

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 4.8%Lowest 7.6%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 7.7 miHighest 0.2 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.5 miHighest 0.0 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 21Highest 3Lowest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 53.5Highest 2.5Lowest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #210 of 230 in MN—

School district TECHNICAL ACADEMIES OF MINNESOTA · Willmar Public School District—

High school in town Willmar Senior High—

Students per teacherat that high school 16.2 —

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.

Willmar neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Willmar’s Town Square.

Dovre Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Dovre Township’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Willmar and Dovre Township

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

Bordering Willmar

+ Compare

Willmar Township547 people · $329K homes

+ Compare

St. Johns Township288 people · $234K homes

Towns like Willmar

+ Compare

Brainerd14,468 people · $193K homes

+ Compare

Sauk Rapids13,852 people · $256K homes

+ Compare

Brooklyn Center32,479 people · $274K homes

+ Compare

Fridley30,241 people · $303K 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.

Willmar vs Dovre Township

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs $800 more a month in Dovre Township

Willmar and Dovre Township share a border

Grades and rankings, side by side

What daily life feels like in each

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Willmar and Dovre Township

Bordering Willmar

Towns like Willmar

Post to Willmar

Check your email