Otter Tail County, Minnesota
Population 60,475 · Fergus Falls, Perham, Pelican Rapids
- Overall cost of living: −14.1% vs the US average, lower than 76% of US counties.
- January low: 0°F, lower than 98% of US counties.
- Hot days (90°F+): 4 days, lower than 92% of US counties.
Cost & Housing
| Overall cost of living (vs US avg) | ≈−14.1% | lower than 76% of US counties |
|---|---|---|
| ≈ Shared figure for all of Minnesota outside its metro areas. Prices are published for areas, not single counties. | ||
| Median home price | $273,000 | higher than 76% of US counties |
| Median rent | $868 | lower than 52% of US counties |
| Electric bill | $148/mo | lower than 75% of US counties |
| Child care (preschool) | $9,863/yr | higher than 82% of US counties |
| Property tax rate | 0.77% | lower than 53% of US counties |
| Sales tax | 6.875% | higher than 87% of US counties |
| State income tax | 7.05% | higher than 94% of US counties |
| Property tax paid / yr | $2,093 | higher than 67% of US counties |
Jobs & Career
| Median household income | $72,255 | higher than 67% of US counties |
|---|---|---|
| Unemployment rate | 4.6% | higher than 70% of US counties |
| Job growth (5 yr) | +1% | higher than 51% of US counties |
| Jobs per 1k residents | 313.2 | higher than 65% of US counties |
| Profession jobs per 1k residents | N/A |
Climate & Environment
| Sunny days / yr | ≈193 days | lower than 75% of US counties |
|---|---|---|
| ≈ Regional estimate: satellite grid cell about 100 km across. Nearby counties can share it. | ||
| July high | 80°F | lower than 90% of US counties |
| January low | 0°F | lower than 98% of US counties |
| Annual snowfall | ≈54 in | higher than 90% of US counties |
| ≈ Weather station: Pelican Rapids, MN, 18 mi from where the county’s people live. | ||
| Hot days (90°F+) | ≈4 days | lower than 92% of US counties |
| ≈ Weather station: Ottertail, MN, 12 mi from where the county’s people live. | ||
| Freezing days (32°F or colder) | ≈172 days | higher than 89% of US counties |
| ≈ Weather station: Ottertail, MN, 12 mi from where the county’s people live. | ||
| Severe drought | 3.2% of weeks | lower than 81% of US counties |
| Summer dew point | ≈55.9°F | lower than 81% of US counties |
| ≈ Regional estimate: NASA grid cell about 50 km across, read at where the county’s people live. Nearby counties can share it. | ||
| Annual precipitation | 26.6 in | lower than 78% of US counties |
| Disaster damage per $100k | $84/yr | lower than 89% of US counties |
| Flood damage per $100k | $64/yr | lower than 75% of US counties |
| Hurricane damage per $100k | $0/yr | the lowest in the US |
| Earthquake damage per $100k | $0.06/yr | lower than 97% of US counties |
| Tornado damage per $100k | $12/yr | higher than 59% of US counties |
| Wildfire damage per $100k | $1/yr | higher than 57% of US counties |
| PM2.5 air pollution | 6.3 µg/m³ | lower than 81% of US counties |
| Distance to coast | 173.4 mi | lower than 55% of US counties |
| Terrain relief | ≈535.9 ft | higher than 59% of US counties |
| ≈ Estimated from about 75 elevation points sampled across the county, so the true range is usually somewhat larger. | ||
Education & Health
| % Adults with a high school diploma | 94.4% | higher than 87% of US counties |
|---|---|---|
| % Adults with a bachelor's degree | 28.3% | higher than 72% of US counties |
| % Adults with a graduate degree | 9.4% | higher than 68% of US counties |
| Colleges within 30 mi | 1 | lower than 63% of US counties |
| Student-teacher ratio | 15.5:1 | higher than 74% of US counties |
| On-time high school graduation | 83.1% | lower than 80% of US counties |
| 8th-grade math (grade level) | gr 9.38 | higher than 94% of US counties |
| 8th-grade reading (grade level) | gr 8.41 | higher than 78% of US counties |
| 3rd-grade math (grade level) | gr 3.41 | higher than 91% of US counties |
| Library visits per resident | 5.7 | higher than 93% of US counties |
| Primary care docs / 100k | 55/100k | higher than 62% of US counties |
| Hospitals within 25 mi | 3 | lower than 45% of US counties |
| Hospital quality (avg stars) | 3.5★ | higher than 63% of US counties |
| Life expectancy | 79.3 yrs | higher than 87% of US counties |
| % Uninsured (under 65) | 6.3% | lower than 80% of US counties |
| Mental health providers / 100k | 179/100k | higher than 58% of US counties |
| Dentists / 100k | 73/100k | higher than 82% of US counties |
| Lyme disease cases | 78.2/100k | higher than 90% of US counties |
| % Near parks or rec facilities | 50.9% | lower than 71% of US counties |
Transit & Connectivity
| Airport drive time | 89 min | higher than 87% of US counties |
|---|---|---|
| Int'l airport drive time | 89 min | lower than 62% of US counties |
| Avg commute | 21 min | lower than 69% of US counties |
| Broadband coverage | 87.7% | higher than 55% of US counties |
| Transit commute share | 0.8% | higher than 81% of US counties |
| Work-from-home share | 10.4% | higher than 65% of US counties |
| Drive to a big city | 204 min | higher than 79% of US counties |
| Street intersections | 20 per sq mi | lower than 53% of US counties |
Community & Safety
| Violent crime | 1 per 1k | lower than 79% of US counties |
|---|---|---|
| Property crime | 6.9 per 1k | lower than 56% of US counties |
| Population | 60,475 | higher than 72% of US counties |
| Median age | 46.2 | higher than 82% of US counties |
| Net domestic migration | +4.4 per 1k/yr | higher than 60% of US counties |
| % Democratic vote | 32.1% Dem | higher than 58% of US counties |
| % Republican vote | 66.3% Rep | lower than 59% of US counties |
| % Third-party vote | 1.6% | higher than 64% of US counties |
| % White | 90.5% | higher than 77% of US counties |
| % Hispanic or Latino | 4% | lower than 59% of US counties |
| % Black | 1.1% | lower than 62% of US counties |
| % Asian | 0.6% | lower than 49% of US counties |
| % American Indian & Alaska Native | 0.2% | higher than 50% of US counties |
| % Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander | 0% | the lowest in the US |
| % Two or more races | 3.3% | lower than 55% of US counties |
| % Some other race | 0.4% | higher than 58% of US counties |
Recreation & Lifestyle
| Parks & protected areas | 110 parks | higher than 64% of US counties |
|---|---|---|
| Restaurants / 10k | 16.5 | higher than 65% of US counties |
| Arts & rec venues / 10k | 6.6 | higher than 87% of US counties |
| Drive to dark skies | Dark here | the lowest in the US |
| Lakes & rivers | 11.4% | higher than 95% of US counties |
| Ski areas within 90 mi | 0 | the lowest in the US |
| Golf courses within 30 mi | 9 | lower than 56% of US counties |
| Marinas & boat tours within 90 mi | 4 | lower than 59% of US counties |
| Trails (km) within 30 mi | 109 km | lower than 60% of US counties |
| Named paved greenways (km) within 15 mi | 31 km | higher than 84% of US counties |
| Gyms & fitness centers within 30 mi | 3 | lower than 68% of US counties |
| Bars within 30 mi | 13 | lower than 51% of US counties |
| Music & theater companies within 30 mi | 0 | the lowest in the US |
| Museums within 30 mi | 4 | higher than 68% of US counties |
| Breweries within 30 mi | 0 | the lowest in the US |
| Wineries within 30 mi | 0 | the lowest in the US |
| Theme parks & arcades within 90 mi | 0 | the lowest in the US |
| Casinos & casino hotels within 90 mi | 5 | higher than 83% of US counties |
| Campgrounds & RV parks within 30 mi | 6 | higher than 76% of US counties |
| Sports teams & arenas within 90 mi | 13 | lower than 54% of US counties |
| Bike paths (km) within 15 mi | 140 km | higher than 89% of US counties |
Most similar counties
Closest across all well-covered metrics.
Every number is from a public dataset; N/A means the source doesn't cover this county. Percentages compare against all US counties. ≈ marks a value not measured in the county itself; the line under it says where it comes from. Report bad data