Benson vs De Graff
Benson, Minnesota versus De Graff, Minnesota: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Benson and De Graff score about the same overall (50 vs 51 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Benson | De Graff |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $50k | $66k |
| Cost of Living | $43k | $43k |
| Home Value | $129k | $90k |
| Monthly Rent | $906 | — |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $941 | $34 |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.98% | 0.78% |
| Income Tax | 9.90% | 9.90% |
| Sales Tax | 8.04% | 8.04% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 15.06% | 13.62% |
| Unemployment | 2.5% | 8.3% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 13°F | 12°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 71°F | 71°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 28.1 in | 28.1 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 42.6 in | 42.6 in |
| Sunny Days | 255 days | 255 days |
| Summer Humidity | 62°F | 62°F |
| Comfortable Days | 90 days | 90 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 80.4 | 74.1 |
| School Quality | 68.9 | 68.9 |
| Violent Crime | 298/100k | 319/100k |
| Property Crime | 60/100k | 113/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 3,453 | 75 |
| Median Age | 41.0 | 48.8 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.10 | 0.03 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.99 | 1.14 |
| Political Leaning | R+30 | R+30 |
| White (%) | 90.1% | 98.7% |
| Black (%) | 0.1% | 0.0% |
| Hispanic (%) | 5.2% | 1.3% |
| Asian (%) | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 4.6% | 0.0% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Walkability | 8.0/20 | 6.2/20 |
| Airport Distance | 120 mi | 113 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 82.2% | 85.0% |
| Amenities Nearby | 8.69 | 0.00 |
| Park & Nature Access | Excellent | Excellent |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Benson or De Graff more affordable?
- De Graff has the lower cost of living: its index is $43k, compared with Benson's $43k and De Graff's $43k.
- Is Benson or De Graff safer?
- Benson has the lower violent crime rate. Benson reports 298/100k and De Graff reports 319/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Benson or De Graff?
- The median home value is $129k in Benson and $90k in De Graff, so homes are more affordable in De Graff.