Measured against area pay, Forest Prairie Township costs less to live in than 70% of U.S. towns
Home prices around Forest Prairie Township have risen about 70% over the past 5 years.
Census 2020–24 home values, rents, tax bills and cost burden, measured against the median household income of Meeker County, MN ($75K). How TownRatings grades cost of living
The grade compares costs with what households across Meeker County earn ($75K, Census 2020–24). The typical home costs 4.3 years of area income, and 0% of renters pay 30% or more of income for housing.
In dollars
- $1,040a month for a two-bedroom, utilities includedHUD Fair Market Rent, 2026
In paychecks the grade
- 4.3 yrsof area income buys the typical home; the typical U.S. town: 3.3$75K, Meeker County income
- 13%of area income goes to the median rent; the typical U.S. town: 18%Census 2020–24
- 13%of owners do; the typical U.S. town: 20%Census 2020–24
The short version on homes in Forest Prairie Township
Prices rose faster than Minnesota’s over five years
There’s no Zillow index for Forest Prairie Township, so the page uses the federal house price index for the ZIP code around it, which follows repeat sales of the same homes. It rose 70% over five years, against 37% across Minnesota. Price trend ↓
Nearly every household owns
96% of Forest Prairie Township households own their home, against 72% across Minnesota. There are only 9 renter households, so rentals are scarce. Property taxes ↓
Written from the data on this page. There’s no Zillow index for Forest Prairie Township, so the typical value is an estimate: the Census median carried forward with the federal house price index; incomes, rents paid, taxes and ownership come from the Census American Community Survey.
What’s behind Forest Prairie Township’s grade
Measured against what households in the area earn, Forest Prairie Township is more affordable than 70% of U.S. towns. Home prices pull the grade down most; the share of households paying 30%+ for housing holds it up.
Home prices up 70% in 5 years
The federal house price index for the ZIP code around Forest Prairie Township rose 70% over the past 5 years, faster than across Minnesota (37%). Last year prices rose 7.8%. Carrying the Census median home value forward with that index puts the typical Forest Prairie Township home at roughly $429,000 today.
Carrying the Census median forward with the index puts a typical home at about $429K.
Federal Housing Finance Agency House Price Index (annual) for the ZIP codes around Forest Prairie Township, weighted by land area. It tracks repeat sales of the same homes, so it shows how prices changed, not what homes cost.
A typical home costs 4.3 years of area income
The calculator starts from the area income the grade uses. Switch to Forest Prairie Township’s own median, or type yours.
That’s $135K short of a typical Forest Prairie Township home.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,040 a month here, $1,510 less than owning.
An estimate, not a loan offer: payments of up to 28% of income, a 30-year fixed loan, Forest Prairie Township’s typical property tax (0.84% of value a year, from the Census) and insurance of about 0.35%. Mortgage insurance, HOA fees and other debts aren’t included.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,040
Renters already here pay a median of $838, so moving in tends to cost more than staying put.
Fair Market Rent a month, utilities included
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (St. Cloud, MN MSA): the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent and renters: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
Property tax runs below the Minnesota norm
The median bill is $2,723 (Minnesota: $3,357), 0.84% of a home’s value a year, against 1.02% statewide.
Census American Community Survey 2020–24: the median real-estate tax bill homeowners report, and that bill ÷ the median home value. Bills include town, school and county taxes. The Census reports bills over $10,000 only as “$10,000+”.
Forest Prairie Township vs. its neighbors
Zillow publishes no value for Forest Prairie Township. Maine Prairie Township and Kingston Township and Luxemburg Township and Forest City Township and Manannah Township have no Zillow value, so they are in the table only.
Cost next door · one source per column
| Town | Cost | Typical home Zillow, latest | Median value Census 2020–24 | Tax rate bill ÷ value | 2-bed rent HUD 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forest Prairie Township | B+ | — | $323K | 0.84% | $1,040 |
| Manannah Township | – | — | $242K | 0.81% | $1,040 |
| Luxemburg Township | – | — | $352K | 0.90% | $1,070 |
| Maine Prairie Township | C− | — | $395K | 0.82% | $1,100 |
| Forest City Township | – | — | $332K | 0.73% | $1,030 |
| Kingston Township | C+ | — | $364K | 0.64% | $1,260 |
“—” under Zillow: Zillow publishes no value for that town, so it’s left blank rather than mixed with Census figures. “—” under Cost: not graded (too little Census data, or under 1,000 residents).
Questions about the cost of living in Forest Prairie Township
Is Forest Prairie Township expensive to live in?
Measured against what households in the area earn, Forest Prairie Township costs less than 70% of U.S. towns: a B+ for cost of living. The typical home costs 4.3 years of the median household income of Meeker County, MN ($75K).
How much is rent in Forest Prairie Township?
HUD puts a two-bedroom at about $1,040 a month with utilities, the going rate for someone moving in. Renters already here pay a median of $838 (Census 2020–24).
What are property taxes in Forest Prairie Township?
The median bill is $2,723 a year, 0.84% of the median home value (Minnesota: $3,357, 1.02%), from the Census 2020–24.
Neighbors talk housing
What Forest Prairie Township buyers, sellers and renters are saying.
Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research. Sales, days on market and supply: Redfin Data Center. Income, ownership, taxes and rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. Price trend: Federal Housing Finance Agency House Price Index. Fair Market Rents: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The calculator is an estimate, not a loan offer. Regional price levels: BEA; electricity: EIA. How TownRatings grades cost of living.