Population

Waterville

16,704

Bemidji

15,490

Median Income

Waterville

$47,489

Bemidji

$53,850

Home Value

Waterville

$173,700

Bemidji

$189,500

Rent

Waterville

$957

Bemidji

$1,004

Crime Rate

Waterville

1.42

Bemidji

8.14

Cost of Living

Waterville

89.0

Bemidji

93.2

Avg Temp

Waterville

N/A

Bemidji

N/A

Unemployment

Waterville

5.4%

Bemidji

5.2%

Loading map…

How Similar Are Waterville & Bemidji?

Bemidji is Waterville's #14 most similar city

6/10

6 of 10 key metrics match within 10%

Population

👥

Waterville

16,704

vs

Bemidji

15,490

Match · 7% difference

Both cities have similar populations — Waterville at 16,704 and Bemidji at 15,490.

Violent Crime

Waterville

1.42

vs

Bemidji

8.14

Different · 83% difference
🚨

Bemidji's violent crime is significantly higher than Waterville's — 83% difference.

Property Crime

🔒

Waterville

30.24

vs

Bemidji

45.86

Different · 34% difference

Bemidji has a 34% higher property crime than Waterville.

Political Leaning

Waterville

50.2%

vs

Bemidji

52.0%

Match · 3% difference
🗳️

Both cities lean Republican with similar vote shares — 3% difference.

Unemployment

💼

Waterville

5.4%

vs

Bemidji

5.2%

Match · 3% difference

Both cities have similar unemployment — just a 3% difference.

Median Income

Waterville

$47,489

vs

Bemidji

$53,850

Different · 12% difference
💰

Bemidji has a 12% higher median income than Waterville.

Home Values

🏠

Waterville

$173,700

vs

Bemidji

$189,500

Match · 8% difference

Both cities have similar home values — just a 8% difference.

Education

Waterville

19.2%

vs

Bemidji

18.5%

Match · 3% difference
🎓

Both cities have similar education — just a 3% difference.

Demographics

🌍

Waterville

90.2%

vs

Bemidji

74.9%

Different · 17% difference

Waterville has a 17% higher demographics than Bemidji.

Cost of Living

Waterville

89.0

vs

Bemidji

93.2

Match · 5% difference
💵

Both cities have similar cost of living — just a 5% difference.

6 out of 10 key metrics match within 10%. Waterville and Bemidji share several key characteristics.

At a Glance

0

Waterville

vsof 8

0

Bemidji

Waterville leads in 3 of 8 categories

Cost of Living & Affordability — Waterville leads

Source: City Stats Index / HUD

Bemidji has a fair market rent (2br) of $1,135 vs $1,416 in Waterville (25% lower). Bemidji has a fair market rent (1br) of $876 vs $1,090 in Waterville (24% lower). Waterville scores 86.3 on the food index (100 = national avg) vs 91.2 in Bemidji.

Overall Cost Index

Waterville89.0
Bemidji93.2

Housing Index

Waterville103.2
Bemidji106.2

Food Index

Waterville86.3
Bemidji91.2

Transportation Index

Waterville72.6
Bemidji74.3

Healthcare Index

Waterville89.0
Bemidji92.9

Utilities Index

Waterville92.4
Bemidji95.9

Living Wage (1 Adult)

Waterville$39,161
Bemidji$41,018

Living Wage (Family of 4)

Waterville$92,562
Bemidji$96,951

Fair Market Rent (1BR)

Waterville$1,090
Bemidji$876

Fair Market Rent (2BR)

Waterville$1,416
Bemidji$1,135

Housing Market

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Waterville has a vacancy rate of 6.2% compared to 9.2% in Bemidji. Bemidji has a median property tax of $2,198 vs $2,679 in Waterville (22% lower). Bemidji has a single-family homes of 53.8% compared to 42.7% in Waterville.

Median Home Value

Waterville$173,700
Bemidji$189,500

Median Rent

Waterville$957
Bemidji$1,004

Median Property Tax

Waterville$2,679
Bemidji$2,198

Owner-Occupied

Waterville45.8%
Bemidji41.9%

Vacancy Rate

Waterville6.2%
Bemidji9.2%

Single-Family Homes

Waterville42.7%
Bemidji53.8%

Jobs & Economy — Bemidji leads

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Waterville has a work from home of 15.7% compared to 7.3% in Bemidji. Bemidji has a poverty rate of 20.7% compared to 25.4% in Waterville. Bemidji has a median household income of $53,850 vs $47,489 in Waterville (12% higher).

Median Household Income

Waterville$47,489
Bemidji$53,850

Per Capita Income

Waterville$29,156
Bemidji$30,619

Poverty Rate

Waterville25.4%
Bemidji20.7%

Unemployment Rate

Waterville5.4%
Bemidji5.2%

Labor Force

Waterville7,993
Bemidji8,245

Mean Commute

WatervilleN/A
Bemidji15 min

Work from Home

Waterville15.7%
Bemidji7.3%

Private Sector

Waterville79.5%
Bemidji79.9%

Government Sector

Waterville38.1%
Bemidji35.3%

Crime & Safety — Waterville leads

Source: FBI UCR

Waterville has a assault rate (per 1k) of 0.24 compared to 5.24 in Bemidji. Waterville has a burglary rate (per 1k) of 0.59 compared to 3.53 in Bemidji. Waterville has a violent crime rate (per 1k) of 1.42 compared to 8.14 in Bemidji.

Violent Crime Rate (per 1K)

Waterville1.42
Bemidji8.14

Property Crime Rate (per 1K)

Waterville30.24
Bemidji45.86

Murder Rate (per 1K)

Waterville0.18
Bemidji0.00

Robbery Rate (per 1K)

Waterville0.24
Bemidji0.82

Assault Rate (per 1K)

Waterville0.24
Bemidji5.24

Burglary Rate (per 1K)

Waterville0.59
Bemidji3.53

Larceny Rate (per 1K)

Waterville28.10
Bemidji40.50

Violent Crime Clearance

Waterville37.5%
Bemidji49.6%

Property Crime Clearance

Waterville54.1%
Bemidji33.8%

Weather & Climate

Source: NOAA / Open-Meteo

Avg Annual Temperature

WatervilleN/A
BemidjiN/A

Avg Annual High

WatervilleN/A
BemidjiN/A

Avg Annual Low

WatervilleN/A
BemidjiN/A

Sunny Days per Year

WatervilleN/A
BemidjiN/A

Annual Rainfall

WatervilleN/A
BemidjiN/A

Annual Snowfall

WatervilleN/A
BemidjiN/A

Avg Humidity

WatervilleN/A
BemidjiN/A

Schools & Education — Waterville leads

Source: NCES / U.S. Census Bureau

Waterville has a high school diploma or higher of 37.1% compared to 32.0% in Bemidji. Waterville has a bachelor's degree or higher of 19.2% compared to 18.5% in Bemidji.

Public Schools

Waterville0
Bemidji0

Avg Student-Teacher Ratio

WatervilleN/A
BemidjiN/A

Colleges & Universities

Waterville0
Bemidji0

Bachelor's Degree or Higher

Waterville19.2%
Bemidji18.5%

High School Diploma or Higher

Waterville37.1%
Bemidji32.0%

Demographics & Community

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Waterville has a population of 16,704, about 1.1x the size of Bemidji (15,490). Bemidji skews younger with a median age of 29.8 vs 34.5.

Population

Waterville16,704
Bemidji15,490

Median Age

Waterville35
Bemidji30

Avg Household Size

Waterville2.1
Bemidji2.2

Married Population

Waterville26.1%
Bemidji26.7%

Foreign Born

Waterville4.0%
Bemidji2.3%

White

Waterville90.2%
Bemidji74.9%

Black

Waterville1.1%
Bemidji3.2%

Hispanic

Waterville2.6%
Bemidji3.1%

Asian

Waterville2.0%
Bemidji0.8%

Waterville

Bemidji

Healthcare

Source: CMS Hospital Compare

Nearby Hospitals

Waterville5
Bemidji5

Avg CMS Rating (out of 5)

Waterville4.0
Bemidji4.0

With Emergency Services

Waterville4
Bemidji4

Transportation & Commute — Bemidji leads

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Waterville has a work from home of 15.7% compared to 7.3% in Bemidji. Bemidji has a bicycle of 1.1% compared to 0.0% in Waterville. Bemidji has a public transit of 1.1% compared to 0.1% in Waterville.

Mean Commute Time

WatervilleN/A
Bemidji15 min

Drive Alone

Waterville67.4%
Bemidji77.9%

Public Transit

Waterville0.1%
Bemidji1.1%

Bicycle

Waterville0.0%
Bemidji1.1%

Work from Home

Waterville15.7%
Bemidji7.3%

Airports

Waterville0
Bemidji0

Cities Similar to Waterville, ME

Compare Waterville against its closest statistical matches across demographics, income, crime, health, and more.

🧬

City Comparison

8-axis fingerprint: population, income, housing, crime, education, age, climate, and cost of living. Click legend items to toggle.

PopulationIncomeHome ValueSafetyEducationMedian AgeClimateCost of Living

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