Also of interest is that Ottertail has more people living here who work in computers and math than 95% of the places in the US.
A relatively large number of people in Ottertail telecommute to their jobs. Overall, about 17.07% of the workforce works from home. While this may seem like a small number, as a fraction of the total workforce it ranks among the highest in the country. These workers are often telecommuters who work in knowledge-based, white-collar professions. For example, Silicon Valley has large numbers of people who telecommute. Other at-home workers may be self-employed people who operate small businesses out of their homes.
Another notable thing is that Ottertail is an extremely popular destination for tourists and seasonal residents. So much of the population is seasonal such that the city’s population swells significantly during the vacation season, and drops again when the season ends. Because of this, much of the local economy is centered around tourism; some businesses may be operated only during the high season. During the low season, year-round residents will notice that the city is a substantially quieter place to live.
Because of many things, Ottertail is a great place for families with children to consider. First of all, many other families with children live here, making Ottertail a place where both parents and children are more likely to develop social ties with other families, as well as find family-oriented services and community. The city’s good public school district and large population of college-educated adults provide an environment conducive to academic values. With regard to real estate, Ottertail has a high rate of owner-occupied single family homes, which tends to reflect stability in the local community. Finally, Ottertail’s overall crime rate is lower than average for the country.
It is a fairly quiet city because there are relatively few of those groups of people who have a tendency to be noisy. (Children, for example, often can't help themselves from being noisy, and being parents ourselves, we know!) Ottertail has relatively few families with children living at home, and is quieter because of it. Renters and college students, for their own reasons, can also be noisy. Ottertail has few renters and college students. But the biggest reason it is quieter in Ottertail than in most places in America, is that there are just simply fewer people living here. If you think trees make good neighbors, Ottertail may be for you.
As is often the case in a small city, Ottertail doesn't have a public transportation system that people use for their commute.
