A typical home in each town, bought with 20% down at 6.3% for 30 years, plus property tax at the town’s own rate and insurance. Change the numbers to fit you.

Down paymentRate%

Alpena$320/mo

Typical home $52K (Census) · tax rate 1.18% · or rent about $925/mo · Housing →

New Effington$420/mo

Typical home $68K (Census) · tax rate 1.09% · or rent about $510/mo · Housing →

The difference: $100 a month, about $1,100 a year, between New Effington and Alpena.

Estimates, not a quote: your price, rate, tax bill and insurance will differ. Tax rate = the Census median tax bill over the median home value.

Life in each

What daily life feels like in each

The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.

Seasons

AlpenaNew Effington

Snow a year45″49″

January low7°F 1°F

July high84°F 82°F

Growing season (days)157d 152d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)61st 41st

Outdoors & history

AlpenaNew Effington

Trails—0 mi

Conserved land—1.7%

Settled1883 1914

National Register places1 1

Archive photos2 4

Famous people born here2 —

Community

AlpenaNew Effington

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined0 0

A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.

Where they are

136 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

AlpenaSD New EffingtonSD

Alpena ↔ New Effington136 miles apart

Everything, side by side

What matters to you?

Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

Only big differences vs South Dakota average

AlpenaNew Effington

People

Population 317Highest 269Lowest

Median age 35.3±6.5Highest 7% below SD 32.5±8.2Lowest 14% below SD

Alpena and New Effington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Kids under 18 27.8%±5.5Lowest SD: 24.2% 29.4%±9Highest SD: 24.2%

New Effington and Alpena are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Age 65+ 15.5%±9.4Highest SD: 18% 14.9%±6.6Lowest SD: 18%

Alpena and New Effington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 5.8%Lowest SD: 31.9% 6.7%Highest SD: 31.9%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 1.6%±3.7Lowest SD: 5% 2.2%±3Highest SD: 5%

New Effington and Alpena are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $66,667±$25kHighest 11% below SD $50,208±$7kLowest 33% below SD

Alpena and New Effington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $51,800±$11kLowest 80% below SD $68,000±$27kHighest 74% below SD

New Effington and Alpena are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Rentmedian gross, monthly $925±$212Highest about the SD average $510±$67Lowest 46% below SD

Property taxmedian, yearly $611Lowest 78% below SD $740Highest 73% below SD

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 11.5%±68Lowest SD: 39.8% 19.4%±34.5Highest SD: 39.8%

New Effington and Alpena are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Below poverty line 6.6%Lowest SD: 11.9% 20.7%Highest SD: 11.9%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 78.5%Highest SD: 68.6% 68%Lowest SD: 68.6%

Typical home builtmedian year 1945Lowest 35 yrs older than SD 1955Highest 25 yrs older than SD

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 14 minLowest 20% below SD 17 minHighest about the SD average

Work from home 7.6%±6Highest SD: 9.7% 0%±9Lowest SD: 9.7%

Alpena and New Effington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Work in townworking residents 15.9%Highest 2.5%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 12.3 miLowest 14.8 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 8.57Highest 0.43Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Wessington Springs (39%)Sisseton (41%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in New EffingtonFew work in Alpena

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 0%Lowest 1.7%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 0.0 mi 0.0 mi

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 mi 0.0 mi

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0Lowest 1Highest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 19.5Lowest 101Highest

South Dakota average“±” Census margin of errorACS 2020–2024

Deciding?

Ask the people who live there

The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.

Alpena neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Alpena’s Town Square.

New Effington neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to New Effington’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Alpena and New Effington

One tap adds it. Up to 4 towns at once.

Towns like Alpena

+ Compare

Monroe233 people · $49K homes

+ Compare

Hoven329 people · $88K homes

+ Compare

Ramona538 people · $86K homes

+ Compare

Lone Tree Township333 people · $95K homes

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.

Alpena vs New Effington

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs about the same each month

What daily life feels like in each

136 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Alpena and New Effington

Towns like Alpena

Post to Alpena

Check your email