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Alton Township vs Parnell Township

Next-door neighbors in Brookings County. The biggest differences: jobs per worker (8.3× in Parnell Township) and work from home (+23.6 pts in Parnell Township).

A ×
Alton Township, SDA small town of 150Brookings County · 150 people
P ×
Parnell Township, SDA small town of 131Brookings County · 131 people
Where each one shines

Two towns, two different strengths

What each town does better than most of its state (not better than each other). Tap one to see the page behind it.

Alton TownshipA small town of 150
Quiet strengthsAlton Township doesn’t stand out on the data we haveNeighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.
All about Alton Township →
Parnell TownshipA small town of 131
Quiet strengthsParnell Township doesn’t stand out on the data we haveNeighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.
All about Parnell Township →
The biggest differences

Where they differ most

The rows below where the towns are furthest apart, beyond the Census margin of error. The full table is further down.

★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $260 more a month in Parnell Township

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.

Alton Township$1,800/mo
Typical home $289K (Census) · tax rate 1.20% · Housing →
Parnell Township$2,060/mo
Typical home $342K (Census) · tax rate 0.92% · Housing →

The difference: $260 a month, about $3,100 a year, between Parnell Township and Alton Township.

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.

Where they are

Alton Township and Parnell Township share a border

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Alton TownshipParnell TownshipAlton TownshipParnell Township
Alton Township ↔ Parnell Township5.5 miles apart · They share a border · Same county
Report cards

Grades and rankings, side by side

Our letter grades for safety, schools and health, then every South Dakota ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

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
Alton TownshipParnell Township
Snow a year36″36″
January low4°F4°F
July high81°F81°F
Growing season (days)145d145d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)40th40th
Outdoors & history
Alton TownshipParnell Township
Trails2 mi2 mi
Conserved land0.7%0%
National Register places1—
Community
Alton TownshipParnell Township
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined00

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.

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.

Alton TownshipParnell Township
People
Population 150Highest 131Lowest
Median age 57.8±11Highest 52% above SD 42±10.9Lowest 11% above SD
Alton Township and Parnell Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 20.7%±18.3Lowest SD: 24.2% 32.8%±16.9Highest SD: 24.2%
Parnell Township and Alton Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 16%±14.9Lowest SD: 18% 19.1%±19.4Highest SD: 18%
Parnell Township and Alton Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 25.7%Lowest SD: 31.9% 32.2%Highest SD: 31.9%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 2.7%±7.3Highest SD: 5% 0%±10.8Lowest SD: 5%
Alton Township and Parnell Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $92,813±$71kHighest 24% above SD $86,250±$23kLowest 15% above SD
Alton Township and Parnell Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $288,500±$30kLowest 12% above SD $342,300±$130kHighest 33% above SD
Parnell Township and Alton Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $3,467Highest 27% above SD $3,161Lowest 16% above SD
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 0%±100 SD: 39.8% —
Below poverty line 18.7%Highest SD: 11.9% 0%Lowest SD: 11.9%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 91.8%Lowest SD: 68.6% 100%Highest SD: 68.6%
Typical home builtmedian year 1944Highest 36 yrs older than SD 1938Lowest 42 yrs older than SD
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 18 minLowest about the SD average 19 minHighest 6% above SD
Work from home 7.3%±8.2Lowest SD: 9.7% 30.9%±9.6Highest SD: 9.7%
Work in townworking residents 0.7%Highest 0%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 10.3 miLowest 11.3 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.08Lowest 0.66Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Brookings (61%)Brookings (56%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Parnell TownshipFew work in Alton Township
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 0.7%Highest 0%Lowest
Trailsmapped miles 2.0 miHighest 1.5 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.1 miHighest 0.0 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0 0
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 1.0Lowest 1.3Highest
Schools
School district Elkton School District 05-3—
High school in town None in town—
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.

Alton Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Alton Township’s Town Square.

Parnell Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Parnell Township’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Alton Township and Parnell Township

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Bordering Alton Township

Towns like Alton Township

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.

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