Compare towns

Arlington vs Ipswich

119 miles apart. The biggest differences: average commute (11 min in Ipswich) and typical home built (15 yrs in Ipswich).

Arlington, SDKnown for its schoolsSouth Dakota · 920 people

Ipswich, SDKnown for its schoolsSouth Dakota · 1,048 people

Swap order

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.

ArlingtonKnown for its schools

SchoolsBetter than 99%of SD districts

HistorySettled in 18804 places on the National Register All about Arlington →

IpswichKnown for its schools

SchoolsBetter than 83%of SD districts HealthHealthier than 74%of U.S. towns on CDC estimates

History8 historic places8 places on the National Register All about Ipswich →

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.

Average commute11 min

Ipswich has the shorter commute

Arlington 28 minIpswich 17 min

Typical home built15 yrs

Ipswich’s homes are older

Arlington 1972Ipswich 1957

★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $1,020 more a month in Arlington

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%

Arlington$2,010/mo

Typical home $327K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.09% · or rent about $810/mo · Housing →

Ipswich$1,000/mo

Typical home $165K (Census) · tax rate 0.96% · or rent about $1,053/mo · Housing →

The difference: $1,020 a month, about $12,200 a year, between Arlington and Ipswich.

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.

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.

Schools

A+ArlingtonBetter than 99% of districts in the state A−IpswichBetter than 83% of districts in the state

Health

–ArlingtonNot graded B+IpswichHealthier than 74% of U.S. towns

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

ArlingtonIpswich

Snow a year36″34″

January low4°F 3°F

July high81°F 84°F

Growing season (days)145d 143d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)30th 29th

Outdoors & history

ArlingtonIpswich

Settled1880 —

National Register places4 8

Community

ArlingtonIpswich

Library hours a week—26 hrs

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

119 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

ArlingtonSD IpswichSD

Arlington ↔ Ipswich119 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

ArlingtonIpswich

People

Population 920Lowest 1,048Highest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census 0%Highest SD: +8.9% -2.7%Lowest SD: +8.9%

Median age 40.1±6Highest 6% above SD 34.9±14.5Lowest 8% below SD

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

Kids under 18 25.8%±4.4Highest SD: 24.2% 22.7%±5.3Lowest SD: 24.2%

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

Age 65+ 22.5%±5Highest SD: 18% 21.9%±4.3Lowest SD: 18%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 21.1%Highest SD: 31.9% 19.9%Lowest SD: 31.9%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 1.3%±1.2Lowest SD: 5% 2.2%±2.8Highest SD: 5%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $71,296±$10kLowest 5% below SD $74,167±$15kHighest about the SD average

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $144,300±$16kLowest 44% below SD $164,700±$13kHighest 36% below SD

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

Rentmedian gross, monthly $810±$174Lowest 14% below SD $1,053±$282Highest 11% above SD

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

Property taxmedian, yearly $1,577Lowest 42% below SD $1,587Highest 42% below SD

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 43.5%±15.5Highest SD: 39.8% 30.7%±31.3Lowest SD: 39.8%

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

Below poverty line 19.2%Highest SD: 11.9% 6.6%Lowest SD: 11.9%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 70.2%Highest SD: 68.6% 69.7%Lowest SD: 68.6%

Typical home builtmedian year 1972Highest 8 yrs older than SD 1957Lowest 23 yrs older than SD

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 28 minHighest 56% above SD 17 minLowest 5% below SD

Work from home 3.3%±3.7Lowest SD: 9.7% 10.2%±6.7Highest SD: 9.7%

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

Work in townworking residents 8.9%Lowest 16.3%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 19.3 miLowest 27.3 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.69Lowest 0.90Highest

Top workplaceoutside town Brookings (21%)Aberdeen (35%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in IpswichFew work in Arlington

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 0%Lowest 4.5%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 0 0

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 57.9Lowest 75.8Highest

Schools

School district Arlington School District 38-1Ipswich Public School District 22-6

High school in town Arlington High School - 01Ipswich High School - 01

Students per teacherat that high school 7.7Lowest 14.3Highest

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.

Arlington neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Arlington’s Town Square.

Ipswich neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Ipswich’s Town Square.

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Bordering Arlington

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Denver Township147 people · $413K homes

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Bangor Township224 people · $226K homes

Towns like Arlington

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Colton736 people · $193K 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.

Arlington vs Ipswich

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they differ most

A typical home costs $1,020 more a month in Arlington

Grades and rankings, side by side

What daily life feels like in each

119 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Arlington and Ipswich

Bordering Arlington

Towns like Arlington

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