Compare towns
Ashton vs Artesian 74 miles apart. The biggest differences: average commute (16 min in Ashton).
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Ashton, SD A small town of 204 South Dakota · 204 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.
Ashton A small town of 204
Quiet strengths Ashton doesn’t stand out on the data we have Neighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.
All about Ashton →
Artesian A small town of 148
Quiet strengths Artesian doesn’t stand out on the data we have Neighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.
All about Artesian →
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 about the same each month 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 payment3.5% 10% 20% Rate
Ashton $420 /mo
Typical home $61K (Census) · tax rate 1.96% · Housing →
Artesian $550 /mo
Typical home $88K (Census) · tax rate 1.21% · or rent about $783/mo · Housing →
The difference: $130 a month , about $1,500 a year , between Artesian and Ashton.
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.
Outdoors & history
Famous people born here 1 —
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 74 miles apart Straight-line miles between town centers.
Ashton ↔ Artesian 74 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.
Raising kids Affordability Owning a home Short commute Working from home Younger crowd Settled, older crowd Growing town Outdoorsy Walkable streets
Population
204 Highest 148 Lowest
Median age
31.5 ±19.1 Lowest 17% below SD 35.4 ±9.7 Highest 7% below SD
Kids under 18
38.2% ±10.2 Highest SD: 24.2% 35.1% ±10.3 Lowest SD: 24.2%
Age 65+
14.2% ±12.1 Highest SD: 18% 13.5% ±16 Lowest SD: 18%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+
19.6% Highest SD: 31.9% 19.1% Lowest SD: 31.9%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents
3.4% ±6.4 Highest SD: 5% 0% ±9.6 Lowest SD: 5%
Household incomemedian
$54,712 ±$26k Lowest 27% below SD $61,806 ±$25k Highest 18% below SD
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied
$60,800 ±$32k Lowest 76% below SD $87,500 ±$56k Highest 66% below SD
Rentmedian gross, monthly
— $783 ±$230 17% below SD
Property taxmedian, yearly
$1,194 Highest 56% below SD $1,058 Lowest 61% below SD
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent
0% ±100 Lowest SD: 39.8% 83.3% ±100 Highest SD: 39.8%
Below poverty line
14.7% Highest SD: 11.9% 8.1% Lowest SD: 11.9%
Homeownersof occupied homes
86.2% Lowest SD: 68.6% 89.1% Highest SD: 68.6%
Typical home builtmedian year
1938 Lowest 42 yrs older than SD 1943 Highest 37 yrs older than SD
Average commuteone way
10 min Lowest 42% below SD 26 min Highest 48% above SD
Work from home
39.1% ±22.8 Highest SD: 9.7% 10.2% ±14.2 Lowest SD: 9.7%
Work in townworking residents
2.4% Highest 0% Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line
31.8 mi Highest 20.3 mi Lowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub
0.20 Highest 0.16 Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town
Redfield (15%) Woonsocket (19%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others
Few work in Artesian Few work in Ashton
Conserved landshare of the town
0% 0%
Trailsmapped miles
0.2 mi Highest 0.0 mi Lowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi
0.5 mi Highest 0.0 mi Lowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map
0 0
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure
69.2 Lowest 92.2 Highest
“±” Census margin of error ACS 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.
Ashton or Artesian: which would you pick? → What’s it really like to live in Ashton? → Moving to Ashton: what should I know? →
Your question goes to Ashton’s Town Square.
Artesian or Ashton: which would you pick? → What’s it really like to live in Artesian? → Moving to Artesian: what should I know? →
Your question goes to Artesian’s Town Square.
Add a town Set another town beside Ashton and Artesian One tap adds it. Up to 4 towns at once.
Towns like Ashton 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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