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Aurora Township vs Waverly Township

50 miles apart. The biggest differences: property tax bill (+82% in Aurora Township) and average commute (8 min in Aurora Township).

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Aurora Township, SDA small town of 134Brookings County · 134 people
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Waverly Township, SDKnown for its schoolsCodington County · 250 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.

Aurora TownshipA small town of 134
Quiet strengthsAurora Township doesn’t stand out on the data we haveNeighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.
All about Aurora 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 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.

Aurora Township$1,810/mo
Typical home $285K (Census) · tax rate 1.32% · Housing →
Waverly Township$1,820/mo
Typical home $314K (Census) · tax rate 0.66% · Housing →

Within $50 a month of each other.

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.

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
Aurora TownshipWaverly Township
Snow a year36″41″
January low4°F3°F
July high81°F82°F
Growing season (days)145d145d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)40th59th
Outdoors & history
Aurora TownshipWaverly Township
Trails4 mi—
Conserved land0.9%—
Archive photos4—
Community
Aurora TownshipWaverly 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.

Where they are

50 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Aurora Township ↔ Waverly Township50 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.

Aurora TownshipWaverly Township
People
Population 134Lowest 250Highest
Median age 41±16.1Highest 8% above SD 40.3±28.5Lowest 6% above SD
Aurora Township and Waverly Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 23.9%±22.2Lowest SD: 24.2% 37.2%±8.9Highest SD: 24.2%
Waverly Township and Aurora Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 27.6%±21.5Highest SD: 18% 18%±8.5Lowest SD: 18%
Aurora Township and Waverly Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 48.9%Highest SD: 31.9% 41.9%Lowest SD: 31.9%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 3%±8.9Lowest SD: 5% 4.4%±4.2Highest SD: 5%
Waverly Township and Aurora Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $68,646±$19kLowest 9% below SD $89,583±$44kHighest 19% above SD
Waverly Township and Aurora Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $285,400±$115kLowest 11% above SD $314,300±$227kHighest 22% above SD
Waverly Township and Aurora Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $3,773Highest 39% above SD $2,075Lowest 24% below SD
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 0%±100 SD: 39.8% —
Below poverty line 0%Lowest SD: 11.9% 0.8%Highest SD: 11.9%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 81.1%Lowest SD: 68.6% 82.9%Highest SD: 68.6%
Typical home builtmedian year 1977Lowest 3 yrs older than SD 1987Highest 7 yrs newer than SD
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 14 minLowest 24% below SD 22 minHighest 22% above SD
Work from home 22.1%±15Highest SD: 9.7% 18.5%±15.2Lowest SD: 9.7%
Aurora Township and Waverly Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 0% 0%
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 5.8 miLowest 11.8 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.52Highest 0.50Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Brookings (54%)Watertown (63%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Waverly TownshipFew work in Aurora Township
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 0.9%Lowest 5.6%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 3.6 miHighest 0.0 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 0.9Lowest 1.2Highest
Schools
School district —Waverly School District 14-5
High school in town —Waverly-South Shore High School - 01
Students per teacherat that high school — 12.3
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.

Aurora Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Aurora Township’s Town Square.

Waverly Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Waverly Township’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Aurora Township and Waverly Township

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

Bordering Aurora Township

Towns like Aurora 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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