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Badger vs Brainard Township

103 miles apart. The biggest differences: street grid (16.6× in Badger) and conserved land (+44.9 pts in Brainard Township).

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Badger, SDA small town of 162South Dakota · 162 people
B ×
Brainard Township, SDAn outdoors townBrown County · 93 people
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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.

BadgerA small town of 162
Quiet strengthsBadger doesn’t stand out on the data we haveNeighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.
All about Badger →
Brainard TownshipAn outdoors town
Outdoors44.9% conserved land10 miles of trails across 1 parks and preserves All about Brainard 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.

Street grid16.6×
Badger has the more walkable street grid
Badger 13.3Brainard Township 0.8
Conserved land+44.9 pts
Brainard Township has more conserved land
Brainard Township 44.9%Badger 0%
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
BadgerBrainard Township
Snow a year34″38″
January low—0°F
July high—83°F
Growing season (days)—145d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)30th37th
Outdoors & history
BadgerBrainard Township
Trails—10 mi
Conserved land—44.9%
National Register places1—
Famous people born here1—
Community
BadgerBrainard 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

103 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

BadgerSDBrainard TownshipBrown County
Badger ↔ Brainard Township103 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.

BadgerBrainard Township
People
Population 162Highest 93Lowest
Median age 37±17.2Highest about the SD average 35.5±50.3Lowest 7% below SD
Badger and Brainard Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 28.4%±15.8Lowest SD: 24.2% 29%±29.4Highest SD: 24.2%
Brainard Township and Badger are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 16.7%±10Lowest SD: 18% 43%±23.5Highest SD: 18%
Brainard Township and Badger are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 8.7%Lowest SD: 31.9% 13.6%Highest SD: 31.9%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 1.2%±6.4Highest SD: 5% 1.1%±11.6Lowest SD: 5%
Badger and Brainard Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $65,000±$20kLowest 13% below SD $87,083±$15kHighest 16% above SD
Brainard Township and Badger are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $70,000±$19k 73% below SD —
Property taxmedian, yearly $579 79% below SD —
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 0%±100 SD: 39.8% —
Below poverty line 3.7%Lowest SD: 11.9% 15.6%Highest SD: 11.9%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 96.7%Lowest SD: 68.6% 100%Highest SD: 68.6%
Typical home builtmedian year 1938Lowest 42 yrs older than SD 1946Highest 34 yrs older than SD
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 23 min 27% above SD —
Work from home 16.5%±15.1Lowest SD: 9.7% 44.1%±49.1Highest SD: 9.7%
Brainard Township and Badger are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 1.4%Highest 0%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 25.3 miHighest 20.8 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.35Lowest 0.41Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Brookings (18%)Aberdeen (43%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Brainard TownshipFew work in Badger
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 0%Lowest 44.9%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 0.0 miLowest 10.1 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 miLowest 0.2 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0Lowest 1Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 13.3Highest 0.8Lowest
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.

Badger neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Badger’s Town Square.

Brainard Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Brainard Township’s Town Square.

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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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