Compare towns
Badger vs Fordham Township 39 miles apart. The biggest differences: street grid (22.2× in Badger) and conserved land (+11.9 pts in Fordham Township).
×
Badger, SD A small town of 162 South Dakota · 162 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.
Badger A small town of 162
Quiet strengths Badger doesn’t stand out on the data we have Neighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.
All about Badger →
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 · 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
Outdoors & history
National Register places 1 — Famous people born here 1 — Community
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 39 miles apart Straight-line miles between town centers.
Badger ↔ Fordham Township 39 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
162 Highest 116 Lowest
Median age
37 ±17.2 Lowest about the SD average 40.5 ±5.2 Highest 7% above SD
Kids under 18
28.4% ±15.8 Highest SD: 24.2% 15.5% ±25.8 Lowest SD: 24.2%
Age 65+
16.7% ±10 Highest SD: 18% 4.3% ±28.8 Lowest SD: 18%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+
8.7% Highest SD: 31.9% 5.1% Lowest SD: 31.9%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents
1.2% ±6.4 Highest SD: 5% 0% ±12.2 Lowest SD: 5%
Household incomemedian
$65,000 ±$20k 13% below SD —
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% 95.7% Highest SD: 11.9%
Homeownersof occupied homes
96.7% Lowest SD: 68.6% 100% Highest SD: 68.6%
Typical home builtmedian year
1938 42 yrs older than SD —
Average commuteone way
23 min 27% above SD —
Work from home
16.5% ±15.1 SD: 9.7% —
Work in townworking residents
1.4% Lowest 2.2% Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line
25.3 mi Lowest 36.8 mi Highest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub
0.35 Highest 0.31 Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town
Brookings (18%) Clark (20%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others
Few work in Fordham Township Few work in Badger
Conserved landshare of the town
0% Lowest 11.9% Highest
Trailsmapped miles
0.0 mi Lowest 6.3 mi Highest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi
0.0 mi Lowest 0.2 mi Highest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map
0 Lowest 1 Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure
13.3 Highest 0.6 Lowest
School district
— Clark School District 12-2
High school in town
— None in town
“±” 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.
Badger or Fordham Township: which would you pick? → What’s it really like to live in Badger? → Moving to Badger: what should I know? →
Your question goes to Badger’s Town Square.
Fordham Township or Badger: which would you pick? → What’s it really like to live in Fordham Township? → Moving to Fordham Township: what should I know? →
Your question goes to Fordham Township’s Town Square.
Add a town Set another town beside Badger and Fordham Township One tap adds it. Up to 4 towns at once.
Towns like Badger 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.
Copyright © 2026 TownTapestry · The guide for every city and town in America · In loving memory of John Cullinane whose interest in maps and discovering new places was contagious. Share TownTapestry to support usBrowse by state · Privacy · Terms 