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%

Big Sioux Township$3,100/mo

Typical home $502K (Census) · tax rate 1.11% · or rent about $1,225/mo · Housing →

Tea$2,420/mo

Typical home $389K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.19% · or rent about $1,220/mo · Housing →

The difference: $670 a month, about $8,100 a year, between Big Sioux Township and Tea.

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

Tea places higher on 9 of 19 SD lists

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.

Safety

–Big Sioux TownshipNot graded BTeaSafer than 59% of U.S. towns

Schools

–Big Sioux TownshipNot graded A−TeaBetter than 79% of districts in the state

Health

ABig Sioux TownshipHealthier than 91% of U.S. towns ATeaHealthier than 90% of U.S. towns

8Big Sioux Township

9Tea

Lists won, of 19 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Most walkableOutdoors · 37 towns #35#9 Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 37 towns #32#7 Shortest commuteGetting around · 37 towns #8#31 Most conserved landOutdoors · 33 towns #3#23 Most trailsOutdoors · 27 towns #2#18 Lowest obesityHealth · 37 towns #2#23 Lowest depressionHealth · 37 towns #3#18 Most educatedPeople · 37 towns #2#6

Left end = #1 in South Dakota. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Big Sioux Township’s rankings →

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

Big Sioux TownshipTea

Snow a year36″49″

January low10°F —

July high85°F —

Growing season (days)159d —

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)86th 37th

Outdoors & history

Big Sioux TownshipTea

Trails22 mi 2 mi

Conserved land18.8%2.2%

Settled—1894

National Register places—1

Community

Big Sioux TownshipTea

Library hours a week—17 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

66 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Big Sioux TownshipUnion County TeaSD

Big Sioux Township ↔ Tea66 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

Big Sioux TownshipTea

People

Population 4,917Lowest 6,786Highest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +43.7%Lowest SD: +8.9% +47.1%Highest SD: +8.9%

Median age 41.7±4Highest 10% above SD 30.6±2.2Lowest 19% below SD

Kids under 18 25.6%±5.4Lowest SD: 24.2% 36.3%±5.8Highest SD: 24.2%

Tea and Big Sioux Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Age 65+ 19.7%±4.3Highest SD: 18% 5.5%±2Lowest SD: 18%

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 56.3%Highest SD: 31.9% 47.1%Lowest SD: 31.9%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 1.3%±1.5Lowest SD: 5% 1.4%±1.2Highest SD: 5%

Tea and Big Sioux Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $128,005±$21kHighest 70% above SD $120,139±$19kLowest 60% above SD

Big Sioux Township and Tea are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $502,200±$66kHighest 95% above SD $351,100±$26kLowest 36% above SD

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,225±$89Highest 29% above SD $1,220±$260Lowest 29% above SD

Big Sioux Township and Tea are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Property taxmedian, yearly $5,567Highest 104% above SD $4,166Lowest 53% above SD

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 38.8%±19.9Lowest SD: 39.8% 45.9%±23.2Highest SD: 39.8%

Tea and Big Sioux Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Below poverty line 3.2%Lowest SD: 11.9% 4.7%Highest SD: 11.9%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 73.8%Lowest SD: 68.6% 79.7%Highest SD: 68.6%

Typical home builtmedian year 2003Lowest 23 yrs newer than SD 2004Highest 24 yrs newer than SD

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 12 minLowest 31% below SD 20 minHighest 13% above SD

Work from home 11.2%±7.4Lowest SD: 9.7% 19.7%±5.8Highest SD: 9.7%

Tea and Big Sioux Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Work in townworking residents 28.4%Highest 9.8%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 4.8 miLowest 7.8 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.85Highest 0.59Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town North Sioux City (17%)Sioux Falls (67%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in TeaFew work in Big Sioux Township

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 18.8%Highest 2.2%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 22.4 miHighest 2.0 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 1.9 miHighest 0.5 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 2 2

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 16.5Lowest 69.3Highest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading —#3 of 34 in SD

School district —Tea Area School District 41-5

High school in town —Tea Area High School - 03

Students per teacherat that high school — 19.5

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.

Big Sioux Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Big Sioux Township’s Town Square.

Tea neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Tea’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Big Sioux Township and Tea

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

Bordering Big Sioux Township

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North Sioux City3,045 people · $270K homes

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Sioux City, IA86,101 people · $174K homes

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Dakota Dunes3,936 people · $566K homes

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Jefferson Township1,088 people · $400K homes

Towns like Big Sioux Township

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Dell Rapids3,905 people · $302K homes

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Brandon10,996 people · $337K homes

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Summerset3,022 people · $368K homes

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Hartford3,478 people · $258K 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.

Big Sioux Township vs Tea

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs $670 more a month in Big Sioux Township

Tea places higher on 9 of 19 SD lists

What daily life feels like in each

66 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Big Sioux Township and Tea

Bordering Big Sioux Township

Towns like Big Sioux Township

Post to Big Sioux Township

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