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Big Stone City vs Alcester

158 miles apart. The biggest differences: property tax bill (+44% in Alcester).

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Big Stone City, SDKnown for its schoolsSouth Dakota · 706 people
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Alcester, SDKnown for its schoolsSouth Dakota · 989 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.

Big Stone CityKnown for its schools
SchoolsBetter than 98%of SD districts Housing$251K typical home22% below the SD typical home All about Big Stone City →
AlcesterKnown for its schools
SchoolsBetter than 31%of SD districts All about Alcester →
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.

Property tax bill+44%
Tax bills are bigger in Alcester
Alcester $1,726Big Stone City $1,195
★ 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.

Schools
A+Big Stone CityBetter than 98% of districts in the state CAlcesterBetter than 31% of districts in the state
Monthly cost

A typical home costs $450 more a month in Alcester

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.

Big Stone City$1,480/mo
Typical home $251K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.79% · or rent about $776/mo · Housing →
Alcester$1,930/mo
Typical home $302K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.37% · or rent about $688/mo · Housing →

The difference: $450 a month, about $5,400 a year, between Alcester and Big Stone City.

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.

Seasons
Big Stone CityAlcester
Snow a year32″31″
January low—7°F
July high—85°F
Growing season (days)—155d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)50th41st
Outdoors & history
Big Stone CityAlcester
Trails0 mi—
Conserved land0.5%—
Settled1885—
National Register places21
Archive photos3—
Community
Big Stone CityAlcester
Library hours a week10 hrs40 hrs
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

158 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Big Stone CitySDAlcesterSD
Big Stone City ↔ Alcester158 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.

Big Stone CityAlcester
People
Population 706Lowest 989Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census — +1.6% SD: +8.9%
Median age 46±13.3Highest 21% above SD 44.4±14.9Lowest 17% above SD
Big Stone City and Alcester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 19%±7.7Lowest SD: 24.2% 27.8%±9.5Highest SD: 24.2%
Alcester and Big Stone City are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 27.6%±10.8Lowest SD: 18% 31.9%±6Highest SD: 18%
Alcester and Big Stone City are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 15%Lowest SD: 31.9% 20.3%Highest SD: 31.9%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 3.4%±3.4Highest SD: 5% 1.8%±1.1Lowest SD: 5%
Big Stone City and Alcester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $63,333±$20kHighest 16% below SD $57,000±$6kLowest 24% below SD
Big Stone City and Alcester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $151,200±$64kHighest 41% below SD $125,800±$41kLowest 51% below SD
Big Stone City and Alcester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $776±$27Highest 18% below SD $688±$75Lowest 27% below SD
Big Stone City and Alcester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $1,195Lowest 56% below SD $1,726Highest 37% below SD
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 44.6%±36.2Highest SD: 39.8% 14.4%±9.8Lowest SD: 39.8%
Big Stone City and Alcester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 24.9%Highest SD: 11.9% 12.4%Lowest SD: 11.9%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 69.8%Highest SD: 68.6% 69.3%Lowest SD: 68.6%
Typical home builtmedian year 1959Lowest 21 yrs older than SD 1970Highest 10 yrs older than SD
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 13 minLowest 29% below SD 15 minHighest 16% below SD
Work from home 2%±2.8Lowest SD: 9.7% 4.7%±4.3Highest SD: 9.7%
Alcester and Big Stone City are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 4.1%Lowest 9%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 10.3 miLowest 33.3 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.86Lowest 1.10Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Milbank (49%)Sioux Falls (26%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in AlcesterFew work in Big Stone City
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 0.5%Highest 0%Lowest
Trailsmapped miles 0.0 mi 0.0 mi
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 mi 0.0 mi
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 1Highest 0Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 52.9Lowest 55.6Highest
Schools
School district Big Stone City School District 25-1Alcester-Hudson School District 61-1
High school in town None in townAlcester-Hudson High School - 01
Students per teacherat that high school — 11.4
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 Stone City neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Big Stone City’s Town Square.

Alcester neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Alcester’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Big Stone City and Alcester

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

Bordering Big Stone City

+ Compare
Big Stone Township426 people · $332K homes
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Ortonville, MN2,028 people · $166K homes

Towns like Big Stone City

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New Underwood509 people · $194K homes
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Burke708 people · $150K homes
M
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Menno653 people · $112K homes
R
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Rosholt428 people · $116K homes
Not sure which town to add? Find your place ranks South Dakota towns on what matters to you.Find your place →

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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