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Bison vs Gayville

319 miles apart. The biggest differences: jobs per worker (6.7× in Bison) and rent (+55% in Bison).

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Bison, SDA regional job hubSouth Dakota · 406 people
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Gayville, SDKnown for its schoolsSouth Dakota · 519 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.

BisonA regional job hub
Work226 jobsbased in Bison, a regional job hub SchoolsBetter than 10%of SD districts Housing$182K typical home44% below the SD typical home All about Bison →
GayvilleKnown for its schools
SchoolsBetter than 10%of SD districts All about Gayville →
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.

Jobs per worker6.7×
Bison is more of a job hub
Bison 1.81Gayville 0.27
Rent+55%
Rent runs higher in Bison
Bison $932Gayville $602
Street grid2.8×
Gayville has the more walkable street grid
Gayville 121Bison 43.8
Average commute9 min
Bison has the shorter commute
Gayville 20 minBison 11 min
Work in town+17.1 pts
More of Bison’s workers stay in town
Bison 18.4%Gayville 1.3%
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $580 more a month in Bison

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.

Bison$1,200/mo
Typical home $182K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.64% · or rent about $932/mo · Housing →
Gayville$620/mo
Typical home $99K (Census) · tax rate 1.24% · or rent about $602/mo · Housing →

The difference: $580 a month, about $6,900 a year, between Bison and Gayville.

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.

Schools
DBisonBetter than 10% of districts in the state DGayvilleBetter than 10% of districts in the state
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
BisonGayville
Snow a year40″38″
January low10°F10°F
July high86°F87°F
Growing season (days)144d164d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)54th66th
Outdoors & history
BisonGayville
Trails1 mi—
Conserved land0%—
Settled19071892
National Register places1—
Archive photos5—
Famous people born here1—
Community
BisonGayville
Library hours a week20 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

319 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

BisonSDGayvilleSD
Bison ↔ Gayville319 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.

BisonGayville
People
Population 406Lowest 519Highest
Median age 43±8.3Highest 13% above SD 40.8±9.5Lowest 7% above SD
Bison and Gayville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 26.1%±6Highest SD: 24.2% 22.9%±3.2Lowest SD: 24.2%
Bison and Gayville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 24.9%±5.6Highest SD: 18% 19.7%±5.3Lowest SD: 18%
Bison and Gayville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 22.6%Highest SD: 31.9% 15.5%Lowest SD: 31.9%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 0.5%±2.6Lowest SD: 5% 3.5%±2.3Highest SD: 5%
Gayville and Bison are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $71,607±$25kLowest 5% below SD $79,375±$22kHighest 6% above SD
Gayville and Bison are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $82,000±$34kLowest 68% below SD $99,300±$22kHighest 61% below SD
Gayville and Bison are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $932±$266Highest about the SD average $602±$54Lowest 36% below SD
Property taxmedian, yearly $1,342Highest 51% below SD $1,230Lowest 55% below SD
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 28.3%±28.4Lowest SD: 39.8% 42.2%±49.9Highest SD: 39.8%
Gayville and Bison are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 4.9%Highest SD: 11.9% 4%Lowest SD: 11.9%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 75.5%Lowest SD: 68.6% 80.9%Highest SD: 68.6%
Typical home builtmedian year 1963Lowest 17 yrs older than SD 1969Highest 11 yrs older than SD
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 11 minLowest 40% below SD 20 minHighest 12% above SD
Work from home 11%±12.2Highest SD: 9.7% 6.4%±3.8Lowest SD: 9.7%
Bison and Gayville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 18.4%Highest 1.3%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 32.3 miHighest 15.8 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.81Highest 0.27Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Lemmon (43%)Yankton (33%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in GayvilleFew work in Bison
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 0% 0%
Trailsmapped miles 1.0 miHighest 0.0 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 1.0 miHighest 0.0 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 1Highest 0Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 43.8Lowest 121Highest
Schools
School district Bison School District 52-1Gayville-Volin School District 63-1
High school in town Bison High School - 01Gayville-Volin High School - 01
Students per teacherat that high school 8.8Lowest 15.3Highest
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.

Bison neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Bison’s Town Square.

Gayville neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Gayville’s Town Square.

Add a town

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Bordering Bison

+ Compare
Bison Township59 people

Towns like Bison

R
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Rosholt428 people · $116K homes
P
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Plankinton603 people · $115K homes
B
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Bruce290 people · $114K homes
M
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Menno653 people · $112K 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.

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