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Compare towns

Bison vs Plankinton

232 miles apart. The biggest differences: street grid (2.7× in Plankinton) and jobs per worker (2.6× in Bison).

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Bison, SDA regional job hubSouth Dakota · 406 people
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Plankinton, SDKnown for its schoolsSouth Dakota · 603 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 →
PlankintonKnown for its schools
SchoolsBetter than 71%of SD districts All about Plankinton →
The biggest differences

Where they part ways

The rows below where the towns are furthest apart, beyond the Census margin of error. The full table is further down.

Street grid2.7×
Plankinton has the more walkable street grid
Plankinton 117Bison 43.8
Jobs per worker2.6×
Bison is more of a job hub
Bison 1.81Plankinton 0.70
Average commute11 min
Bison has the shorter commute
Plankinton 22 minBison 11 min
Age 65++10.8 pts
Bison has more people 65 and up
Bison 24.9%Plankinton 14.1%
Property tax bill+27%
Tax bills are bigger in Plankinton
Plankinton $1,703Bison $1,342
Typical home built16 yrs
Bison’s homes are older
Plankinton 1979Bison 1963
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $460 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 →
Plankinton$740/mo
Typical home $115K (Census) · tax rate 1.48% · or rent about $970/mo · Housing →

The difference: $460 a month, about $5,500 a year, between Bison and Plankinton.

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 B+PlankintonBetter than 71% 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
BisonPlankinton
Snow a year40″38″
January low10°F8°F
July high86°F86°F
Growing season (days)144d153d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)54th48th
Outdoors & history
BisonPlankinton
Trails1 mi1 mi
Conserved land0%0%
Settled1907—
National Register places12
Archive photos5—
Famous people born here1—
Community
BisonPlankinton
Library hours a week20 hrs10 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

232 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

BisonSDPlankintonSD
Bison ↔ Plankinton232 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.

BisonPlankinton
People
Population 406Lowest 603Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census — +10.5% SD: +8.9%
Median age 43±8.3Highest 13% above SD 42.4±3.5Lowest 12% above SD
Bison and Plankinton 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% 23.7%±5.5Lowest SD: 24.2%
Bison and Plankinton 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% 14.1%±4.1Lowest SD: 18%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 22.6%Lowest SD: 31.9% 27.5%Highest SD: 31.9%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 0.5%±2.6Lowest SD: 5% 2.7%±2.4Highest SD: 5%
Plankinton 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 $74,833±$7kHighest about the SD average
Plankinton 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 $114,800±$29kHighest 55% below SD
Plankinton and Bison are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $932±$266Lowest about the SD average $970±$159Highest about the SD average
Plankinton and Bison are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $1,342Lowest 51% below SD $1,703Highest 37% below SD
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 28.3%±28.4Lowest SD: 39.8% 39.3%±28.7Highest SD: 39.8%
Plankinton and Bison are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 4.9%Lowest SD: 11.9% 15.6%Highest SD: 11.9%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 75.5%Highest SD: 68.6% 69%Lowest SD: 68.6%
Typical home builtmedian year 1963Lowest 17 yrs older than SD 1979Highest 1 yr older than SD
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 11 minLowest 40% below SD 22 minHighest 23% above SD
Work from home 11%±12.2Lowest SD: 9.7% 11.5%±4.5Highest SD: 9.7%
Plankinton and Bison are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 18.4%Highest 11.6%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 32.3 miHighest 22.3 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.81Highest 0.70Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Lemmon (43%)Mitchell (18%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in PlankintonFew work in Bison
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 0% 0%
Trailsmapped miles 1.0 miHighest 0.7 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 1.0 miHighest 0.9 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 1Lowest 3Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 43.8Lowest 117Highest
Schools
School district Bison School District 52-1Plankinton School District 01-1
High school in town Bison High School - 01Plankinton High School - 01
Students per teacherat that high school 8.8Lowest 10.1Highest
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.

Plankinton neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Plankinton’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Bison and Plankinton

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Bordering Bison

+ Compare
Bison Township59 people

Towns like Bison

R
+ Compare
Rosholt428 people · $116K homes
G
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Gayville519 people · $99K homes
B
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Bruce290 people · $114K homes
M
+ Compare
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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