Guest, Sign inJoin
Compare towns

Bowdle vs White River

141 miles apart. The biggest differences: property tax bill (+35% in Bowdle) and work from home (+8.9 pts in Bowdle).

×
Bowdle, SDA history townSouth Dakota · 475 people
×
White River, SDKnown for its schoolsSouth Dakota · 606 people
Swap order
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.

BowdleA history town
HistorySettled in 18861 place on the National Register All about Bowdle →
White RiverKnown for its schools
SchoolsBetter than 2%of SD districts Work212 jobsbased in White River, a regional job hub All about White River →
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.

Property tax bill+35%
Tax bills are bigger in Bowdle
Bowdle $1,250White River $924
Work from home+8.9 pts
More people work from home in Bowdle
Bowdle 10.9%White River 2%
Average commute8 min
Bowdle has the shorter commute
White River 18 minBowdle 9 min
Work in town+13.5 pts
More of White River’s workers stay in town
White River 27.4%Bowdle 13.9%
Bachelor’s degree++10.7 pts
More adults in Bowdle have a degree
Bowdle 26%White River 15.3%
Homeowners+8.5 pts renters
White River has more renters
Bowdle 59.6%White River 51.1%
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $220 more a month in Bowdle

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.

Bowdle$690/mo
Typical home $113K (Census) · tax rate 1.11% · or rent about $783/mo · Housing →
White River$470/mo
Typical home $75K (Census) · tax rate 1.23% · or rent about $1,125/mo · Housing →

The difference: $220 a month, about $2,700 a year, between Bowdle and White River.

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
B−BowdleBetter than 53% of districts in the state D−White RiverBetter than 2% 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
BowdleWhite River
Snow a year47″40″
January low3°F12°F
July high83°F90°F
Growing season (days)148d151d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)25th55th
Outdoors & history
BowdleWhite River
Trails—1 mi
Conserved land—0%
Settled18861912
National Register places11
Archive photos12—
Famous people born here2—
Community
BowdleWhite River
Library hours a week30 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

141 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

BowdleSDWhite RiverSD
Bowdle ↔ White River141 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.

BowdleWhite River
People
Population 475Lowest 606Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -6.4%Highest SD: +8.9% -8.3%Lowest SD: +8.9%
Median age 39.1±4.1Highest about the SD average 37.5±3.5Lowest about the SD average
Bowdle and White River are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 24.6%±7.2Lowest SD: 24.2% 29.4%±4.9Highest SD: 24.2%
White River and Bowdle are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 27.2%±4.4Highest SD: 18% 19.8%±5.7Lowest SD: 18%
Bowdle and White River are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 26%Highest SD: 31.9% 15.3%Lowest SD: 31.9%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 1.7%±2.6Lowest SD: 5% 3.6%±4.9Highest SD: 5%
White River and Bowdle are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $63,750±$29kLowest 15% below SD $82,692±$65kHighest 10% above SD
White River and Bowdle are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $112,500±$57kHighest 56% below SD $75,000±$36kLowest 71% below SD
Bowdle and White River are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $783±$249Lowest 17% below SD $1,125±$286Highest 19% above SD
White River and Bowdle are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $1,250Highest 54% below SD $924Lowest 66% below SD
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 26.6%±24.4Highest SD: 39.8% 9.3%±20.1Lowest SD: 39.8%
Bowdle and White River are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 8.4%Lowest SD: 11.9% 35.7%Highest SD: 11.9%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 59.6%Highest SD: 68.6% 51.1%Lowest SD: 68.6%
Typical home builtmedian year 1965 15 yrs older than SD 1965 15 yrs older than SD
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 9 minLowest 47% below SD 18 minHighest about the SD average
Work from home 10.9%±3.9Highest SD: 9.7% 2%±2.7Lowest SD: 9.7%
Work in townworking residents 13.9%Lowest 27.4%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 32.8 miHighest 19.3 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.31Lowest 1.57Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Roscoe (15%)Rapid City (10%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in White RiverFew work in Bowdle
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 1.9%Highest 0%Lowest
Trailsmapped miles 0.0 miLowest 0.5 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 miLowest 1.0 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0Lowest 1Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 83.7Lowest 114Highest
Schools
School district Bowdle School District 22-1White River School District 47-1
High school in town Bowdle High School - 01White River High School - 01
Students per teacherat that high school 5.0Lowest 9.3Highest
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.

Bowdle neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Bowdle’s Town Square.

White River neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to White River’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Bowdle and White River

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

Towns like Bowdle

F
+ Compare
Faulkton670 people · $100K homes
P
+ Compare
Plankinton603 people · $115K homes
C
+ Compare
Corsica699 people · $163K homes
I
+ Compare
Irene456 people · $87K 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.

Post to Bowdle

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in