Compare towns
Brant Lake vs Mercier Township 136 miles apart. The biggest differences: street grid (16.4× in Brant Lake) and property tax bill (2.5× in Brant Lake).
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.
Brant Lake A small town of 63
Quiet strengths Brant Lake doesn’t stand out on the data we have Neighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.
All about Brant Lake →
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.
★ What stands out · Monthly cost A typical home costs $1,040 more a month in Brant Lake 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 payment3.5% 10% 20% Rate
Brant Lake $2,700 /mo
Typical home $455K (Census) · tax rate 0.83% · Housing →
Mercier Township $1,660 /mo
Typical home $292K (Census) · tax rate 0.51% · Housing →
The difference: $1,040 a month , about $12,500 a year , between Brant Lake and Mercier Township.
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
Growing season (days) — 139d Outdoors & history
Community
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 136 miles apart Straight-line miles between town centers.
Brant Lake ↔ Mercier Township 136 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.
Raising kids Affordability Owning a home Short commute Working from home Younger crowd Settled, older crowd Growing town Outdoorsy Walkable streets
Population
63 Lowest 121 Highest
Median age
66.2 ±1.5 Highest 74% above SD 62.1 ±22.3 Lowest 63% above SD
Kids under 18
0% ±44.9 Lowest SD: 24.2% 7.4% ±24.9 Highest SD: 24.2%
Age 65+
61.9% ±46.6 Highest SD: 18% 42.1% ±29.7 Lowest SD: 18%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+
67.7% Highest SD: 31.9% 65.2% Lowest SD: 31.9%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents
0% ±22.4 SD: 5% 0% ±11.7 SD: 5%
Household incomemedian
$104,318 ±$41k Highest 39% above SD $81,250 ±$28k Lowest 8% above SD
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied
$455,000 ±$71k Highest 77% above SD $292,300 ±$90k Lowest 14% above SD
Property taxmedian, yearly
$3,767 Highest 38% above SD $1,490 Lowest 45% below SD
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent
0% ±100 SD: 39.8% 0% ±100 SD: 39.8%
Below poverty line
0% SD: 11.9% 0% SD: 11.9%
Homeownersof occupied homes
95.8% Highest SD: 68.6% 85.7% Lowest SD: 68.6%
Typical home builtmedian year
1992 Highest 12 yrs newer than SD 1947 Lowest 33 yrs older than SD
Average commuteone way
17 min Lowest 6% below SD 19 min Highest 8% above SD
Work from home
4.7% ±8.2 Highest SD: 9.7% 0% ±11.2 Lowest SD: 9.7%
Work in townworking residents
0% 0%
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line
28.8 mi Highest 11.3 mi Lowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub
0.00 Lowest 0.30 Highest
Top workplaceoutside town
Sioux Falls (19%) Aberdeen (48%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others
Few work in Mercier Township Few work in Brant Lake
Conserved landshare of the town
0% Lowest 43% Highest
Trailsmapped miles
0.0 mi Lowest 10.3 mi Highest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi
0.0 mi Lowest 0.3 mi Highest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map
0 0
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure
13.1 Highest 0.8 Lowest
“±” Census margin of error ACS 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.
Brant Lake or Mercier Township: which would you pick? → What’s it really like to live in Brant Lake? → Moving to Brant Lake: what should I know? →
Your question goes to Brant Lake’s Town Square.
Mercier Township or Brant Lake: which would you pick? → What’s it really like to live in Mercier Township? → Moving to Mercier Township: what should I know? →
Your question goes to Mercier Township’s Town Square.
Add a town Set another town beside Brant Lake and Mercier Township One tap adds it. Up to 4 towns at once.
Bordering Brant Lake Towns like Brant Lake 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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