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Compare towns

Bridgewater vs New Underwood

269 miles apart. The biggest differences: street grid (3.6× in Bridgewater) and property tax bill (+26% in New Underwood).

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Bridgewater, SDKnown for its schoolsSouth Dakota · 451 people
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New Underwood, SDHomes around $442KSouth Dakota · 509 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.

BridgewaterKnown for its schools
SchoolsBetter than 86%of SD districts Housing$249K typical home23% below the SD typical home All about Bridgewater →
New UnderwoodHomes around $442K
Housing$442K typical home38% above the SD typical home SchoolsBetter than 31%of SD districts All about New Underwood →
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.

Street grid3.6×
Bridgewater has the more walkable street grid
Bridgewater 70.2New Underwood 19.4
Property tax bill+26%
Tax bills are bigger in New Underwood
New Underwood $2,041Bridgewater $1,625
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $1,110 more a month in New Underwood

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.

Bridgewater$1,600/mo
Typical home $249K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.40% · or rent about $729/mo · Housing →
New Underwood$2,710/mo
Typical home $442K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.05% · or rent about $850/mo · Housing →

The difference: $1,110 a month, about $13,300 a year, between New Underwood and Bridgewater.

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
ABridgewaterBetter than 86% of districts in the state CNew UnderwoodBetter than 31% 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
BridgewaterNew Underwood
Snow a year36″49″
January low6°F13°F
July high84°F86°F
Growing season (days)143d139d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)55th74th
Outdoors & history
BridgewaterNew Underwood
National Register places1—
Community
BridgewaterNew Underwood
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

269 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

BridgewaterSDNew UnderwoodSD
Bridgewater ↔ New Underwood269 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.

BridgewaterNew Underwood
People
Population 451Lowest 509Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census — -10.6% SD: +8.9%
Median age 48.7±10.7Highest 28% above SD 46.6±16.2Lowest 23% above SD
Bridgewater and New Underwood are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 20.2%±6.9Lowest SD: 24.2% 27.1%±12.5Highest SD: 24.2%
New Underwood and Bridgewater are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 31%±5.4Highest SD: 18% 22%±10.2Lowest SD: 18%
Bridgewater and New Underwood are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 13.8%Highest SD: 31.9% 10.4%Lowest SD: 31.9%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 3.1%±3.8Highest SD: 5% 0.2%±2Lowest SD: 5%
Bridgewater and New Underwood are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $47,083±$13kLowest 37% below SD $56,250±$44kHighest 25% below SD
New Underwood and Bridgewater are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $116,100±$38kLowest 55% below SD $193,800±$68kHighest 25% below SD
New Underwood and Bridgewater are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $729±$26Lowest 23% below SD $850±$243Highest 10% below SD
New Underwood and Bridgewater are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $1,625Lowest 40% below SD $2,041Highest 25% below SD
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 56.4%±35.9Lowest SD: 39.8% 81.4%±62.1Highest SD: 39.8%
New Underwood and Bridgewater are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 10.8%Lowest SD: 11.9% 25.8%Highest SD: 11.9%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 72%Highest SD: 68.6% 68.2%Lowest SD: 68.6%
Typical home builtmedian year 1969Lowest 11 yrs older than SD 1970Highest 10 yrs older than SD
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 24 minLowest 36% above SD 27 minHighest 51% above SD
Work from home 9.9%±5.2Highest SD: 9.7% 2.6%±3Lowest SD: 9.7%
Bridgewater and New Underwood are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 3.6%Lowest 3.8%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 36.8 miHighest 19.8 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.50Lowest 0.62Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Sioux Falls (37%)Rapid City (41%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in New UnderwoodFew work in Bridgewater
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 0%Lowest 0.1%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 0.0 mi 0.0 mi
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 mi 0.0 mi
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0 0
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 70.2Highest 19.4Lowest
Schools
School district Bridgewater-Emery 30-3New Underwood School District 51-3
High school in town None in townNew Underwood High School - 01
Students per teacherat that high school — 14.4
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.

Bridgewater neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Bridgewater’s Town Square.

New Underwood neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to New Underwood’s Town Square.

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Bordering Bridgewater

+ Compare
Bridgewater Township238 people · $365K homes

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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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