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Compare towns

Bruce vs Bison

283 miles apart. The biggest differences: trails (5× in Bison) and jobs per worker (4.4× in Bison).

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Bruce, SDA small town of 290South Dakota · 290 people
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Bison, SDA regional job hubSouth Dakota · 406 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.

BruceA small town of 290
Quiet strengthsBruce doesn’t stand out on the data we haveNeighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.
All about Bruce →
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 →
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.

Trails5×
Bison has more miles of trail
Bison 1.0 miBruce 0.2 mi
Jobs per worker4.4×
Bison is more of a job hub
Bison 1.81Bruce 0.41
Street grid2.5×
Bruce has the more walkable street grid
Bruce 112Bison 43.8
Average commute10 min
Bison has the shorter commute
Bruce 20 minBison 11 min
Property tax bill+30%
Tax bills are bigger in Bruce
Bruce $1,750Bison $1,342
Work in town+15.4 pts
More of Bison’s workers stay in town
Bison 18.4%Bruce 3%
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $1,190 more a month in Bruce

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.

Bruce$2,390/mo
Typical home $366K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.53% · or rent about $692/mo · Housing →
Bison$1,200/mo
Typical home $182K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.64% · or rent about $932/mo · Housing →

The difference: $1,190 a month, about $14,200 a year, between Bruce and Bison.

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
–BruceNot graded DBisonBetter 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
BruceBison
Snow a year36″40″
January low4°F10°F
July high81°F86°F
Growing season (days)145d144d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)57th54th
Outdoors & history
BruceBison
Trails—1 mi
Conserved land—0%
Settled—1907
National Register places11
Archive photos25
Famous people born here—1
Community
BruceBison
Library hours a week—20 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

283 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

BruceSDBisonSD
Bruce ↔ Bison283 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.

BruceBison
People
Population 290Lowest 406Highest
Median age 38.7±6.9Lowest about the SD average 43±8.3Highest 13% above SD
Bison and Bruce are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 31.4%±9.5Highest SD: 24.2% 26.1%±6Lowest SD: 24.2%
Bruce and Bison are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 17.2%±8Lowest SD: 18% 24.9%±5.6Highest SD: 18%
Bison and Bruce are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 25.4%Highest SD: 31.9% 22.6%Lowest SD: 31.9%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 2.1%±4.1Highest SD: 5% 0.5%±2.6Lowest SD: 5%
Bruce and Bison are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $55,000±$28kLowest 27% below SD $71,607±$25kHighest 5% below SD
Bison and Bruce are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $114,100±$53kHighest 56% below SD $82,000±$34kLowest 68% below SD
Bruce and Bison are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $692±$258Lowest 27% below SD $932±$266Highest about the SD average
Bison and Bruce are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $1,750Highest 36% below SD $1,342Lowest 51% below SD
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 44%±69.6Highest SD: 39.8% 28.3%±28.4Lowest SD: 39.8%
Bruce and Bison are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 6.2%Highest SD: 11.9% 4.9%Lowest SD: 11.9%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 77.3%Highest SD: 68.6% 75.5%Lowest SD: 68.6%
Typical home builtmedian year 1940Lowest 40 yrs older than SD 1963Highest 17 yrs older than SD
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 20 minHighest 13% above SD 11 minLowest 40% below SD
Work from home 11.6%±10Highest SD: 9.7% 11%±12.2Lowest SD: 9.7%
Bruce and Bison are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 3%Lowest 18.4%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 11.3 miLowest 32.3 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.41Lowest 1.81Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Brookings (45%)Lemmon (43%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in BisonFew work in Bruce
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 0% 0%
Trailsmapped miles 0.2 miLowest 1.0 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.5 miLowest 1.0 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0Lowest 1Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 112Highest 43.8Lowest
Schools
School district —Bison School District 52-1
High school in town —Bison High School - 01
Students per teacherat that high school — 8.8
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.

Bruce neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Bruce’s Town Square.

Bison neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Bison’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Bruce and Bison

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

Bordering Bruce

S
+ Compare
Sterling Township345 people · $559K homes
O
+ Compare
Oakwood Township246 people · $281K homes

Towns like Bruce

S
+ Compare
Stickney284 people · $132K homes
M
+ Compare
Mission Hill200 people · $104K homes
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+ Compare
Langford481 people · $125K homes
+ Compare
Kennebec296 people · $156K 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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