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Burke vs Plankinton

55 miles apart. The biggest differences: trails (7× in Plankinton) and rent (+85% in Plankinton).

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Burke, SDA regional job hubSouth Dakota · 708 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.

BurkeA regional job hub
Work390 jobsbased in Burke, a regional job hub All about Burke →
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.

Trails7×
Plankinton has more miles of trail
Plankinton 0.7 miBurke 0.1 mi
Rent+85%
Rent runs higher in Plankinton
Plankinton $970Burke $525
Growth since 2010+15.3 pts
Plankinton has grown faster since 2010
Plankinton +10.5%Burke -4.8%
Household income+43%
Households in Plankinton earn more
Plankinton $74,833Burke $52,500
Average commute10 min
Burke has the shorter commute
Plankinton 22 minBurke 12 min
Jobs per worker2.1×
Burke is more of a job hub
Burke 1.50Plankinton 0.70
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $160 more a month in Burke

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.

Burke$900/mo
Typical home $150K (Census) · tax rate 0.91% · or rent about $525/mo · Housing →
Plankinton$740/mo
Typical home $115K (Census) · tax rate 1.48% · or rent about $970/mo · Housing →

The difference: $160 a month, about $1,900 a year, between Burke 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
BBurkeBetter than 60% 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
BurkePlankinton
Snow a year45″38″
January low10°F8°F
July high87°F86°F
Growing season (days)149d153d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)43rd48th
Outdoors & history
BurkePlankinton
Trails—1 mi
Conserved land—0%
Settled1904—
National Register places12
Archive photos1—
Famous people born here5—
Community
BurkePlankinton
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

55 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

BurkeSDPlankintonSD
Burke ↔ Plankinton55 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.

BurkePlankinton
People
Population 708Highest 603Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -4.8%Lowest SD: +8.9% +10.5%Highest SD: +8.9%
Median age 43.7±5.4Highest 15% above SD 42.4±3.5Lowest 12% above SD
Burke and Plankinton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 23.3%±4.5Lowest SD: 24.2% 23.7%±5.5Highest SD: 24.2%
Plankinton and Burke are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 24.4%±2.6Highest SD: 18% 14.1%±4.1Lowest SD: 18%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 21.1%Lowest SD: 31.9% 27.5%Highest SD: 31.9%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 3.4%±3.9Highest SD: 5% 2.7%±2.4Lowest SD: 5%
Burke and Plankinton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $52,500±$13kLowest 30% below SD $74,833±$7kHighest about the SD average
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $150,000±$31kHighest 42% below SD $114,800±$29kLowest 55% below SD
Burke and Plankinton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $525±$120Lowest 45% below SD $970±$159Highest about the SD average
Property taxmedian, yearly $1,369Lowest 50% below SD $1,703Highest 37% below SD
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 13.8%±18.4Lowest SD: 39.8% 39.3%±28.7Highest SD: 39.8%
Plankinton and Burke are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 8.1%Lowest SD: 11.9% 15.6%Highest SD: 11.9%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 71.8%Highest SD: 68.6% 69%Lowest SD: 68.6%
Typical home builtmedian year 1966Lowest 14 yrs older than SD 1979Highest 1 yr older than SD
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 12 minLowest 34% below SD 22 minHighest 23% above SD
Work from home 3.3%±2.4Lowest SD: 9.7% 11.5%±4.5Highest SD: 9.7%
Work in townworking residents 26.2%Highest 11.6%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 16.8 miLowest 22.3 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.50Highest 0.70Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Gregory (10%)Mitchell (18%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in PlankintonFew work in Burke
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 0% 0%
Trailsmapped miles 0.1 miLowest 0.7 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.2 miLowest 0.9 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0Lowest 3Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 118Highest 117Lowest
Schools
School district South Central School District 26-5 · Burke School District 26-2Plankinton School District 01-1
High school in town Burke High School - 01Plankinton High School - 01
Students per teacherat that high school 12.2Highest 10.1Lowest
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.

Burke neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Burke’s Town Square.

Plankinton neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Plankinton’s Town Square.

Add a town

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Towns like Burke

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Alcester989 people · $126K homes
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Big Stone City706 people · $151K homes
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Menno653 people · $112K homes
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Arlington920 people · $144K 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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