Guest, Sign inJoin
Compare towns

Canton Township vs Sterling Township

78 miles apart. The biggest differences: jobs per worker (31.5× in Canton Township) and typical home built (37 yrs in Canton Township).

×
Canton Township, SDA history townLincoln County · 514 people
S ×
Sterling Township, SDA small town of 345Brookings County · 345 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.

Canton TownshipA history town
History12 archive photos & papers3 places on the National Register All about Canton Township →
Sterling TownshipA small town of 345
Quiet strengthsSterling Township doesn’t stand out on the data we haveNeighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.
All about Sterling Township →
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.

Jobs per worker31.5×
Canton Township is more of a job hub
Canton Township 1.26Sterling Township 0.04
Typical home built37 yrs
Canton Township’s homes are older
Sterling Township 2011Canton Township 1974
Average commute12 min
Sterling Township has the shorter commute
Canton Township 28 minSterling Township 16 min
Property tax bill+22%
Tax bills are bigger in Sterling Township
Sterling Township $4,133Canton Township $3,377
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $330 more a month in Sterling Township

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.

Canton Township$2,950/mo
Typical home $509K (Census) · tax rate 0.66% · Housing →
Sterling Township$3,270/mo
Typical home $559K (Census) · tax rate 0.74% · Housing →

The difference: $330 a month, about $3,900 a year, between Sterling Township and Canton 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
Canton TownshipSterling Township
Snow a year36″36″
January low6°F4°F
July high83°F81°F
Growing season (days)151d145d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)71st57th
Outdoors & history
Canton TownshipSterling Township
Trails2 mi2 mi
Conserved land0.1%1.3%
National Register places32
Archive photos12—
Community
Canton TownshipSterling Township
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

78 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Canton TownshipLincoln CountySterling TownshipBrookings County
Canton Township ↔ Sterling Township78 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.

Canton TownshipSterling Township
People
Population 514Highest 345Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +6.8% SD: +8.9% —
Median age 48.2±14.4Lowest 27% above SD 51.5±6.5Highest 36% above SD
Sterling Township and Canton Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 23.5%±13.7Highest SD: 24.2% 20.3%±21.6Lowest SD: 24.2%
Canton Township and Sterling Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 21.8%±9Highest SD: 18% 9.6%±12.5Lowest SD: 18%
Canton Township and Sterling Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 18.4%Lowest SD: 31.9% 23.5%Highest SD: 31.9%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 1.8%±3.5Lowest SD: 5% 2.6%±5.5Highest SD: 5%
Sterling Township and Canton Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $104,118±$35kLowest 39% above SD $144,318±$8kHighest 92% above SD
Sterling Township and Canton Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $508,500±$102kLowest 98% above SD $558,800±$186kHighest 117% above SD
Sterling Township and Canton Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $3,377Lowest 24% above SD $4,133Highest 52% above SD
Below poverty line 0% SD: 11.9% 0% SD: 11.9%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 100% SD: 68.6% 100% SD: 68.6%
Typical home builtmedian year 1974Lowest 6 yrs older than SD 2011Highest 31 yrs newer than SD
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 28 minHighest 56% above SD 16 minLowest 10% below SD
Work from home 4.7%±6.6Lowest SD: 9.7% 5.1%±7.6Highest SD: 9.7%
Sterling Township and Canton Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 3.7%Highest 0.5%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 15.8 miHighest 9.3 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.26Highest 0.04Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Sioux Falls (43%)Brookings (46%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Sterling TownshipFew work in Canton Township
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 0.1%Lowest 1.3%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 1.9 miHighest 1.7 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.1 miHighest 0.0 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 2Highest 0Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 1.6Highest 1.3Lowest
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.

Canton Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Canton Township’s Town Square.

Sterling Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Sterling Township’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Canton Township and Sterling Township

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

Bordering Canton Township

+ Compare
Canton3,033 people · $191K homes
D
+ Compare
Dayton Township1,006 people · $340K homes
H
+ Compare
Highland Township389 people · $445K homes
L
+ Compare
Lynn Township325 people · $387K homes

Towns like Canton Township

V
+ Compare
Virginia Township315 people · $356K homes
K
+ Compare
Kampeska Township227 people · $347K homes
+ Compare
Humboldt Township348 people · $359K homes
L
+ Compare
La Valley Township498 people · $495K 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 Canton Township

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