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Center Township vs Scenic Township

196 miles apart. The biggest differences: jobs per worker (3.9× in Scenic Township) and typical home built (63 yrs in Center Township).

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Center Township, SDAn outdoors townAurora County · 40 people
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Scenic Township, SDAn outdoors townPennington County · 53 people
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.

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.

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
Center TownshipScenic Township
Snow a year38″30″
January low8°F9°F
July high86°F89°F
Growing season (days)153d141d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)48th74th
Outdoors & history
Center TownshipScenic Township
Trails9 mi6 mi
Conserved land25.9%36.8%
National Register places—1
Archive photos1—
Community
Center TownshipScenic 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

196 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Center Township ↔ Scenic Township196 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.

Center TownshipScenic Township
People
Population 40Lowest 53Highest
Median age 59.9±4Highest 58% above SD 57.9±3.9Lowest 52% above SD
Center Township and Scenic Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 0%±70.7Lowest SD: 24.2% 13.2%±43.7Highest SD: 24.2%
Scenic Township and Center Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 17.5%±80Highest SD: 18% 5.7%±63.2Lowest SD: 18%
Center Township and Scenic Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 15.6%Lowest SD: 31.9% 17.4%Highest SD: 31.9%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 0%±35.4 SD: 5% 0%±26.7 SD: 5%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian — $42,115±$13k 44% below SD
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $30,000±$11k 88% below SD —
Property taxmedian, yearly $313Highest 89% below SD $199Lowest 93% below SD
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 0%±100 SD: 39.8% —
Below poverty line 0%Lowest SD: 11.9% 22.6%Highest SD: 11.9%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 85.7%Lowest SD: 68.6% 93.8%Highest SD: 68.6%
Typical home builtmedian year 1938Lowest 42 yrs older than SD 2001Highest 21 yrs newer than SD
Getting to work
Work from home 15.2%±15.4Highest SD: 9.7% 14.3%±16.4Lowest SD: 9.7%
Center Township and Scenic Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 0% 0%
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 29.8 miLowest 39.3 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.07Lowest 0.27Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Mitchell (18%)Rapid City (35%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Scenic TownshipFew work in Center Township
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 25.9%Lowest 36.8%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 8.8 miHighest 5.7 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.2 miHighest 0.0 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0Lowest 3Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 0.8Highest 0.5Lowest
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.

Center Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Center Township’s Town Square.

Scenic Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Scenic Township’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Center Township and Scenic Township

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Bordering Center Township

Towns like Center Township

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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