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Compare towns

Clear Lake vs Arlington

35 miles apart. The biggest differences: work in town (+19.3 pts in Clear Lake) and street grid (+91% in Arlington).

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Clear Lake, SDA small town of 1,327South Dakota · 1,327 people
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Arlington, SDKnown for its schoolsSouth Dakota · 920 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.

Clear LakeA small town of 1,327
Quiet strengthsClear Lake doesn’t stand out on the data we haveNeighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.
All about Clear Lake →
ArlingtonKnown for its schools
SchoolsBetter than 99%of SD districts HistorySettled in 18804 places on the National Register All about Arlington →
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.

Work in town+19.3 pts
More of Clear Lake’s workers stay in town
Clear Lake 28.2%Arlington 8.9%
Street grid+91%
Arlington has the more walkable street grid
Arlington 57.9Clear Lake 30.3
Average commute8 min
Clear Lake has the shorter commute
Arlington 28 minClear Lake 20 min
Property tax bill+21%
Tax bills are bigger in Clear Lake
Clear Lake $1,902Arlington $1,577
Jobs per worker+57%
Clear Lake is more of a job hub
Clear Lake 1.08Arlington 0.69
Growth since 2010+4.3 pts
Arlington has grown faster since 2010
Arlington 0%Clear Lake -4.3%
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $1,000 more a month in Arlington

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.

Clear Lake$1,010/mo
Typical home $163K (Census) · tax rate 1.17% · or rent about $663/mo · Housing →
Arlington$2,010/mo
Typical home $327K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.09% · or rent about $810/mo · Housing →

The difference: $1,000 a month, about $12,000 a year, between Arlington and Clear Lake.

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
C+Clear LakeBetter than 40% of districts in the state A+ArlingtonBetter than 99% of districts in the state
Health
BClear LakeHealthier than 56% of U.S. towns –ArlingtonNot graded
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
Clear LakeArlington
Snow a year61″36″
January low2°F4°F
July high80°F81°F
Growing season (days)146d145d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)47th30th
Outdoors & history
Clear LakeArlington
Settled—1880
National Register places14
Community
Clear LakeArlington
Library hours a week33 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

35 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Clear LakeSDArlingtonSD
Clear Lake ↔ Arlington35 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.

Clear LakeArlington
People
Population 1,327Highest 920Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -4.3%Lowest SD: +8.9% 0%Highest SD: +8.9%
Median age 43.1±5.4Highest 13% above SD 40.1±6Lowest 6% above SD
Clear Lake and Arlington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 22.8%±3.8Lowest SD: 24.2% 25.8%±4.4Highest SD: 24.2%
Arlington and Clear Lake are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 25.5%±5Highest SD: 18% 22.5%±5Lowest SD: 18%
Clear Lake and Arlington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 26.5%Highest SD: 31.9% 21.1%Lowest SD: 31.9%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 6.6%±3.9Highest SD: 5% 1.3%±1.2Lowest SD: 5%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $84,792±$24kHighest 13% above SD $71,296±$10kLowest 5% below SD
Clear Lake and Arlington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $162,500±$17kHighest 37% below SD $144,300±$16kLowest 44% below SD
Clear Lake and Arlington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $663±$118Lowest 30% below SD $810±$174Highest 14% below SD
Arlington and Clear Lake are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $1,902Highest 30% below SD $1,577Lowest 42% below SD
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 27.1%±13.7Lowest SD: 39.8% 43.5%±15.5Highest SD: 39.8%
Arlington and Clear Lake are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 9.8%Lowest SD: 11.9% 19.2%Highest SD: 11.9%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 73%Highest SD: 68.6% 70.2%Lowest SD: 68.6%
Typical home builtmedian year 1974Highest 6 yrs older than SD 1972Lowest 8 yrs older than SD
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 20 minLowest 13% above SD 28 minHighest 56% above SD
Work from home 2.3%±2Lowest SD: 9.7% 3.3%±3.7Highest SD: 9.7%
Arlington and Clear Lake are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 28.2%Highest 8.9%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 23.3 miHighest 19.3 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.08Highest 0.69Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Watertown (15%)Brookings (21%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in ArlingtonFew work in Clear Lake
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 7.1%Highest 0%Lowest
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 30.3Lowest 57.9Highest
Schools
School district Deuel School District 19-4Arlington School District 38-1
High school in town Deuel High School - 01Arlington High School - 01
Students per teacherat that high school 14.4Highest 7.7Lowest
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.

Clear Lake neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Clear Lake’s Town Square.

Arlington neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Arlington’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Clear Lake and Arlington

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

Towns like Clear Lake

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Salem1,216 people · $167K homes
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Parkston1,874 people · $157K homes
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Miller1,363 people · $155K homes
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Britton988 people · $110K homes
Not sure which town to add? Find your place ranks South Dakota towns on what matters to you.Find your place →

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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