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.

Down paymentRate%

Colman$2,240/mo

Typical home $368K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.01% · or rent about $733/mo · Housing →

Hill City$3,000/mo

Typical home $477K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.24% · or rent about $1,345/mo · Housing →

The difference: $760 a month, about $9,100 a year, between Hill City and Colman.

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

CColmanBetter than 31% of districts in the state B−Hill CityBetter than 49% 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

ColmanHill City

Snow a year43″67″

January low—10°F

July high—83°F

Growing season (days)—102d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)37th 86th

Outdoors & history

ColmanHill City

Trails—0 mi

Conserved land—9.2%

Settled1880 1876

National Register places—4

Community

ColmanHill City

Library hours a week10 hrs 48 hrs

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined0 0

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

336 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

ColmanSD Hill CitySD

Colman ↔ Hill City336 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.

Only big differences vs South Dakota average

ColmanHill City

People

Population 948Highest 834Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +6.7%Highest SD: +8.9% -8%Lowest SD: +8.9%

Median age 35.7±10Highest 6% below SD 34.2±12.1Lowest 10% below SD

Colman and Hill City are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Kids under 18 30.4%±4.9Lowest SD: 24.2% 32%±4.9Highest SD: 24.2%

Hill City and Colman are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Age 65+ 15.9%±4.8Highest SD: 18% 11.4%±5.1Lowest SD: 18%

Colman and Hill City are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 38%Highest SD: 31.9% 34.7%Lowest SD: 31.9%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 8.1%±4.3Highest SD: 5% 1%±1Lowest SD: 5%

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $76,146±$22kLowest about the SD average $95,385±$14kHighest 27% above SD

Hill City and Colman are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $235,800±$35kLowest 8% below SD $286,200±$38kHighest 11% above SD

Hill City and Colman are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Rentmedian gross, monthly $733±$110Lowest 23% below SD $1,345±$293Highest 42% above SD

Property taxmedian, yearly $2,379Lowest 13% below SD $3,544Highest 30% above SD

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 38.5%±18.5Highest SD: 39.8% 14.1%±24.4Lowest SD: 39.8%

Colman and Hill City are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Below poverty line 11.5%Highest SD: 11.9% 2.6%Lowest SD: 11.9%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 77.9%Highest SD: 68.6% 73.9%Lowest SD: 68.6%

Typical home builtmedian year 1974Lowest 6 yrs older than SD 1993Highest 13 yrs newer than SD

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 30 minHighest 70% above SD 25 minLowest 38% above SD

Work from home 14.4%±8.2Highest SD: 9.7% 8.4%±7.4Lowest SD: 9.7%

Colman and Hill City are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Work in townworking residents 10.3%Lowest 15.2%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 23.8 miHighest 19.8 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.22Lowest 1.80Highest

Top workplaceoutside town Sioux Falls (27%)Rapid City (39%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Hill CityFew work in Colman

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 0.1%Lowest 9.2%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 0.1 miLowest 0.2 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.1 miLowest 0.2 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0Lowest 3Highest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 26.2Lowest 48.0Highest

Schools

School district Colman-Egan School District 50-5Hill City School District 51-2

High school in town Colman-Egan High School - 01Hill City High School - 01

Students per teacherat that high school 14.5Highest 13.1Lowest

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.

Colman neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Colman’s Town Square.

Hill City neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Hill City’s Town Square.

Add a town

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Towns like Colman

+ Compare

Groton1,691 people · $191K homes

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Medary Township1,452 people · $312K homes

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Brandon Township536 people · $346K homes

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Humboldt732 people · $228K 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.

Colman vs Hill City

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs $760 more a month in Hill City

Grades and rankings, side by side

What daily life feels like in each

336 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

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Towns like Colman

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