Guest, Sign inJoin
Compare towns

Crooks vs Whitewood

344 miles apart. The biggest differences: growth since 2010 (+12.5 pts in Crooks) and street grid (+77% in Whitewood).

×
Crooks, SDOne of the healthiest townsSouth Dakota · 1,268 people
×
Whitewood, SDHomes around $421KSouth Dakota · 912 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.

CrooksOne of the healthiest towns
HealthHealthier than 83%of U.S. towns on CDC estimates SchoolsBetter than 27%of SD districts All about Crooks →
WhitewoodHomes around $421K
Housing$421K typical home31% above the SD typical home All about Whitewood →
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.

Growth since 2010+12.5 pts
Crooks has grown faster since 2010
Crooks +7.3%Whitewood -5.2%
Street grid+77%
Whitewood has the more walkable street grid
Whitewood 93.7Crooks 53.0
Bachelor’s degree++12.7 pts
More adults in Crooks have a degree
Crooks 36.5%Whitewood 23.8%
Property tax bill+22%
Tax bills are bigger in Crooks
Crooks $3,078Whitewood $2,531
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $320 more a month in Whitewood

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.

Crooks$2,250/mo
Typical home $368K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.04% · or rent about $1,135/mo · Housing →
Whitewood$2,570/mo
Typical home $421K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.04% · or rent about $946/mo · Housing →

The difference: $320 a month, about $3,900 a year, between Whitewood and Crooks.

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
CCrooksBetter than 27% of districts in the state B−WhitewoodBetter than 51% of districts in the state
Health
A−CrooksHealthier than 83% of U.S. towns –WhitewoodNot 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
CrooksWhitewood
Snow a year40″48″
January low—15°F
July high—86°F
Growing season (days)—147d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)28th70th
Outdoors & history
CrooksWhitewood
Trails0 mi—
Conserved land0%—
National Register places—1
Archive photos1—
Community
CrooksWhitewood
Library hours a week21 hrs44 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

344 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

CrooksSDWhitewoodSD
Crooks ↔ Whitewood344 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.

CrooksWhitewood
People
Population 1,268Highest 912Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +7.3%Highest SD: +8.9% -5.2%Lowest SD: +8.9%
Median age 43.6±1.7Highest 15% above SD 40.1±4.9Lowest 6% above SD
Crooks and Whitewood are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 22%±2Lowest SD: 24.2% 27%±7.7Highest SD: 24.2%
Whitewood and Crooks are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 11.9%±3.4Lowest SD: 18% 13.5%±2.4Highest SD: 18%
Whitewood and Crooks are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 36.5%Highest SD: 31.9% 23.8%Lowest SD: 31.9%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 2.2%±1.5Lowest SD: 5% 3.2%±2.9Highest SD: 5%
Whitewood and Crooks are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $98,984±$14kHighest 32% above SD $77,500±$19kLowest 3% above SD
Crooks and Whitewood are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $295,400±$29kHighest 15% above SD $243,300±$39kLowest 5% below SD
Crooks and Whitewood are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,135±$315Highest 20% above SD $946±$48Lowest about the SD average
Crooks and Whitewood are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $3,078Highest 13% above SD $2,531Lowest 7% below SD
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 54.8%±25Highest SD: 39.8% 33.3%±26.2Lowest SD: 39.8%
Crooks and Whitewood are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 0.5%Lowest SD: 11.9% 2%Highest SD: 11.9%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 83.2%Highest SD: 68.6% 82.9%Lowest SD: 68.6%
Typical home builtmedian year 1991Highest 11 yrs newer than SD 1981Lowest 1 yr newer than SD
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 26 minHighest 48% above SD 25 minLowest 42% above SD
Work from home 5.3%±2.2Highest SD: 9.7% 3.8%±2.4Lowest SD: 9.7%
Crooks and Whitewood are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 1.6%Highest 1.5%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 9.3 miLowest 11.3 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.40Highest 0.33Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Sioux Falls (73%)Spearfish (35%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in WhitewoodFew work in Crooks
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 0% 0%
Trailsmapped miles 0.0 miLowest 0.6 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 miLowest 0.9 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 4Highest 0Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 53.0Lowest 93.7Highest
Schools
School district Tri-Valley School District 49-6Meade School District 46-1
High school in town None in townNone in town
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.

Crooks neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Crooks’s Town Square.

Whitewood neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Whitewood’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Crooks and Whitewood

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

Bordering Crooks

B
+ Compare
Benton Township737 people · $453K homes

Towns like Crooks

A
+ Compare
Alexandria692 people · $180K homes
S
+ Compare
Sverdrup Township861 people · $368K homes
F
+ Compare
Fairview Township535 people · $298K homes
+ Compare
Onida644 people · $179K 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 Crooks

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