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Dayton Township vs Harrisburg

Next-door neighbors. The biggest differences: street grid (37.7× in Harrisburg) and growth since 2010 (+60.5 pts in Harrisburg).

D ×
Dayton Township, SDOne of the healthiest townsLincoln County · 1,006 people
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Harrisburg, SDHomes around $363KSouth Dakota · 8,519 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.

Dayton TownshipOne of the healthiest towns
HealthHealthier than 77%of U.S. towns on CDC estimates All about Dayton Township →
HarrisburgHomes around $363K
Housing$363K typical home13% above the SD typical home HealthHealthier than 92%of U.S. towns on CDC estimates Schools#17 for schools in SDof 34 towns All about Harrisburg →
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.

Street grid37.7×
Harrisburg has the more walkable street grid
Harrisburg 56.6Dayton Township 1.5
Growth since 2010+60.5 pts
Harrisburg has grown faster since 2010
Harrisburg +64.6%Dayton Township +4.1%
Size8.5×
Harrisburg is the bigger place
Harrisburg 8,519Dayton Township 1,006
Typical home built70 yrs
Dayton Township’s homes are older
Harrisburg 2008Dayton Township 1938
Age 65++25.3 pts
Dayton Township has more people 65 and up
Dayton Township 29%Harrisburg 3.7%
Median age19.7 yrs
Dayton Township skews older
Dayton Township 50.8Harrisburg 31.1
★ What stands out · Where they are

Dayton Township and Harrisburg share a border

And the people who already live in one and work in the other.

Dayton TownshipHarrisburgDayton TownshipHarrisburg
Dayton Township ↔ Harrisburg6.0 miles apart · They share a border
Who commutes between them
18 Dayton Township residents work in Harrisburg (3.9% of its workers)
Work & commute in Dayton Township →
Monthly cost

A typical home costs about the same each month

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.

Dayton Township$2,160/mo
Typical home $340K (Census) · tax rate 1.31% · Housing →
Harrisburg$2,250/mo
Typical home $363K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.16% · or rent about $1,362/mo · Housing →

The difference: $100 a month, about $1,200 a year, between Harrisburg and Dayton 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.

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
–Dayton TownshipNot graded B+HarrisburgBetter than 71% of districts in the state
Health
A−Dayton TownshipHealthier than 77% of U.S. towns AHarrisburgHealthier than 92% of U.S. towns
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
Dayton TownshipHarrisburg
Snow a year49″49″
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)54th48th
Outdoors & history
Dayton TownshipHarrisburg
Trails0 mi1 mi
Conserved land0.2%0.2%
Community
Dayton TownshipHarrisburg
Library hours a week—46 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.

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.

Dayton TownshipHarrisburg
People
Population 1,006Lowest 8,519Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +4.1%Lowest SD: +8.9% +64.6%Highest SD: +8.9%
Median age 50.8±11.8Highest 34% above SD 31.1±1.7Lowest 18% below SD
Kids under 18 24.1%±8.1Lowest SD: 24.2% 34.2%±5.5Highest SD: 24.2%
Harrisburg and Dayton Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 29%±10.1Highest SD: 18% 3.7%±2Lowest SD: 18%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 41.4%Lowest SD: 31.9% 43.8%Highest SD: 31.9%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 1.9%±3Highest SD: 5% 1.8%±1.2Lowest SD: 5%
Dayton Township and Harrisburg are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $104,583±$98kLowest 39% above SD $108,724±$12kHighest 45% above SD
Harrisburg and Dayton Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $340,200±$269kHighest 32% above SD $312,200±$27kLowest 21% above SD
Dayton Township and Harrisburg are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly — $1,362±$67 44% above SD
Property taxmedian, yearly $4,470Highest 64% above SD $3,637Lowest 34% above SD
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 0%±100Lowest SD: 39.8% 36.5%±22Highest SD: 39.8%
Harrisburg and Dayton Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 1.8%Highest SD: 11.9% 0.5%Lowest SD: 11.9%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 97.2%Highest SD: 68.6% 78.4%Lowest SD: 68.6%
Typical home builtmedian year 1938Lowest 42 yrs older than SD 2008Highest 28 yrs newer than SD
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 20 minLowest 10% above SD 22 minHighest 23% above SD
Work from home 16.7%±8.1Highest SD: 9.7% 12.2%±3.7Lowest SD: 9.7%
Dayton Township and Harrisburg are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 1.1%Lowest 10.2%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 11.3 miHighest 7.3 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.23Lowest 0.55Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Sioux Falls (65%)Sioux Falls (67%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others 4% work in HarrisburgFew work in Dayton Township
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 0.2% 0.2%
Trailsmapped miles 0.0 miLowest 0.6 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 miLowest 0.1 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 2Lowest 3Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 1.5Lowest 56.6Highest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading —#17 of 34 in SD
School district —Harrisburg School District 41-2
High school in town —Harrisburg High School - 01
Students per teacherat that high school — 14.3
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.

Dayton Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Dayton Township’s Town Square.

Harrisburg neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Harrisburg’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Dayton Township and Harrisburg

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

Bordering Dayton Township

+ Compare
Canton Township514 people · $509K homes
S
+ Compare
Springdale Township1,791 people · $664K homes
L
+ Compare
La Valley Township498 people · $495K homes

Towns like Dayton Township

C
+ Compare
Cortlandt Township834 people · $375K homes
+ Compare
Dell Rapids Township704 people · $391K homes
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+ Compare
Herman Township844 people · $291K homes
J
+ Compare
Jefferson Township1,088 people · $400K 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.

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