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De Smet vs Wall

234 miles apart. The biggest differences: street grid (2.7× in De Smet) and work in town (+19.4 pts in De Smet).

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De Smet, SDKnown for its schoolsSouth Dakota · 943 people
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Wall, SDA regional job hubSouth Dakota · 622 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.

De SmetKnown for its schools
SchoolsBetter than 18%of SD districts HistorySettled in 18805 places on the National Register Housing$261K typical home19% below the SD typical home All about De Smet →
WallA regional job hub
Work468 jobsbased in Wall, a regional job hub SchoolsBetter than 71%of SD districts All about Wall →
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 grid2.7×
De Smet has the more walkable street grid
De Smet 79.4Wall 29.0
Work in town+19.4 pts
More of De Smet’s workers stay in town
De Smet 31%Wall 11.6%
Growth since 2010+5.7 pts
De Smet has grown faster since 2010
De Smet -3%Wall -8.7%
Average commute6 min
De Smet has the shorter commute
Wall 17 minDe Smet 12 min
Property tax bill+19%
Tax bills are bigger in De Smet
De Smet $2,036Wall $1,709
Typical home built13 yrs
De Smet’s homes are older
Wall 1971De Smet 1958
★ What stands out · 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−De SmetBetter than 18% of districts in the state B+WallBetter than 71% of districts in the state
Monthly cost

A typical home costs $360 more a month in Wall

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.

De Smet$1,630/mo
Typical home $261K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.23% · or rent about $708/mo · Housing →
Wall$2,000/mo
Typical home $327K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.04% · Housing →

The difference: $360 a month, about $4,300 a year, between Wall and De Smet.

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.

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
De SmetWall
Snow a year41″30″
January low5°F9°F
July high82°F89°F
Growing season (days)151d141d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)30th74th
Outdoors & history
De SmetWall
Trails0 mi0 mi
Conserved land0.3%0.3%
Settled18801908
National Register places5—
Archive photos—6
Famous people born here—1
Community
De SmetWall
Library hours a week23 hrs19 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

234 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

De SmetSDWallSD
De Smet ↔ Wall234 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.

De SmetWall
People
Population 943Highest 622Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -3%Highest SD: +8.9% -8.7%Lowest SD: +8.9%
Median age 47.3±9.4Highest 24% above SD 46.2±8.9Lowest 22% above SD
De Smet and Wall are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 19.9%±3.9Highest SD: 24.2% 18.2%±5.6Lowest SD: 24.2%
De Smet and Wall are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 29.3%±5.1Highest SD: 18% 24.1%±6.7Lowest SD: 18%
De Smet and Wall are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 22.1%Lowest SD: 31.9% 25.4%Highest SD: 31.9%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 0.3%±1.1Lowest SD: 5% 1.8%±2.3Highest SD: 5%
Wall and De Smet are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $67,321±$16kHighest 10% below SD $58,984±$8kLowest 21% below SD
De Smet and Wall are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $165,200±$24kHighest 36% below SD $164,800±$20kLowest 36% below SD
De Smet and Wall are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $708±$307 25% below SD —
Property taxmedian, yearly $2,036Highest 25% below SD $1,709Lowest 37% below SD
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 28.1%±14.8Lowest SD: 39.8% 40.5%±53.6Highest SD: 39.8%
Wall and De Smet are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 4.6%Lowest SD: 11.9% 8.8%Highest SD: 11.9%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 85.2%Highest SD: 68.6% 81.8%Lowest SD: 68.6%
Typical home builtmedian year 1958Lowest 22 yrs older than SD 1971Highest 9 yrs older than SD
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 12 minLowest 34% below SD 17 minHighest 3% below SD
Work from home 6.9%±4.3Highest SD: 9.7% 4.7%±3.8Lowest SD: 9.7%
De Smet and Wall are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 31%Highest 11.6%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 26.8 miLowest 48.3 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.42Lowest 1.70Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Sioux Falls (9%)Rapid City (47%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in WallFew work in De Smet
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 0.3% 0.3%
Trailsmapped miles 0.0 miLowest 0.3 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 miLowest 0.1 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 3Highest 2Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 79.4Highest 29.0Lowest
Schools
School district De Smet School District 38-2Wall School District 51-5
High school in town De Smet High School - 01Wall High School - 01
Students per teacherat that high school 10.1Lowest 12.3Highest
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.

De Smet neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to De Smet’s Town Square.

Wall neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Wall’s Town Square.

Add a town

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Towns like De Smet

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Edgemont860 people · $103K homes
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Marion981 people · $165K 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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