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Compare towns

Dexter Township vs Clearwater Township

79 miles apart. The biggest differences: trails (7.5× in Dexter Township) and property tax bill (+54% in Clearwater Township).

D ×
Dexter Township, SDAn outdoors townCodington County · 186 people
C ×
Clearwater Township, SDKnown for its schoolsMiner County · 117 people
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.

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.

★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $390 more a month in Clearwater Township

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.

Dexter Township$1,630/mo
Typical home $277K (Census) · tax rate 0.80% · Housing →
Clearwater Township$2,030/mo
Typical home $333K (Census) · tax rate 1.02% · Housing →

The difference: $390 a month, about $4,700 a year, between Clearwater Township and Dexter 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.

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
Dexter TownshipClearwater Township
Snow a year32″36″
January low2°F5°F
July high82°F87°F
Growing season (days)143d149d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)46th29th
Outdoors & history
Dexter TownshipClearwater Township
Trails8 mi1 mi
Conserved land13.9%16.4%
National Register places31
Community
Dexter TownshipClearwater Township
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

79 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Dexter Township ↔ Clearwater Township79 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.

Dexter TownshipClearwater Township
People
Population 186Highest 117Lowest
Median age 56±24.7Lowest 47% above SD 56.1±37.6Highest 48% above SD
Clearwater Township and Dexter Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 24.2%±9.1Highest SD: 24.2% 16.2%±24.5Lowest SD: 24.2%
Dexter Township and Clearwater Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 43%±20.6Highest SD: 18% 7.7%±27.5Lowest SD: 18%
Dexter Township and Clearwater Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 10.9%Highest SD: 31.9% 7.1%Lowest SD: 31.9%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 0%±7.6 SD: 5% 0%±12.1 SD: 5%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $75,750±$11kLowest about the SD average $109,954±$45kHighest 46% above SD
Clearwater Township and Dexter Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $276,500±$51kLowest 7% above SD $332,800±$99kHighest 29% above SD
Clearwater Township and Dexter Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $2,200Lowest 19% below SD $3,389Highest 24% above SD
Below poverty line 0% SD: 11.9% 0% SD: 11.9%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 100% SD: 68.6% 100% SD: 68.6%
Typical home builtmedian year 1976Highest 4 yrs older than SD 1938Lowest 42 yrs older than SD
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 23 minHighest 26% above SD 12 minLowest 33% below SD
Work from home 0%±11.5 SD: 9.7% 0%±11.2 SD: 9.7%
Work in townworking residents 0% 0%
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 18.3 miLowest 18.8 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.03 0.03
Top workplaceoutside town Watertown (50%)Howard (24%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Clearwater TownshipFew work in Dexter Township
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 13.9%Lowest 16.4%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 8.2 miHighest 1.1 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.1 miHighest 0.0 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 3Highest 0Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 0.9Lowest 1.0Highest
Schools
School district —Howard School District 48-3
High school in town —None 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.

Dexter Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Dexter Township’s Town Square.

Clearwater Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Clearwater Township’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Dexter Township and Clearwater Township

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Bordering Dexter Township

Towns like Dexter Township

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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