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Compare towns

Elk Point vs Lennox

47 miles apart. The biggest differences: property tax bill (+26% in Elk Point) and work in town (+13.2 pts in Elk Point).

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Elk Point, SDOne of the healthiest townsSouth Dakota · 2,537 people
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Lennox, SDKnown for its schoolsSouth Dakota · 2,468 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.

Elk PointOne of the healthiest towns
HealthHealthier than 78%of U.S. towns on CDC estimates Housing$290K typical home10% below the SD typical home SafetySafer than 80%of U.S. towns we grade All about Elk Point →
LennoxKnown for its schools
SchoolsBetter than 84%of SD districts SafetySafer than 81%of U.S. towns we grade HealthHealthier than 77%of U.S. towns on CDC estimates All about Lennox →
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.

Property tax bill+26%
Tax bills are bigger in Elk Point
Elk Point $3,470Lennox $2,757
Work in town+13.2 pts
More of Elk Point’s workers stay in town
Elk Point 22.3%Lennox 9.1%
Growth since 2010+5.3 pts
Lennox has grown faster since 2010
Lennox +14.8%Elk Point +9.5%
Typical home built14 yrs
Lennox’s homes are older
Elk Point 1991Lennox 1977
★ 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.

Safety
A−Elk PointSafer than 80% of U.S. towns A−LennoxSafer than 81% of U.S. towns
Schools
BElk PointBetter than 55% of districts in the state A−LennoxBetter than 84% of districts in the state
Health
A−Elk PointHealthier than 78% of U.S. towns A−LennoxHealthier than 77% of U.S. towns
Monthly cost

A typical home costs $170 more a month in Lennox

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.

Elk Point$1,860/mo
Typical home $290K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.40% · Housing →
Lennox$2,030/mo
Typical home $326K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.17% · or rent about $745/mo · Housing →

The difference: $170 a month, about $2,000 a year, between Lennox and Elk Point.

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
Elk PointLennox
Snow a year36″45″
January low—9°F
July high—85°F
Growing season (days)—157d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)45th43rd
Outdoors & history
Elk PointLennox
Settled1873—
National Register places11
Archive photos6—
Community
Elk PointLennox
Library hours a week32 hrs38 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

47 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Elk PointSDLennoxSD
Elk Point ↔ Lennox47 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.

Elk PointLennox
People
Population 2,537Highest 2,468Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +9.5%Lowest SD: +8.9% +14.8%Highest SD: +8.9%
Median age 35.5±5.4Lowest 7% below SD 38±5.5Highest about the SD average
Lennox and Elk Point are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 29.5%±4.7Highest SD: 24.2% 24%±6.2Lowest SD: 24.2%
Elk Point and Lennox are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 17.7%±4.6Lowest SD: 18% 18.1%±4.9Highest SD: 18%
Lennox and Elk Point are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 29.4%Highest SD: 31.9% 24.1%Lowest SD: 31.9%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 2.4%±1.7Highest SD: 5% 1.3%±1.1Lowest SD: 5%
Elk Point and Lennox are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $90,473±$12kHighest 21% above SD $81,761±$6kLowest 9% above SD
Elk Point and Lennox are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $248,500±$20kHighest 3% below SD $235,900±$29kLowest 8% below SD
Elk Point and Lennox are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly — $745±$328 21% below SD
Property taxmedian, yearly $3,470Highest 27% above SD $2,757Lowest about the SD average
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 61.2%±35.3Lowest SD: 39.8% 64.8%±23.4Highest SD: 39.8%
Lennox and Elk Point are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 8.5%Lowest SD: 11.9% 9.6%Highest SD: 11.9%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 78.4%Highest SD: 68.6% 74.3%Lowest SD: 68.6%
Typical home builtmedian year 1991Highest 11 yrs newer than SD 1977Lowest 3 yrs older than SD
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 21 minLowest 17% above SD 23 minHighest 30% above SD
Work from home 7.9%±3.7Lowest SD: 9.7% 11.2%±5.9Highest SD: 9.7%
Lennox and Elk Point are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 22.3%Highest 9.1%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 15.8 miHighest 14.8 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.80Highest 0.65Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Sioux Falls (13%)Sioux Falls (55%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in LennoxFew work in Elk Point
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 0% 0%
Trailsmapped miles 0.0 miLowest 0.5 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 miLowest 0.3 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0 0
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 68.3Lowest 80.2Highest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #23 of 34 in SD—
School district Elk Point-Jefferson School District 61-7Lennox School District 41-4
High school in town Elk Point-Jefferson High School - 01Lennox High School - 01
Students per teacherat that high school 13.7Lowest 17.2Highest
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.

Elk Point neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Elk Point’s Town Square.

Lennox neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Lennox’s Town Square.

Add a town

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Towns like Elk Point

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Beresford2,360 people · $234K homes
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Hartford3,478 people · $258K homes
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Groton1,691 people · $191K homes
S
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Summerset3,022 people · $368K 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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