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Fairfax vs Frederick

195 miles apart. The biggest differences: average commute (35 min in Frederick) and street grid (4× in Fairfax).

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Fairfax, SDA small town of 119South Dakota · 119 people

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Frederick, SDKnown for its schoolsSouth Dakota · 160 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.

FairfaxA small town of 119

Quiet strengthsFairfax doesn’t stand out on the data we haveNeighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.

All about Fairfax →

FrederickKnown for its schools

SchoolsBetter than 71%of SD districts All about Frederick →

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.

Average commute35 min

Frederick has the shorter commute

Fairfax 54 minFrederick 19 min

Fairfax has the more walkable street grid

Fairfax 110Frederick 27.3

Jobs per worker3.5×

Frederick is more of a job hub

Frederick 0.83Fairfax 0.24

Typical home built26 yrs

Frederick’s homes are older

Fairfax 1979Frederick 1953

Bachelor’s degree++9.1 pts

More adults in Frederick have a degree

Frederick 28.9%Fairfax 19.8%

★ What stands out · 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.

Down paymentRate%

Fairfax$410/mo

Typical home $62K (Census) · tax rate 1.70% · Housing →

Frederick$530/mo

Typical home $85K (Census) · tax rate 1.17% · or rent about $755/mo · Housing →

The difference: $120 a month, about $1,400 a year, between Frederick and Fairfax.

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

–FairfaxNot graded B+FrederickBetter than 71% of districts in the state

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

FairfaxFrederick

Snow a year37″44″

January low11°F —

July high87°F —

Growing season (days)159d —

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)43rd 37th

Outdoors & history

FairfaxFrederick

Settled1890 —

National Register places1 1

Archive photos—7

Community

FairfaxFrederick

Library hours a week—14 hrs

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined0 0

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

195 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

FairfaxSD FrederickSD

Fairfax ↔ Frederick195 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.

Only big differences vs South Dakota average

FairfaxFrederick

People

Population 119Lowest 160Highest

Median age 48.2±24.6Lowest 27% above SD 52.8±5.8Highest 39% above SD

Frederick and Fairfax are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Kids under 18 26.9%±25.4Highest SD: 24.2% 13.1%±11.2Lowest SD: 24.2%

Fairfax and Frederick are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Age 65+ 17.6%±17.7Lowest SD: 18% 38.8%±4.1Highest SD: 18%

Frederick and Fairfax are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 19.8%Lowest SD: 31.9% 28.9%Highest SD: 31.9%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 1.7%±9Highest SD: 5% 0.6%±6.4Lowest SD: 5%

Fairfax and Frederick are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $72,656±$26kLowest 3% below SD $76,667±$34kHighest about the SD average

Frederick and Fairfax are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $62,100±$30kLowest 76% below SD $85,000±$16kHighest 67% below SD

Frederick and Fairfax are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Rentmedian gross, monthly — $755±$178 20% below SD

Property taxmedian, yearly $1,053Highest 61% below SD $994Lowest 64% below SD

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 0%±100Lowest SD: 39.8% 18.2%±100Highest SD: 39.8%

Frederick and Fairfax are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Below poverty line 5.9%Lowest SD: 11.9% 11.3%Highest SD: 11.9%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 83.1%Highest SD: 68.6% 81.7%Lowest SD: 68.6%

Typical home builtmedian year 1979Highest 1 yr older than SD 1953Lowest 27 yrs older than SD

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 54 minHighest 203% above SD 19 minLowest 8% above SD

Work from home 2.9%±4.2Highest SD: 9.7% 0%±14.1Lowest SD: 9.7%

Fairfax and Frederick are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Work in townworking residents 0%Lowest 3.4%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 30.3 miHighest 25.8 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.24Lowest 0.83Highest

Top workplaceoutside town Burke (20%)Aberdeen (53%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in FrederickFew work in Fairfax

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 0% 0%

Trailsmapped miles 0.0 mi 0.0 mi

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 mi 0.0 mi

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0 0

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 110Highest 27.3Lowest

Schools

School district —Frederick Area School District 06-2

High school in town —Frederick High School - 01

Students per teacherat that high school — 11.3

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.

Fairfax neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Fairfax’s Town Square.

Frederick neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Frederick’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Fairfax and Frederick

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Towns like Fairfax

Wentworth138 people · $83K homes

Utica68 people · $53K homes

Marindahl Township151 people

Stewart Township153 people

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.