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%

Fort Pierre$1,940/mo

Typical home $310K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.22% · or rent about $913/mo · Housing →

Parkston$1,510/mo

Typical home $244K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.16% · or rent about $717/mo · Housing →

The difference: $430 a month, about $5,100 a year, between Fort Pierre and Parkston.

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

CFort PierreBetter than 27% of districts in the state BParkstonBetter than 58% of districts in the state

Health

A−Fort PierreHealthier than 75% of U.S. towns BParkstonHealthier than 64% 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

Fort PierreParkston

Snow a year37″39″

January low9°F 10°F

July high88°F 86°F

Growing season (days)148d 156d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)91st 54th

Outdoors & history

Fort PierreParkston

Trails1 mi 1 mi

Conserved land2.4%0%

Settled—1886

National Register places8 —

Archive photos12 —

Famous people born here3 —

Community

Fort PierreParkston

Library hours a week—47 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

137 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Fort PierreSD ParkstonSD

Fort Pierre ↔ Parkston137 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

Fort PierreParkston

People

Population 2,410Highest 1,874Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +1.8%Lowest SD: +8.9% +3.9%Highest SD: +8.9%

Median age 44.2±4.3Highest 16% above SD 39.4±4Lowest 4% above SD

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

Kids under 18 23.3%±4.1Lowest SD: 24.2% 27.4%±4.4Highest SD: 24.2%

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

Age 65+ 24%±4.8Highest SD: 18% 18.7%±3.7Lowest SD: 18%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 24.7%Lowest SD: 31.9% 25.5%Highest SD: 31.9%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 1.4%±1.4Lowest SD: 5% 2.6%±1.4Highest SD: 5%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $70,357±$24kHighest 6% below SD $70,139±$9kLowest 7% below SD

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $220,900±$69kHighest 14% below SD $157,100±$14kLowest 39% below SD

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

Rentmedian gross, monthly $913±$108Highest 3% below SD $717±$208Lowest 24% below SD

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

Property taxmedian, yearly $2,688Highest about the SD average $1,818Lowest 33% below SD

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 39.9%±23.5Highest SD: 39.8% 36.1%±17.5Lowest SD: 39.8%

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

Below poverty line 5.6%Lowest SD: 11.9% 7.5%Highest SD: 11.9%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 81.8%Highest SD: 68.6% 73.7%Lowest SD: 68.6%

Typical home builtmedian year 1993Highest 13 yrs newer than SD 1968Lowest 12 yrs older than SD

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 17 minHighest about the SD average 16 minLowest 10% below SD

Work from home 6.8%±4.4Highest SD: 9.7% 4.6%±2.9Lowest SD: 9.7%

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

Work in townworking residents 16.9%Lowest 30.2%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 2.3 miLowest 21.8 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.02 1.02

Top workplaceoutside town Pierre (51%)Mitchell (18%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in ParkstonFew work in Fort Pierre

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 2.4%Highest 0%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 0.6 mi 0.6 mi

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.2 miLowest 0.5 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 1Lowest 2Highest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 58.5Lowest 83.4Highest

Schools

School district Stanley County School District 57-1Parkston School District 33-3

High school in town Stanley County High School - 01Parkston High School - 01

Students per teacherat that high school 13.7Highest 9.9Lowest

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.

Fort Pierre neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Fort Pierre’s Town Square.

Parkston neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Parkston’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Fort Pierre and Parkston

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

Towns like Fort Pierre

+ Compare

Lead3,006 people · $189K homes

+ Compare

Clear Lake1,327 people · $163K homes

+ Compare

Lennox2,468 people · $236K homes

+ Compare

Mobridge2,932 people · $137K homes

Not sure which town to add? Find your place ranks South Dakota towns on what matters to you.Find your place →

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.

Fort Pierre vs Parkston

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they differ most

A typical home costs $430 more a month in Fort Pierre

Grades and rankings, side by side

What daily life feels like in each

137 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Fort Pierre and Parkston

Towns like Fort Pierre

Post to Fort Pierre

Check your email