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Compare towns

Freeman vs Platte

71 miles apart. The biggest differences: street grid (+82% in Platte) and average commute (8 min in Platte).

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Freeman, SDHomes around $255KSouth Dakota · 1,565 people
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Platte, SDKnown for its schoolsSouth Dakota · 1,161 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.

FreemanHomes around $255K
Housing$255K typical home21% below the SD typical home HealthHealthier than 64%of U.S. towns on CDC estimates All about Freeman →
PlatteKnown for its schools
SchoolsBetter than 90%of SD districts HealthHealthier than 64%of U.S. towns on CDC estimates All about Platte →
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.

Street grid+82%
Platte has the more walkable street grid
Platte 127Freeman 69.8
Average commute8 min
Platte has the shorter commute
Freeman 16 minPlatte 8 min
Work in town+12.2 pts
More of Platte’s workers stay in town
Platte 37.3%Freeman 25.1%
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $570 more a month in Platte

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.

Freeman$1,600/mo
Typical home $255K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.24% · or rent about $741/mo · Housing →
Platte$2,170/mo
Typical home $357K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.99% · or rent about $832/mo · Housing →

The difference: $570 a month, about $6,800 a year, between Platte and Freeman.

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
C+FreemanBetter than 42% of districts in the state APlatteBetter than 90% of districts in the state
Health
BFreemanHealthier than 64% of U.S. towns BPlatteHealthier 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
FreemanPlatte
Snow a year41″46″
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)50th51st
Outdoors & history
FreemanPlatte
Trails1 mi0 mi
Conserved land0%2%
Settled1893—
National Register places32
Archive photos—7
Famous people born here49
Community
FreemanPlatte
Library hours a week41 hrs27 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

71 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

FreemanSDPlatteSD
Freeman ↔ Platte71 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.

FreemanPlatte
People
Population 1,565Highest 1,161Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +1.8%Lowest SD: +8.9% +5.4%Highest SD: +8.9%
Median age 37.8±5.2Highest about the SD average 35.6±6.2Lowest 6% below SD
Freeman and Platte are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 32.5%±5.3Highest SD: 24.2% 24.6%±5.6Lowest SD: 24.2%
Freeman and Platte are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 20.4%±2.2Highest SD: 18% 19.3%±5Lowest SD: 18%
Freeman and Platte are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 19.3%Lowest SD: 31.9% 22.4%Highest SD: 31.9%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 3.3%±1.4Highest SD: 5% 1.8%±1.4Lowest SD: 5%
Freeman and Platte are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $57,440±$5kLowest 23% below SD $72,700±$27kHighest 3% below SD
Platte and Freeman are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $164,200±$15kLowest 36% below SD $179,200±$63kHighest 30% below SD
Platte and Freeman are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $741±$91Lowest 22% below SD $832±$244Highest 12% below SD
Platte and Freeman are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $2,030Highest 25% below SD $1,782Lowest 35% below SD
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 36.1%±20.2Highest SD: 39.8% 21.6%±16.5Lowest SD: 39.8%
Freeman and Platte are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 20.9%Highest SD: 11.9% 14.7%Lowest SD: 11.9%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 75.1%Highest SD: 68.6% 70.7%Lowest SD: 68.6%
Typical home builtmedian year 1958Lowest 22 yrs older than SD 1968Highest 12 yrs older than SD
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 16 minHighest 11% below SD 8 minLowest 54% below SD
Work from home 3.5%±2.8Lowest SD: 9.7% 8.2%±5.3Highest SD: 9.7%
Platte and Freeman are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 25.1%Lowest 37.3%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 11.8 miHighest 4.8 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.28Lowest 1.47Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Sioux Falls (15%)Platte Township (12%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in PlatteFew work in Freeman
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 0%Lowest 2%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 1.4 miHighest 0.0 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.9 miHighest 0.0 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 2Highest 1Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 69.8Lowest 127Highest
Schools
School district Freeman School District 33-1Platte - Geddes School District 11-5
High school in town Freeman High School - 01Platte - Geddes High School - 01
Students per teacherat that high school 9.3Lowest 11.4Highest
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.

Freeman neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Freeman’s Town Square.

Platte neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Platte’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Freeman and Platte

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Bordering Freeman

G
+ Compare
Grandview Township104 people · $241K homes
V
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Valley Township198 people · $182K homes

Towns like Freeman

P
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Parkston1,874 people · $157K homes
+ Compare
Parker1,280 people · $231K homes
W
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Webster1,896 people · $154K homes
I
+ Compare
Ipswich1,048 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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