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Garfield Township vs Rusk Township

27 miles apart. The biggest differences: property tax bill (6.9× in Rusk Township) and trails (12× in Garfield Township).

G ×
Garfield Township, SDAn outdoors townClark County · 37 people
R ×
Rusk Township, SDA small town of 65Day County · 65 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.

Garfield TownshipAn outdoors town
Outdoors24.4% conserved land4.8 miles of trails across 0 parks and preserves All about Garfield Township →
Rusk TownshipA small town of 65
Quiet strengthsRusk Township doesn’t stand out on the data we haveNeighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.
All about Rusk Township →
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 bill6.9×
Tax bills are bigger in Rusk Township
Rusk Township $1,389Garfield Township $200
Trails12×
Garfield Township has more miles of trail
Garfield Township 4.8 miRusk Township 0.4 mi
Typical home built40 yrs
Garfield Township’s homes are older
Rusk Township 1978Garfield Township 1938
Conserved land+26.3 pts
Rusk Township has more conserved land
Rusk Township 50.7%Garfield Township 24.4%
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
Garfield TownshipRusk Township
Snow a year22″43″
January low—2°F
July high—81°F
Growing season (days)—156d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)39th41st
Outdoors & history
Garfield TownshipRusk Township
Trails5 mi—
Conserved land24.4%—
National Register places1—
Community
Garfield TownshipRusk 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

27 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Garfield TownshipRusk TownshipGarfield TownshipRusk Township
Garfield Township ↔ Rusk Township27 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.

Garfield TownshipRusk Township
People
Population 37Lowest 65Highest
Median age 73.8±19.7Highest 94% above SD 66.6±6.4Lowest 75% above SD
Garfield Township and Rusk Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 0%±76.4Lowest SD: 24.2% 12.3%±44Highest SD: 24.2%
Rusk Township and Garfield Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 89.2%±94.4Highest SD: 18% 69.2%±36.5Lowest SD: 18%
Garfield Township and Rusk Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 48.6%Highest SD: 31.9% 43.9%Lowest SD: 31.9%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 0%±38.2 SD: 5% 0%±21.8 SD: 5%
Cost of living
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied — $260,000±$117k about the SD average
Property taxmedian, yearly $200Lowest 93% below SD $1,389Highest 49% below 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 1938Lowest 42 yrs older than SD 1978Highest 2 yrs older than SD
Getting to work
Work from home 75%±100Highest SD: 9.7% 0%±47.6Lowest SD: 9.7%
Garfield Township and Rusk Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 0% 0%
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 31.8 miHighest 18.3 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.00Lowest 0.10Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Watertown (20%)Webster (20%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Rusk TownshipFew work in Garfield Township
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 24.4%Lowest 50.7%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 4.8 miHighest 0.4 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.1 miHighest 0.0 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0 0
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 0.7Lowest 0.8Highest
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.

Garfield Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Garfield Township’s Town Square.

Rusk Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Rusk Township’s Town Square.

Add a town

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Bordering Garfield Township

R
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Raymond Township173 people
M
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Mount Pleasant Township
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Lincoln Township29 people
W
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Woodland Township18 people

Towns like Garfield Township

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Fair Township45 people
S
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Susquehanna Township57 people · $413K homes
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Norway Township61 people · $65K homes
C
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Clifton Township51 people · $48K 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.

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