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Gayville vs Bison

319 miles apart. The biggest differences: jobs per worker (6.7× in Bison) and rent (+55% in Bison).

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Gayville, SDKnown for its schoolsSouth Dakota · 519 people
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Bison, SDA regional job hubSouth Dakota · 406 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.

GayvilleKnown for its schools
SchoolsBetter than 10%of SD districts All about Gayville →
BisonA regional job hub
Work226 jobsbased in Bison, a regional job hub SchoolsBetter than 10%of SD districts Housing$182K typical home44% below the SD typical home All about Bison →
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.

Jobs per worker6.7×
Bison is more of a job hub
Bison 1.81Gayville 0.27
Rent+55%
Rent runs higher in Bison
Bison $932Gayville $602
Street grid2.8×
Gayville has the more walkable street grid
Gayville 121Bison 43.8
Average commute9 min
Bison has the shorter commute
Gayville 20 minBison 11 min
Work in town+17.1 pts
More of Bison’s workers stay in town
Bison 18.4%Gayville 1.3%
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $580 more a month in Bison

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.

Gayville$620/mo
Typical home $99K (Census) · tax rate 1.24% · or rent about $602/mo · Housing →
Bison$1,200/mo
Typical home $182K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.64% · or rent about $932/mo · Housing →

The difference: $580 a month, about $6,900 a year, between Bison and Gayville.

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
DGayvilleBetter than 10% of districts in the state DBisonBetter than 10% 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
GayvilleBison
Snow a year38″40″
January low10°F10°F
July high87°F86°F
Growing season (days)164d144d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)66th54th
Outdoors & history
GayvilleBison
Trails—1 mi
Conserved land—0%
Settled18921907
National Register places—1
Archive photos—5
Famous people born here—1
Community
GayvilleBison
Library hours a week—20 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

319 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

GayvilleSDBisonSD
Gayville ↔ Bison319 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.

GayvilleBison
People
Population 519Highest 406Lowest
Median age 40.8±9.5Lowest 7% above SD 43±8.3Highest 13% above SD
Bison and Gayville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 22.9%±3.2Lowest SD: 24.2% 26.1%±6Highest SD: 24.2%
Bison and Gayville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 19.7%±5.3Lowest SD: 18% 24.9%±5.6Highest SD: 18%
Bison and Gayville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 15.5%Lowest SD: 31.9% 22.6%Highest SD: 31.9%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 3.5%±2.3Highest SD: 5% 0.5%±2.6Lowest SD: 5%
Gayville and Bison are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $79,375±$22kHighest 6% above SD $71,607±$25kLowest 5% below SD
Gayville and Bison are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $99,300±$22kHighest 61% below SD $82,000±$34kLowest 68% below SD
Gayville and Bison are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $602±$54Lowest 36% below SD $932±$266Highest about the SD average
Property taxmedian, yearly $1,230Lowest 55% below SD $1,342Highest 51% below SD
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 42.2%±49.9Highest SD: 39.8% 28.3%±28.4Lowest SD: 39.8%
Gayville and Bison are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 4%Lowest SD: 11.9% 4.9%Highest SD: 11.9%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 80.9%Highest SD: 68.6% 75.5%Lowest SD: 68.6%
Typical home builtmedian year 1969Highest 11 yrs older than SD 1963Lowest 17 yrs older than SD
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 20 minHighest 12% above SD 11 minLowest 40% below SD
Work from home 6.4%±3.8Lowest SD: 9.7% 11%±12.2Highest SD: 9.7%
Bison and Gayville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 1.3%Lowest 18.4%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 15.8 miLowest 32.3 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.27Lowest 1.81Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Yankton (33%)Lemmon (43%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in BisonFew work in Gayville
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 0% 0%
Trailsmapped miles 0.0 miLowest 1.0 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 miLowest 1.0 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0Lowest 1Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 121Highest 43.8Lowest
Schools
School district Gayville-Volin School District 63-1Bison School District 52-1
High school in town Gayville-Volin High School - 01Bison High School - 01
Students per teacherat that high school 15.3Highest 8.8Lowest
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.

Gayville neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Gayville’s Town Square.

Bison neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Bison’s Town Square.

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Towns like Gayville

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Woonsocket759 people · $81K homes
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Selby702 people · $106K homes
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Oacoma548 people · $172K homes
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Canistota711 people · $137K 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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