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Hamlin Township vs Dempster Township

Next-door neighbors in Hamlin County. The biggest differences: bachelor’s degree+ (+20 pts in Dempster Township) and jobs per worker (2.3× in Hamlin Township).

H ×
Hamlin Township, SDA small town of 291Hamlin County · 291 people
D ×
Dempster Township, SDA small town of 95Hamlin County · 95 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.

Hamlin TownshipA small town of 291
Quiet strengthsHamlin Township doesn’t stand out on the data we haveNeighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.
All about Hamlin Township →
Dempster TownshipA small town of 95
Quiet strengthsDempster Township doesn’t stand out on the data we haveNeighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.
All about Dempster 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.

Bachelor’s degree++20 pts
More adults in Dempster Township have a degree
Dempster Township 37.7%Hamlin Township 17.7%
Jobs per worker2.3×
Hamlin Township is more of a job hub
Hamlin Township 0.36Dempster Township 0.16
Size3.1×
Hamlin Township is the bigger place
Hamlin Township 291Dempster Township 95
Average commute7 min
Dempster Township has the shorter commute
Hamlin Township 23 minDempster Township 15 min
★ What stands out · Where they are

Hamlin Township and Dempster Township share a border

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Hamlin TownshipDempster TownshipHamlin TownshipDempster Township
Hamlin Township ↔ Dempster Township6.5 miles apart · They share a border · Same county
Monthly cost

A typical home costs $260 more a month in Dempster Township

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.

Hamlin Township$1,640/mo
Typical home $274K (Census) · tax rate 0.90% · Housing →
Dempster Township$1,900/mo
Typical home $281K (Census) · tax rate est. 1.8% · Housing →

The difference: $260 a month, about $3,100 a year, between Dempster Township and Hamlin Township.

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
–Hamlin TownshipNot graded BDempster TownshipBetter than 55% 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
Hamlin TownshipDempster Township
Snow a year61″61″
January low2°F2°F
July high80°F80°F
Growing season (days)146d146d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)58th58th
Outdoors & history
Hamlin TownshipDempster Township
Trails—3 mi
Conserved land—1.9%
National Register places1—
Community
Hamlin TownshipDempster 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.

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.

Hamlin TownshipDempster Township
People
Population 291Highest 95Lowest
Median age 31.6±9.3Lowest 17% below SD 44.5±4.5Highest 17% above SD
Dempster Township and Hamlin Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 34.7%±11.5Highest SD: 24.2% 16.8%±21Lowest SD: 24.2%
Hamlin Township and Dempster Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 17.5%±8.1Lowest SD: 18% 22.1%±22.5Highest SD: 18%
Dempster Township and Hamlin Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 17.7%Lowest SD: 31.9% 37.7%Highest SD: 31.9%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 4.5%±5.6Highest SD: 5% 2.1%±10.9Lowest SD: 5%
Hamlin Township and Dempster Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $95,795±$16kLowest 28% above SD $124,375±$78kHighest 66% above SD
Dempster Township and Hamlin Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $273,800±$54kLowest 6% above SD $281,300±$195kHighest 9% above SD
Dempster Township and Hamlin Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $2,462 10% below SD —
Below poverty line 9.6%Highest SD: 11.9% 4.2%Lowest SD: 11.9%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 94.9%Lowest SD: 68.6% 100%Highest SD: 68.6%
Typical home builtmedian year 1994Highest 14 yrs newer than SD 1991Lowest 11 yrs newer than SD
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 23 minHighest 28% above SD 15 minLowest 13% below SD
Work from home 15.9%±10.3Highest SD: 9.7% 11.1%±9.5Lowest SD: 9.7%
Hamlin Township and Dempster 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 17.8 miLowest 19.3 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.36Highest 0.16Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Watertown (22%)Watertown (21%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Dempster TownshipFew work in Hamlin Township
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 0.2%Lowest 1.9%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 0.0 miLowest 2.6 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 miLowest 0.1 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0 0
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 1.1Lowest 1.4Highest
Schools
School district —Castlewood School District 28-1
High school in town —None in town
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.

Hamlin Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Hamlin Township’s Town Square.

Dempster Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Dempster Township’s Town Square.

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Bordering Hamlin Township

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Havana Township173 people · $357K homes
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Castlewood Township193 people · $270K homes
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Kranzburg Township360 people · $291K homes

Towns like Hamlin Township

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Miller Township334 people · $259K homes
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Taopi Township340 people · $351K homes
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Weber Township262 people · $269K homes
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+ Compare
Cleveland Township298 people · $368K 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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