Skip to content

TownTapestry

Find a town

Guest, Sign inJoin

Compare towns

Highmore vs Jefferson

196 miles apart. The biggest differences: jobs per worker (8.6× in Highmore) and work in town (+28.9 pts in Highmore).

×

Highmore, SDKnown for its schoolsSouth Dakota · 596 people

×

Jefferson, SDHomes around $399KSouth Dakota · 554 people

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.

HighmoreKnown for its schools

SchoolsBetter than 86%of SD districts All about Highmore →

JeffersonHomes around $399K

Housing$399K typical home24% above the SD typical home

HistorySettled in 18591 place on the National Register All about Jefferson →

The biggest differences

Where they part ways

The rows below where the towns are furthest apart, beyond the Census margin of error. The full table is further down.

Jobs per worker8.6×

Highmore is more of a job hub

Highmore 0.95Jefferson 0.11

Work in town+28.9 pts

More of Highmore’s workers stay in town

Highmore 29.9%Jefferson 1%

Average commute13 min

Highmore has the shorter commute

Jefferson 22 minHighmore 10 min

Street grid+45%

Jefferson has the more walkable street grid

Jefferson 57.0Highmore 39.4

Typical home built13 yrs

Highmore’s homes are older

Jefferson 1974Highmore 1961

Property tax bill+15%

Tax bills are bigger in Jefferson

Jefferson $2,284Highmore $1,986

★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $1,560 more a month in Jefferson

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%

Highmore$960/mo

Typical home $152K (Census) · tax rate 1.31% · or rent about $980/mo · Housing →

Jefferson$2,520/mo

Typical home $399K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.27% · Housing →

The difference: $1,560 a month, about $18,700 a year, between Jefferson and Highmore.

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

AHighmoreBetter than 86% of districts in the state –JeffersonNot graded

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

HighmoreJefferson

Snow a year40″36″

January low7°F 10°F

July high86°F 85°F

Growing season (days)142d 159d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)76th 82nd

Outdoors & history

HighmoreJefferson

Conserved land—1.2%

Settled—1859

National Register places3 1

Archive photos—2

Famous people born here—2

Community

HighmoreJefferson

Library hours a week25 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

196 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

HighmoreSD JeffersonSD

Highmore ↔ Jefferson196 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

HighmoreJefferson

People

Population 596Highest 554Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -14.2%Lowest SD: +8.9% -13.2%Highest SD: +8.9%

Median age 47.4±19Highest 25% above SD 40.6±12Lowest 7% above SD

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

Kids under 18 22.3%±6.3Lowest SD: 24.2% 22.6%±8.8Highest SD: 24.2%

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

Age 65+ 26.8%±6Highest SD: 18% 18.6%±2.7Lowest SD: 18%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 19.5%Lowest SD: 31.9% 23.2%Highest SD: 31.9%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 1.5%±1.6Highest SD: 5% 1.1%±1.4Lowest SD: 5%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $103,017±$45kHighest 37% above SD $82,888±$21kLowest 10% above SD

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $151,800±$89kLowest 41% below SD $179,400±$23kHighest 30% below SD

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

Rentmedian gross, monthly $980±$176 4% above SD —

Property taxmedian, yearly $1,986Lowest 27% below SD $2,284Highest 16% below SD

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 15.4%±68.8Highest SD: 39.8% 13%±77.6Lowest SD: 39.8%

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

Below poverty line 5.2%Highest SD: 11.9% 4.9%Lowest SD: 11.9%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 87.7%Lowest SD: 68.6% 91%Highest SD: 68.6%

Typical home builtmedian year 1961Lowest 19 yrs older than SD 1974Highest 6 yrs older than SD

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 10 minLowest 47% below SD 22 minHighest 24% above SD

Work from home 5%±5.6Lowest SD: 9.7% 8.1%±9.6Highest SD: 9.7%

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

Work in townworking residents 29.9%Highest 1%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 26.8 miHighest 8.8 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.95Highest 0.11Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Pierre (7%)North Sioux City (20%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in JeffersonFew work in Highmore

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 0%Lowest 1.2%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 0.0 mi 0.0 mi

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 mi 0.0 mi

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0Lowest 1Highest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 39.4Lowest 57.0Highest

Schools

School district Highmore-Harrold School District 34-2—

High school in town Highmore High School - 01—

Students per teacherat that high school 7.7 —

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.

Highmore neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Highmore’s Town Square.

Jefferson neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Jefferson’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Highmore and Jefferson

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

Towns like Highmore

De Smet943 people · $165K homes

Wall622 people · $165K homes

Tabor369 people · $144K homes

Edgemont860 people · $103K 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.