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%

Hill City$3,000/mo

Typical home $477K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.24% · or rent about $1,345/mo · Housing →

Groton$1,600/mo

Typical home $250K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.38% · or rent about $981/mo · Housing →

The difference: $1,400 a month, about $16,800 a year, between Hill City and Groton.

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.

Life in each

Hill City gets 34 more inches of snow a year

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

Hill CityGroton

Snow a year67″32″

January low10°F —

July high83°F —

Growing season (days)102d —

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)86th 38th

Outdoors & history

Hill CityGroton

Trails0 mi 0 mi

Conserved land9.2%0%

Settled1876 1888

National Register places4 3

Community

Hill CityGroton

Library hours a week48 hrs 43 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.

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

B−Hill CityBetter than 49% of districts in the state A−GrotonBetter than 80% of districts in the state

Health

–Hill CityNot graded A−GrotonHealthier than 78% of U.S. towns

Where they are

288 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Hill CitySD GrotonSD

Hill City ↔ Groton288 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

Hill CityGroton

People

Population 834Lowest 1,691Highest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -8%Lowest SD: +8.9% -5.3%Highest SD: +8.9%

Median age 34.2±12.1Highest 10% below SD 33.9±4.2Lowest 11% below SD

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

Kids under 18 32%±4.9Highest SD: 24.2% 30.6%±5.3Lowest SD: 24.2%

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

Age 65+ 11.4%±5.1Lowest SD: 18% 13%±4.1Highest SD: 18%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 34.7%Lowest SD: 31.9% 35.5%Highest SD: 31.9%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 1%±1Lowest SD: 5% 2.8%±1.3Highest SD: 5%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $95,385±$14kHighest 27% above SD $89,861±$25kLowest 20% above SD

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $286,200±$38kHighest 11% above SD $190,600±$43kLowest 26% below SD

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,345±$293Highest 42% above SD $981±$70Lowest 4% above SD

Property taxmedian, yearly $3,544Highest 30% above SD $2,631Lowest 3% below SD

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 14.1%±24.4Lowest SD: 39.8% 39.2%±18.4Highest SD: 39.8%

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

Below poverty line 2.6%Lowest SD: 11.9% 4.3%Highest SD: 11.9%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 73.9%Highest SD: 68.6% 73.1%Lowest SD: 68.6%

Typical home builtmedian year 1993Highest 13 yrs newer than SD 1975Lowest 5 yrs older than SD

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 25 minHighest 38% above SD 17 minLowest 6% below SD

Work from home 8.4%±7.4Highest SD: 9.7% 3.8%±1.6Lowest SD: 9.7%

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

Work in townworking residents 15.2%Highest 12.2%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 19.8 miHighest 18.8 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.80Highest 0.69Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Rapid City (39%)Aberdeen (38%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in GrotonFew work in Hill City

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 9.2%Highest 0%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 0.2 miLowest 0.3 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.2 mi 0.2 mi

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 3Highest 2Lowest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 48.0Lowest 72.4Highest

Schools

School district Hill City School District 51-2Groton Area School District 06-6

High school in town Hill City High School - 01Groton Area High School - 01

Students per teacherat that high school 13.1Highest 12.5Lowest

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.

Hill City neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Hill City’s Town Square.

Groton neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Groton’s Town Square.

Add a town

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Towns like Hill City

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Colman948 people · $236K homes

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Brandon Township536 people · $346K homes

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Montrose483 people · $240K homes

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Medary Township1,452 people · $312K 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.

Hill City vs Groton

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs $1,400 more a month in Hill City

Hill City gets 34 more inches of snow a year

Grades and rankings, side by side

288 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Hill City and Groton

Towns like Hill City

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