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%

Hudson$900/mo

Typical home $151K (Census) · tax rate 0.87% · Housing →

Wakonda$1,710/mo

Typical home $261K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.57% · or rent about $807/mo · Housing →

The difference: $810 a month, about $9,700 a year, between Wakonda and Hudson.

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

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

HudsonWakonda

Snow a year34″31″

January low—7°F

July high—84°F

Growing season (days)—151d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)53rd 66th

Outdoors & history

HudsonWakonda

Settled—1888

National Register places1 2

Archive photos2 —

Famous people born here2 —

Community

HudsonWakonda

Library hours a week15 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

34 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

HudsonSD WakondaSD

Hudson ↔ Wakonda34 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

HudsonWakonda

People

Population 382Lowest 399Highest

Median age 60.5±5.5Highest 59% above SD 54.4±16.3Lowest 43% above SD

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

Kids under 18 14.9%±7.6Lowest SD: 24.2% 21.8%±7.8Highest SD: 24.2%

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

Age 65+ 30.9%±10.9Lowest SD: 18% 36.1%±6.9Highest SD: 18%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 14%Lowest SD: 31.9% 20.5%Highest SD: 31.9%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 2.1%±3.6Highest SD: 5% 0.5%±2.6Lowest SD: 5%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $66,429±$15kHighest 12% below SD $61,250±$10kLowest 18% below SD

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $150,500±$57kHighest 42% below SD $107,100±$15kLowest 58% below SD

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

Rentmedian gross, monthly — $807±$275 15% below SD

Property taxmedian, yearly $1,307Lowest 52% below SD $1,680Highest 38% below SD

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 24.3%±28.6Lowest SD: 39.8% 73.3%±78.5Highest SD: 39.8%

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

Below poverty line 17%Lowest SD: 11.9% 20.1%Highest SD: 11.9%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 81.5%Lowest SD: 68.6% 82.8%Highest SD: 68.6%

Typical home builtmedian year 1938Lowest 42 yrs older than SD 1944Highest 36 yrs older than SD

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 20 minLowest 11% above SD 23 minHighest 31% above SD

Work from home 2.2%±2.6Lowest SD: 9.7% 9.4%±7.3Highest SD: 9.7%

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

Work in townworking residents 3.6%Highest 3.2%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 30.3 miHighest 18.3 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.11Highest 0.68Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Sioux Falls (31%)Vermillion (21%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in WakondaFew work in Hudson

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 0% 0%

Trailsmapped miles 0.4 miHighest 0.0 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 1.3 miHighest 0.0 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0 0

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 156Highest 102Lowest

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.

Hudson neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Hudson’s Town Square.

Wakonda neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Wakonda’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Hudson and Wakonda

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

Towns like Hudson

+ Compare

Buffalo278 people · $114K homes

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Gary246 people · $102K homes

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Faith297 people · $151K homes

+ Compare

Delmont183 people · $87K 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.

Hudson vs Wakonda

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they differ most

A typical home costs $810 more a month in Wakonda

What daily life feels like in each

34 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Hudson and Wakonda

Towns like Hudson

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