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Compare towns

Huron vs Watertown

64 miles apart. The biggest differences: home values (+44% in Watertown) and growth since 2010 (+7.8 pts in Huron).

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Huron, SDHomes around $181KSouth Dakota · 14,385 people
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Watertown, SDA history townSouth Dakota · 23,044 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.

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.

★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $780 more a month in Watertown

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.

Huron$1,130/mo
Typical home $181K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.21% · or rent about $888/mo · Housing →
Watertown$1,910/mo
Typical home $315K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.00% · or rent about $942/mo · Housing →

The difference: $780 a month, about $9,400 a year, between Watertown and Huron.

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

Huron places higher on 14 of 25 SD lists

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.

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
HuronWatertown
Snow a year44″41″
January low6°F3°F
July high86°F82°F
Growing season (days)146d145d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)55th65th
Outdoors & history
HuronWatertown
Conserved land1.7%3.3%
Settled18831879
National Register places928
Archive photos66
Famous people born here3231
Community
HuronWatertown
Library hours a week58 hrs63 hrs
Colleges in town—1
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

64 miles apart

And the people who already live in one and work in the other.

Huron ↔ Watertown64 miles apart
Who commutes between them
147 Huron residents work in Watertown (2.3% of its workers)
113 Watertown residents work in Huron (1% of its workers)
Work & commute in Huron →
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.

HuronWatertown
People
Population 14,385Lowest 23,044Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +13.3%Highest SD: +8.9% +5.5%Lowest SD: +8.9%
Median age 36.1±1.9Lowest 5% below SD 39.5±1.1Highest 4% above SD
Kids under 18 28.7%±3.2Highest SD: 24.2% 21.9%±1.7Lowest SD: 24.2%
Age 65+ 17.4%±1.9Lowest SD: 18% 19.8%±1.9Highest SD: 18%
Watertown and Huron are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 27%Highest SD: 31.9% 21.6%Lowest SD: 31.9%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 3.7%±1.4Lowest SD: 5% 5.1%±1.1Highest SD: 5%
Watertown and Huron are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $61,452±$11kLowest 18% below SD $69,600±$7kHighest 7% below SD
Watertown and Huron are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $159,000±$17kLowest 38% below SD $229,400±$15kHighest 11% below SD
Rentmedian gross, monthly $888±$59Lowest 6% below SD $942±$47Highest about the SD average
Watertown and Huron are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $1,926Lowest 29% below SD $2,285Highest 16% below SD
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 41.2%±10.6Highest SD: 39.8% 35.9%±5.6Lowest SD: 39.8%
Huron and Watertown are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 16.1%Highest SD: 11.9% 9%Lowest SD: 11.9%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 68.3%Highest SD: 68.6% 65.3%Lowest SD: 68.6%
Typical home builtmedian year 1960Lowest 20 yrs older than SD 1979Highest 1 yr older than SD
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 12 minLowest 33% below SD 13 minHighest 29% below SD
Work from home 5.3%±2Highest SD: 9.7% 4.8%±1.4Lowest SD: 9.7%
Huron and Watertown are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 56.6%Lowest 66.6%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 2.8 mi 2.8 mi
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.03Lowest 1.17Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Alpena (6%)Sioux Falls (9%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others 2% work in Watertown1% work in Huron
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 1.7%Lowest 3.3%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 10.0 miHighest 9.7 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.9 miHighest 0.4 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 8Lowest 30Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 62.3Highest 39.7Lowest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #32 of 34 in SD#11 of 34 in SD
School district Huron School District 02-2Watertown School District 14-4
High school in town Huron High School - 01Watertown High School - 01
Students per teacherat that high school 18.9Highest 16.8Lowest
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.

Huron neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Huron’s Town Square.

Watertown neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Watertown’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Huron and Watertown

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

Bordering Huron

Towns like Huron

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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