Compare towns

Ipswich vs Arlington

119 miles apart. The biggest differences: average commute (11 min in Ipswich) and typical home built (15 yrs in Ipswich).

Ipswich, SDKnown for its schoolsSouth Dakota · 1,048 people

Arlington, SDKnown for its schoolsSouth Dakota · 920 people

Swap order

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.

IpswichKnown for its schools

SchoolsBetter than 83%of SD districts HealthHealthier than 74%of U.S. towns on CDC estimates

History8 historic places8 places on the National Register All about Ipswich →

ArlingtonKnown for its schools

SchoolsBetter than 99%of SD districts

HistorySettled in 18804 places on the National Register All about Arlington →

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.

Average commute11 min

Ipswich has the shorter commute

Arlington 28 minIpswich 17 min

Typical home built15 yrs

Ipswich’s homes are older

Arlington 1972Ipswich 1957

★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $1,020 more a month in Arlington

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%

Ipswich$1,000/mo

Typical home $165K (Census) · tax rate 0.96% · or rent about $1,053/mo · Housing →

Arlington$2,010/mo

Typical home $327K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.09% · or rent about $810/mo · Housing →

The difference: $1,020 a month, about $12,200 a year, between Arlington and Ipswich.

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

A−IpswichBetter than 83% of districts in the state A+ArlingtonBetter than 99% of districts in the state

Health

B+IpswichHealthier than 74% of U.S. towns –ArlingtonNot 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

IpswichArlington

Snow a year34″36″

January low3°F 4°F

July high84°F 81°F

Growing season (days)143d 145d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)29th 30th

Outdoors & history

IpswichArlington

Settled—1880

National Register places8 4

Community

IpswichArlington

Library hours a week26 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

119 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

IpswichSD ArlingtonSD

Ipswich ↔ Arlington119 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

IpswichArlington

People

Population 1,048Highest 920Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -2.7%Lowest SD: +8.9% 0%Highest SD: +8.9%

Median age 34.9±14.5Lowest 8% below SD 40.1±6Highest 6% above SD

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

Kids under 18 22.7%±5.3Lowest SD: 24.2% 25.8%±4.4Highest SD: 24.2%

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

Age 65+ 21.9%±4.3Lowest SD: 18% 22.5%±5Highest SD: 18%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 19.9%Lowest SD: 31.9% 21.1%Highest SD: 31.9%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 2.2%±2.8Highest SD: 5% 1.3%±1.2Lowest SD: 5%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $74,167±$15kHighest about the SD average $71,296±$10kLowest 5% below SD

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $164,700±$13kHighest 36% below SD $144,300±$16kLowest 44% below SD

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

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,053±$282Highest 11% above SD $810±$174Lowest 14% below SD

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

Property taxmedian, yearly $1,587Highest 42% below SD $1,577Lowest 42% below SD

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 30.7%±31.3Lowest SD: 39.8% 43.5%±15.5Highest SD: 39.8%

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

Below poverty line 6.6%Lowest SD: 11.9% 19.2%Highest SD: 11.9%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 69.7%Lowest SD: 68.6% 70.2%Highest SD: 68.6%

Typical home builtmedian year 1957Lowest 23 yrs older than SD 1972Highest 8 yrs older than SD

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 17 minLowest 5% below SD 28 minHighest 56% above SD

Work from home 10.2%±6.7Highest SD: 9.7% 3.3%±3.7Lowest SD: 9.7%

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

Work in townworking residents 16.3%Highest 8.9%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 27.3 miHighest 19.3 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.90Highest 0.69Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Aberdeen (35%)Brookings (21%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in ArlingtonFew work in Ipswich

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 4.5%Highest 0%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 0.0 mi 0.0 mi

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 mi 0.0 mi

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0 0

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 75.8Highest 57.9Lowest

Schools

School district Ipswich Public School District 22-6Arlington School District 38-1

High school in town Ipswich High School - 01Arlington High School - 01

Students per teacherat that high school 14.3Highest 7.7Lowest

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.

Ipswich neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Ipswich’s Town Square.

Arlington neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Arlington’s Town Square.

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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.

Ipswich vs Arlington

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they differ most

A typical home costs $1,020 more a month in Arlington

Grades and rankings, side by side

What daily life feels like in each

119 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

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Towns like Ipswich

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