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Compare towns

Irene vs Bowdle

205 miles apart. The biggest differences: average commute (26 min in Bowdle) and work in town (+13.4 pts in Bowdle).

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Irene, SDKnown for its schoolsSouth Dakota · 456 people
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Bowdle, SDA history townSouth Dakota · 475 people
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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.

IreneKnown for its schools
SchoolsBetter than 18%of SD districts All about Irene →
BowdleA history town
HistorySettled in 18861 place on the National Register All about Bowdle →
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.

Average commute26 min
Bowdle has the shorter commute
Irene 35 minBowdle 9 min
Work in town+13.4 pts
More of Bowdle’s workers stay in town
Bowdle 13.9%Irene 0.5%
Typical home built20 yrs
Irene’s homes are older
Bowdle 1965Irene 1945
Jobs per worker+64%
Bowdle is more of a job hub
Bowdle 1.31Irene 0.80
Homeowners+9.8 pts renters
Bowdle has more renters
Irene 69.4%Bowdle 59.6%
Bachelor’s degree++9.8 pts
More adults in Bowdle have a degree
Bowdle 26%Irene 16.2%
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $1,160 more a month in Irene

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.

Irene$1,860/mo
Typical home $282K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.60% · or rent about $756/mo · Housing →
Bowdle$690/mo
Typical home $113K (Census) · tax rate 1.11% · or rent about $783/mo · Housing →

The difference: $1,160 a month, about $13,900 a year, between Irene and Bowdle.

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
C−IreneBetter than 18% of districts in the state B−BowdleBetter than 53% of districts in the state
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
IreneBowdle
Snow a year31″47″
January low7°F3°F
July high84°F83°F
Growing season (days)151d148d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)46th25th
Outdoors & history
IreneBowdle
Settled18951886
National Register places11
Archive photos—12
Famous people born here—2
Community
IreneBowdle
Library hours a week36 hrs30 hrs
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

205 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

IreneSDBowdleSD
Irene ↔ Bowdle205 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.

IreneBowdle
People
Population 456Lowest 475Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census — -6.4% SD: +8.9%
Median age 38.2±8.3Lowest about the SD average 39.1±4.1Highest about the SD average
Bowdle and Irene are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 16.4%±6.7Lowest SD: 24.2% 24.6%±7.2Highest SD: 24.2%
Bowdle and Irene are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 23.9%±10.2Lowest SD: 18% 27.2%±4.4Highest SD: 18%
Bowdle and Irene are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 16.2%Lowest SD: 31.9% 26%Highest SD: 31.9%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 0.4%±2.4Lowest SD: 5% 1.7%±2.6Highest SD: 5%
Bowdle and Irene are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $66,563±$11kHighest 11% below SD $63,750±$29kLowest 15% below SD
Irene and Bowdle are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $87,300±$13kLowest 66% below SD $112,500±$57kHighest 56% below SD
Bowdle and Irene are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $756±$162Lowest 20% below SD $783±$249Highest 17% below SD
Bowdle and Irene are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $1,395Highest 49% below SD $1,250Lowest 54% below SD
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 11.8%±21.3Lowest SD: 39.8% 26.6%±24.4Highest SD: 39.8%
Bowdle and Irene are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 3.7%Lowest SD: 11.9% 8.4%Highest SD: 11.9%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 69.4%Highest SD: 68.6% 59.6%Lowest SD: 68.6%
Typical home builtmedian year 1945Lowest 35 yrs older than SD 1965Highest 15 yrs older than SD
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 35 minHighest 98% above SD 9 minLowest 47% below SD
Work from home 4%±5.2Lowest SD: 9.7% 10.9%±3.9Highest SD: 9.7%
Bowdle and Irene are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 0.5%Lowest 13.9%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 24.3 miLowest 32.8 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.80Lowest 1.31Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Sioux Falls (25%)Roscoe (15%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in BowdleFew work in Irene
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 0%Lowest 1.9%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 0 0
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 101Highest 83.7Lowest
Schools
School district Irene - Wakonda School District 13-3Bowdle School District 22-1
High school in town Irene - Wakonda High School - 01Bowdle High School - 01
Students per teacherat that high school 14.1Highest 5.0Lowest
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.

Irene neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Irene’s Town Square.

Bowdle neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Bowdle’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Irene and Bowdle

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

Bordering Irene

T
+ Compare
Turkey Valley Township127 people · $528K homes
D
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Daneville Township207 people · $275K homes
S
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Star Township98 people · $340K homes
M
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Marindahl Township151 people

Towns like Irene

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Trent341 people · $145K homes
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Hoven329 people · $88K homes
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Bison406 people · $82K homes
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Gayville519 people · $99K 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.

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