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Compare towns

Irene vs Hermosa

307 miles apart. The biggest differences: rent (+67% in Hermosa) and street grid (2.6× in Irene).

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Irene, SDKnown for its schoolsSouth Dakota · 456 people
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Hermosa, SDHomes around $529KSouth Dakota · 353 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 →
HermosaHomes around $529K
Housing$529K typical home64% above the SD typical home All about Hermosa →
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.

Rent+67%
Rent runs higher in Hermosa
Hermosa $1,264Irene $756
Street grid2.6×
Irene has the more walkable street grid
Irene 101Hermosa 39.2
Typical home built46 yrs
Irene’s homes are older
Hermosa 1991Irene 1945
Average commute7 min
Hermosa has the shorter commute
Irene 35 minHermosa 29 min
Bachelor’s degree++8.7 pts
More adults in Irene have a degree
Irene 16.2%Hermosa 7.5%
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $1,330 more a month in Hermosa

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 →
Hermosa$3,190/mo
Typical home $529K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.94% · or rent about $1,264/mo · Housing →

The difference: $1,330 a month, about $16,000 a year, between Hermosa and Irene.

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 BHermosaBetter than 55% 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
IreneHermosa
Snow a year31″33″
January low7°F—
July high84°F—
Growing season (days)151d—
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)46th89th
Outdoors & history
IreneHermosa
Trails—0 mi
Conserved land—0%
Settled1895—
National Register places11
Archive photos—12
Community
IreneHermosa
Library hours a week36 hrs17 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

307 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

IreneSDHermosaSD
Irene ↔ Hermosa307 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.

IreneHermosa
People
Population 456Highest 353Lowest
Median age 38.2±8.3Lowest about the SD average 40.1±17.7Highest 6% above SD
Hermosa 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% 23.5%±7.1Highest SD: 24.2%
Hermosa and Irene are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 23.9%±10.2Highest SD: 18% 23.5%±10.9Lowest SD: 18%
Irene and Hermosa are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 16.2%Highest SD: 31.9% 7.5%Lowest SD: 31.9%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 0.4%±2.4Lowest SD: 5% 2%±4.1Highest SD: 5%
Hermosa 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 $53,203±$24kLowest 29% below SD
Irene and Hermosa 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 $148,800±$77kHighest 42% below SD
Hermosa 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 $1,264±$172Highest 34% above SD
Property taxmedian, yearly $1,395Lowest 49% below SD $1,397Highest 49% below SD
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 11.8%±21.3Lowest SD: 39.8% 26%±44.8Highest SD: 39.8%
Hermosa 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% 14.2%Highest SD: 11.9%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 69.4%Lowest SD: 68.6% 69.9%Highest SD: 68.6%
Typical home builtmedian year 1945Lowest 35 yrs older than SD 1991Highest 11 yrs newer than SD
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 35 minHighest 98% above SD 29 minLowest 61% above SD
Work from home 4%±5.2Lowest SD: 9.7% 13.5%±10Highest SD: 9.7%
Hermosa 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 2.8%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 24.3 miHighest 20.8 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.80Lowest 0.99Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Sioux Falls (25%)Rapid City (29%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in HermosaFew work in Irene
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 0% 0%
Trailsmapped miles 0.0 mi 0.0 mi
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 mi 0.0 mi
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0Lowest 1Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 101Highest 39.2Lowest
Schools
School district Irene - Wakonda School District 13-3Custer School District 16-1
High school in town Irene - Wakonda High School - 01None in town
Students per teacherat that high school 14.1 —
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.

Hermosa neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Hermosa’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Irene and Hermosa

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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