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Compare towns

Irene vs Hoven

198 miles apart. The biggest differences: average commute (17 min in Hoven) and typical home built (26 yrs in Irene).

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Irene, SDKnown for its schoolsSouth Dakota · 456 people
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Hoven, SDKnown for its schoolsSouth Dakota · 329 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 →
HovenKnown for its schools
SchoolsBetter than 84%of SD districts All about Hoven →
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 commute17 min
Hoven has the shorter commute
Irene 35 minHoven 18 min
Typical home built26 yrs
Irene’s homes are older
Hoven 1971Irene 1945
Street grid+53%
Hoven has the more walkable street grid
Hoven 155Irene 101
Homeowners+9.9 pts renters
Irene has more renters
Hoven 79.3%Irene 69.4%
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $1,280 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 →
Hoven$580/mo
Typical home $88K (Census) · tax rate 1.59% · Housing →

The difference: $1,280 a month, about $15,300 a year, between Irene and Hoven.

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 A−HovenBetter than 84% 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
IreneHoven
Snow a year31″33″
January low7°F4°F
July high84°F84°F
Growing season (days)151d145d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)46th55th
Outdoors & history
IreneHoven
Settled18951883
National Register places11
Archive photos—4
Famous people born here—2
Community
IreneHoven
Library hours a week36 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

198 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

IreneSDHovenSD
Irene ↔ Hoven198 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.

IreneHoven
People
Population 456Highest 329Lowest
Median age 38.2±8.3Highest about the SD average 35.9±11.6Lowest 6% below SD
Irene and Hoven 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% 26.4%±6.2Highest SD: 24.2%
Hoven 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% 25.8%±9.2Highest SD: 18%
Hoven 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%Highest SD: 31.9% 14.6%Lowest SD: 31.9%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 0.4%±2.4Highest SD: 5% 0%±4.3Lowest SD: 5%
Irene and Hoven 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 $60,625±$22kLowest 19% below SD
Irene and Hoven 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 $88,300±$15kHighest 66% below SD
Hoven and Irene are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $756±$162 20% below SD —
Property taxmedian, yearly $1,395Lowest 49% below SD $1,406Highest 48% below SD
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 11.8%±21.3Lowest SD: 39.8% 30.4%±65.5Highest SD: 39.8%
Hoven 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% 6.9%Highest SD: 11.9%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 69.4%Lowest SD: 68.6% 79.3%Highest SD: 68.6%
Typical home builtmedian year 1945Lowest 35 yrs older than SD 1971Highest 9 yrs older than SD
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 35 minHighest 98% above SD 18 minLowest about the SD average
Work from home 4%±5.2Lowest SD: 9.7% 4.1%±3.8Highest SD: 9.7%
Hoven 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 5%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 24.3 miHighest 18.3 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.80Lowest 0.86Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Sioux Falls (25%)Gettysburg (40%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in HovenFew 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 0 0
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 101Lowest 155Highest
Schools
School district Irene - Wakonda School District 13-3Hoven School District 53-2
High school in town Irene - Wakonda High School - 01Hoven High School - 01
Students per teacherat that high school 14.1Highest 5.6Lowest
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.

Hoven neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Hoven’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Irene and Hoven

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

Bordering Irene

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Turkey Valley Township127 people · $528K homes
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Daneville Township207 people · $275K homes
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Star Township98 people · $340K homes
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Marindahl Township151 people

Towns like Irene

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Gayville519 people · $99K homes
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Woonsocket759 people · $81K 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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