Compare towns
Java vs Carthage 141 miles apart. The biggest differences: street grid (2.9× in Java) and conserved land (+23.2 pts in Carthage).
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Java, SD A small town of 78 South Dakota · 78 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.
Java A small town of 78
Quiet strengths Java doesn’t stand out on the data we have Neighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.
All about Java →
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.
★ What stands out · Monthly cost A typical home costs about the same each month 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 payment3.5% 10% 20% Rate
Java $320 /mo
Typical home $54K (Census) · tax rate 0.83% · Housing →
Carthage $460 /mo
Typical home $81K (Census) · tax rate 0.53% · Housing →
The difference: $140 a month , about $1,700 a year , between Carthage and Java.
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.
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.
Outdoors & history
National Register places 1 1 Famous people born here — 2
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 141 miles apart Straight-line miles between town centers.
Java ↔ Carthage 141 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.
Raising kids Affordability Owning a home Short commute Working from home Younger crowd Settled, older crowd Growing town Outdoorsy Walkable streets
Population
78 78
Median age
54.8 ±14.3 Highest 44% above SD 53.2 ±12.8 Lowest 40% above SD
Kids under 18
9% ±26.4 Highest SD: 24.2% 6.4% ±32.2 Lowest SD: 24.2%
Age 65+
25.6% ±26.5 Lowest SD: 18% 34.6% ±26.1 Highest SD: 18%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+
20% Highest SD: 31.9% 15.9% Lowest SD: 31.9%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents
1.3% ±13.4 SD: 5% 1.3% ±13.1 SD: 5%
Household incomemedian
$38,750 ±$26k Lowest 48% below SD $46,875 ±$32k Highest 38% below SD
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied
$54,200 ±$20k Lowest 79% below SD $81,300 ±$29k Highest 68% below SD
Property taxmedian, yearly
$450 Highest 83% below SD $431 Lowest 84% below SD
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent
66.7% ±100 Highest SD: 39.8% 10% ±100 Lowest SD: 39.8%
Below poverty line
25.6% Highest SD: 11.9% 9% Lowest SD: 11.9%
Homeownersof occupied homes
76.3% Lowest SD: 68.6% 81.8% Highest SD: 68.6%
Typical home builtmedian year
1956 Highest 24 yrs older than SD 1953 Lowest 27 yrs older than SD
Average commuteone way
32 min Highest 77% above SD 28 min Lowest 59% above SD
Work from home
0% ±32.3 SD: 9.7% 0% ±20 SD: 9.7%
Work in townworking residents
2.1% Lowest 6.4% Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line
27.3 mi Highest 18.3 mi Lowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub
0.55 Lowest 0.77 Highest
Top workplaceoutside town
Selby (26%) Howard (36%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others
Few work in Carthage Few work in Java
Conserved landshare of the town
0% Lowest 23.2% 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 Lowest 1 Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure
90.5 Highest 31.6 Lowest
“±” Census margin of error ACS 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.
Java or Carthage: which would you pick? → What’s it really like to live in Java? → Moving to Java: what should I know? →
Your question goes to Java’s Town Square.
Carthage or Java: which would you pick? → What’s it really like to live in Carthage? → Moving to Carthage: what should I know? →
Your question goes to Carthage’s Town Square.
Add a town Set another town beside Java and Carthage One tap adds it. Up to 4 towns at once.
Towns like Java 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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