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%

Jefferson$2,520/mo

Typical home $399K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.27% · Housing →

Prosper Township$1,810/mo

Typical home $298K (Census) · tax rate 0.99% · Housing →

The difference: $710 a month, about $8,500 a year, between Jefferson and Prosper Township.

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.

Seasons

JeffersonProsper Township

Snow a year36″41″

January low10°F 9°F

July high85°F 87°F

Growing season (days)159d 167d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)82nd 49th

Outdoors & history

JeffersonProsper Township

Trails0 mi 6 mi

Conserved land1.2%11.3%

Settled1859 —

National Register places1 —

Archive photos2 —

Famous people born here2 —

Community

JeffersonProsper Township

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

102 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

JeffersonSD Prosper TownshipDavison County

Jefferson ↔ Prosper Township102 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

JeffersonProsper Township

People

Population 554Highest 498Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -13.2%Lowest SD: +8.9% +4.1%Highest SD: +8.9%

Median age 40.6±12Highest 7% above SD 38.7±8.3Lowest about the SD average

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

Kids under 18 22.6%±8.8Lowest SD: 24.2% 28.5%±7.6Highest SD: 24.2%

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

Age 65+ 18.6%±2.7Lowest SD: 18% 19.9%±9.9Highest SD: 18%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 23.2%Highest SD: 31.9% 12.8%Lowest SD: 31.9%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 1.1%±1.4Lowest SD: 5% 1.4%±3Highest SD: 5%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $82,888±$21kLowest 10% above SD $85,208±$64kHighest 13% above SD

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $179,400±$23kLowest 30% below SD $297,700±$71kHighest 16% above SD

Property taxmedian, yearly $2,284Lowest 16% below SD $2,938Highest 8% above SD

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 13%±77.6Highest SD: 39.8% 0%±100Lowest SD: 39.8%

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

Below poverty line 4.9%Lowest SD: 11.9% 9.8%Highest SD: 11.9%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 91%Lowest SD: 68.6% 93.4%Highest SD: 68.6%

Typical home builtmedian year 1974Lowest 6 yrs older than SD 1981Highest 1 yr newer than SD

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 22 minHighest 24% above SD 22 minLowest 21% above SD

Work from home 8.1%±9.6Lowest SD: 9.7% 10.3%±10.4Highest SD: 9.7%

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

Work in townworking residents 1%Highest 0.3%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 8.8 miHighest 7.8 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.11Highest 0.10Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town North Sioux City (20%)Mitchell (49%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Prosper TownshipFew work in Jefferson

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 1.2%Lowest 11.3%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 0.0 miLowest 5.9 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 miLowest 0.2 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 1Highest 0Lowest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 57.0Highest 0.9Lowest

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.

Jefferson neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Jefferson’s Town Square.

Prosper Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Prosper Township’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Jefferson and Prosper Township

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

Towns like Jefferson

+ Compare

Newell378 people · $141K homes

+ Compare

Sheridan Township445 people · $265K homes

+ Compare

Langford481 people · $125K homes

+ Compare

Hurley394 people · $111K 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.

Jefferson vs Prosper Township

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs $710 more a month in Jefferson

What daily life feels like in each

102 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Jefferson and Prosper Township

Towns like Jefferson

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