Skip to content

TownTapestry

Find a town

Guest, Sign inJoin

Compare towns

Kimball vs Waubay

137 miles apart. The biggest differences: age 65+ (+18.2 pts in Waubay) and seasonal homes (+28.9 pts in Waubay).

×

Kimball, SDKnown for its schoolsSouth Dakota · 457 people

×

Waubay, SDA small town of 337South Dakota · 337 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.

KimballKnown for its schools

SchoolsBetter than 86%of SD districts All about Kimball →

WaubayA small town of 337

Quiet strengthsWaubay doesn’t stand out on the data we haveNeighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.

All about Waubay →

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.

Age 65++18.2 pts

Waubay has more people 65 and up

Waubay 40.1%Kimball 21.9%

Seasonal homes+28.9 pts

Waubay has more second homes

Waubay 30.6%Kimball 1.7%

Conserved land+20.3 pts

Kimball has more conserved land

Kimball 21.3%Waubay 1%

Street grid+82%

Waubay has the more walkable street grid

Waubay 44.3Kimball 24.3

Homeowners+12.5 pts renters

Waubay has more renters

Kimball 71%Waubay 58.5%

Typical home built15 yrs

Kimball’s homes are older

Waubay 1971Kimball 1956

★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $730 more a month in Waubay

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%

Kimball$910/mo

Typical home $153K (Census) · tax rate 0.87% · or rent about $814/mo · Housing →

Waubay$1,640/mo

Typical home $271K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.98% · or rent about $603/mo · Housing →

The difference: $730 a month, about $8,800 a year, between Waubay and Kimball.

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

AKimballBetter than 86% of districts in the state C+WaubayBetter than 42% 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

KimballWaubay

Snow a year38″36″

January low8°F 4°F

July high86°F 82°F

Growing season (days)153d 164d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)65th 41st

Outdoors & history

KimballWaubay

Conserved land—1%

Settled1883 —

National Register places1 —

Archive photos2 —

Famous people born here2 —

Community

KimballWaubay

Library hours a week26 hrs 33 hrs

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

137 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

KimballSD WaubaySD

Kimball ↔ Waubay137 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

KimballWaubay

People

Population 457Highest 337Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -18.6%Lowest SD: +8.9% -17.9%Highest SD: +8.9%

Median age 49.7±9.7Lowest 31% above SD 53.3±10.2Highest 40% above SD

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

Kids under 18 22.8%±5.9Highest SD: 24.2% 21.1%±16.6Lowest SD: 24.2%

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

Age 65+ 21.9%±5Lowest SD: 18% 40.1%±9.2Highest SD: 18%

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 18.4%Lowest SD: 31.9% 24.8%Highest SD: 31.9%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 2.4%±3.2Highest SD: 5% 1.5%±3.6Lowest SD: 5%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $52,917±$18kHighest 30% below SD $36,389±$19kLowest 52% below SD

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $152,800±$36k 41% below SD $152,800±$85k 41% below SD

Rentmedian gross, monthly $814±$274Highest 14% below SD $603±$61Lowest 36% below SD

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

Property taxmedian, yearly $1,330Lowest 51% below SD $1,500Highest 45% below SD

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 54.5%±33.2Highest SD: 39.8% 16.7%±46.7Lowest SD: 39.8%

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

Below poverty line 7.8%Lowest SD: 11.9% 24.3%Highest SD: 11.9%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 71%Highest SD: 68.6% 58.5%Lowest SD: 68.6%

Typical home builtmedian year 1956Lowest 24 yrs older than SD 1971Highest 9 yrs older than SD

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 17 minHighest 3% below SD 13 minLowest 26% below SD

Work from home 6.5%±4.8Lowest SD: 9.7% 10%±12.3Highest SD: 9.7%

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

Work in townworking residents 15.1%Highest 9.2%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 43.8 miHighest 30.8 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.33Highest 1.02Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Chamberlain (15%)Webster (15%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in WaubayFew work in Kimball

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 21.3%Highest 1%Lowest

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 24.3Lowest 44.3Highest

Schools

School district Kimball School District 07-2Waubay School District 18-3

High school in town Kimball High School - 01Waubay High School - 01

Students per teacherat that high school 9.3Lowest 10.7Highest

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.

Kimball neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Kimball’s Town Square.

Waubay neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Waubay’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Kimball and Waubay

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

Bordering Kimball

Kimball Township106 people · $223K homes

Towns like Kimball

Bridgewater451 people · $116K homes

Philip571 people · $182K homes

Rosholt428 people · $116K homes

Menno653 people · $112K 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.