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Compare towns

La Bolt vs Patten Township

130 miles apart. The biggest differences: street grid (112.3× in La Bolt) and property tax bill (5× in Patten Township).

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La Bolt, SDA small town of 80South Dakota · 80 people
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Patten Township, SDA small town of 97Aurora County · 97 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.

La BoltA small town of 80
Quiet strengthsLa Bolt doesn’t stand out on the data we haveNeighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.
All about La Bolt →
Patten TownshipA small town of 97
Quiet strengthsPatten Township doesn’t stand out on the data we haveNeighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.
All about Patten Township →
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.

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
La BoltPatten Township
Snow a year61″38″
January low2°F8°F
July high80°F86°F
Growing season (days)146d153d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)53rd48th
Outdoors & history
La BoltPatten Township
National Register places—2
Archive photos1—
Community
La BoltPatten Township
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

130 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

La Bolt ↔ Patten Township130 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.

La BoltPatten Township
People
Population 80Lowest 97Highest
Median age 40.3±8.3Highest 6% above SD 36.3±20.7Lowest 4% below SD
La Bolt and Patten Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 18.8%±20.4Lowest SD: 24.2% 46.4%±50.3Highest SD: 24.2%
Patten Township and La Bolt are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 17.5%±31.7Highest SD: 18% 4.1%±32.7Lowest SD: 18%
La Bolt and Patten Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 27.1%Highest SD: 31.9% 23.1%Lowest SD: 31.9%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 0%±17.7 SD: 5% 0%±14.6 SD: 5%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $71,667±$26k 5% below SD —
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $65,000±$23k 75% below SD —
Property taxmedian, yearly $950Lowest 65% below SD $4,792Highest 76% above SD
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 0%±100 SD: 39.8% 0%±100 SD: 39.8%
Below poverty line 7.5%Highest SD: 11.9% 4.1%Lowest SD: 11.9%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 86.1%Lowest SD: 68.6% 88.5%Highest SD: 68.6%
Typical home builtmedian year 1946Lowest 34 yrs older than SD 1985Highest 5 yrs newer than SD
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 23 min 30% above SD —
Work from home 2.2%±4.3Lowest SD: 9.7% 27.1%±29Highest SD: 9.7%
Patten Township and La Bolt are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 0% 0%
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 22.8 miLowest 36.3 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.57Highest 0.00Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Milbank (31%)Plankinton (13%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Patten TownshipFew work in La Bolt
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 0%Lowest 17.9%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 0
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 67.4Highest 0.6Lowest
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.

La Bolt neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to La Bolt’s Town Square.

Patten Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Patten Township’s Town Square.

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Towns like La Bolt

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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