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Lake Preston vs Bridgewater

56 miles apart. The biggest differences: homeowners (+10.3 pts renters in Lake Preston).

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Lake Preston, SDKnown for its schoolsSouth Dakota · 596 people
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Bridgewater, SDKnown for its schoolsSouth Dakota · 451 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.

Lake PrestonKnown for its schools
SchoolsBetter than 71%of SD districts Housing$261K typical home19% below the SD typical home All about Lake Preston →
BridgewaterKnown for its schools
SchoolsBetter than 86%of SD districts Housing$249K typical home23% below the SD typical home All about Bridgewater →
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.

Homeowners+10.3 pts renters
Lake Preston has more renters
Bridgewater 72%Lake Preston 61.7%
★ What stands out · 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
B+Lake PrestonBetter than 71% of districts in the state ABridgewaterBetter than 86% of districts in the state
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.

Lake Preston$1,640/mo
Typical home $261K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.24% · or rent about $615/mo · Housing →
Bridgewater$1,600/mo
Typical home $249K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.40% · or rent about $729/mo · Housing →

Within $50 a month of each other.

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
Lake PrestonBridgewater
Snow a year41″36″
January low5°F6°F
July high82°F84°F
Growing season (days)151d143d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)30th55th
Outdoors & history
Lake PrestonBridgewater
Trails0 mi—
Conserved land5.9%—
National Register places31
Community
Lake PrestonBridgewater
Library hours a week14 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

56 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Lake PrestonSDBridgewaterSD
Lake Preston ↔ Bridgewater56 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.

Lake PrestonBridgewater
People
Population 596Highest 451Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -1.7% SD: +8.9% —
Median age 49.3±9.4Highest 30% above SD 48.7±10.7Lowest 28% above SD
Lake Preston and Bridgewater are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 16.8%±4.4Lowest SD: 24.2% 20.2%±6.9Highest SD: 24.2%
Bridgewater and Lake Preston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 27%±7.3Lowest SD: 18% 31%±5.4Highest SD: 18%
Bridgewater and Lake Preston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 13.7%Lowest SD: 31.9% 13.8%Highest SD: 31.9%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 2.9%±1.9Lowest SD: 5% 3.1%±3.8Highest SD: 5%
Bridgewater and Lake Preston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $52,396±$16kHighest 30% below SD $47,083±$13kLowest 37% below SD
Lake Preston and Bridgewater are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $130,000±$56kHighest 49% below SD $116,100±$38kLowest 55% below SD
Lake Preston and Bridgewater are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $615±$109Lowest 35% below SD $729±$26Highest 23% below SD
Bridgewater and Lake Preston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $1,614Lowest 41% below SD $1,625Highest 40% below SD
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 73.5%±25.2Highest SD: 39.8% 56.4%±35.9Lowest SD: 39.8%
Lake Preston and Bridgewater are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 17%Highest SD: 11.9% 10.8%Lowest SD: 11.9%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 61.7%Lowest SD: 68.6% 72%Highest SD: 68.6%
Typical home builtmedian year 1965Lowest 15 yrs older than SD 1969Highest 11 yrs older than SD
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 23 minLowest 31% above SD 24 minHighest 36% above SD
Work from home 11.1%±8.3Highest SD: 9.7% 9.9%±5.2Lowest SD: 9.7%
Lake Preston and Bridgewater are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 3.4%Lowest 3.6%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 29.3 miLowest 36.8 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.58Highest 0.50Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Brookings (15%)Sioux Falls (37%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in BridgewaterFew work in Lake Preston
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 5.9%Highest 0%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 1Highest 0Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 79.0Highest 70.2Lowest
Schools
School district Lake Preston School District 38-3Bridgewater-Emery 30-3
High school in town Lake Preston High School - 01None in town
Students per teacherat that high school 5.5 —
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.

Lake Preston neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Lake Preston’s Town Square.

Bridgewater neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Bridgewater’s Town Square.

Add a town

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Not sure which town to add? Find your place ranks South Dakota towns on what matters to you.Find your place →

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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