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Lake Preston vs Philip

214 miles apart. The biggest differences: work in town (+44.1 pts in Philip) and jobs per worker (3.7× in Philip).

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Lake Preston, SDKnown for its schoolsSouth Dakota · 596 people

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Philip, SDA regional job hubSouth Dakota · 571 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.

Lake PrestonKnown for its schools

SchoolsBetter than 71%of SD districts Housing$261K typical home19% below the SD typical home All about Lake Preston →

PhilipA regional job hub

Work560 jobsbased in Philip, a regional job hub

HistorySettled in 19072 places on the National Register All about Philip →

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.

Work in town+44.1 pts

More of Philip’s workers stay in town

Philip 47.5%Lake Preston 3.4%

Jobs per worker3.7×

Philip is more of a job hub

Philip 2.15Lake Preston 0.58

Property tax bill+73%

Tax bills are bigger in Philip

Philip $2,795Lake Preston $1,614

Average commute18 min

Philip has the shorter commute

Lake Preston 23 minPhilip 5 min

Street grid+60%

Philip has the more walkable street grid

Philip 127Lake Preston 79.0

Typical home built18 yrs

Lake Preston’s homes are older

Philip 1983Lake Preston 1965

★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $450 more a month in Lake Preston

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%

Lake Preston$1,640/mo

Typical home $261K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.24% · or rent about $615/mo · Housing →

Philip$1,190/mo

Typical home $182K (Census) · tax rate 1.53% · or rent about $642/mo · Housing →

The difference: $450 a month, about $5,400 a year, between Lake Preston and Philip.

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

B+Lake PrestonBetter than 71% of districts in the state C+PhilipBetter 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

Lake PrestonPhilip

Snow a year41″38″

January low5°F 8°F

July high82°F 88°F

Growing season (days)151d 132d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)30th 91st

Outdoors & history

Lake PrestonPhilip

Trails0 mi —

Conserved land5.9%—

Settled—1907

National Register places3 2

Archive photos—12

Famous people born here—2

Community

Lake PrestonPhilip

Library hours a week14 hrs 29 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

214 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Lake PrestonSD PhilipSD

Lake Preston ↔ Philip214 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

Lake PrestonPhilip

People

Population 596Highest 571Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -1.7%Highest SD: +8.9% -2.6%Lowest SD: +8.9%

Median age 49.3±9.4Lowest 30% above SD 52.4±12.5Highest 38% above SD

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

Kids under 18 16.8%±4.4Highest SD: 24.2% 15.2%±6.2Lowest SD: 24.2%

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

Age 65+ 27%±7.3Lowest SD: 18% 27.7%±10.7Highest SD: 18%

Philip 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% 15.9%Highest SD: 31.9%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 2.9%±1.9Highest SD: 5% 1.1%±2.1Lowest SD: 5%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $52,396±$16kLowest 30% below SD $56,635±$25kHighest 25% below SD

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $130,000±$56kLowest 49% below SD $182,100±$67kHighest 29% below SD

Philip and Lake Preston 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 $642±$90Highest 32% below SD

Philip 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 $2,795Highest about the SD average

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 73.5%±25.2Highest SD: 39.8% 33.3%±39.6Lowest SD: 39.8%

Lake Preston and Philip 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% 15.6%Lowest SD: 11.9%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 61.7%Lowest SD: 68.6% 70.8%Highest SD: 68.6%

Typical home builtmedian year 1965Lowest 15 yrs older than SD 1983Highest 3 yrs newer than SD

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 23 minHighest 31% above SD 5 minLowest 71% below SD

Work from home 11.1%±8.3Highest SD: 9.7% 0%±3.8Lowest SD: 9.7%

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

Work in townworking residents 3.4%Lowest 47.5%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 29.3 miHighest 12.3 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.58Lowest 2.15Highest

Top workplaceoutside town Brookings (15%)Rapid City (8%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in PhilipFew work in Lake Preston

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 5.9%Highest 0%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 0.0 miLowest 0.1 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 79.0Lowest 127Highest

Schools

School district Lake Preston School District 38-3Haakon School District 27-1

High school in town Lake Preston High School - 01Philip High School - 01

Students per teacherat that high school 5.5Lowest 13.6Highest

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.

Philip neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Philip’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Lake Preston and Philip

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Towns like Lake Preston

New Underwood509 people · $194K homes

Big Stone City706 people · $151K homes

Bridgewater451 people · $116K homes

Kimball457 people · $153K 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.