Guest, Sign inJoin
Compare towns

Lake Township vs Cooper Township

Next-door neighbors in Aurora County. The biggest differences: seasonal homes (+100 pts in Cooper Township) and street grid (2× in Lake Township).

L ×
Lake Township, SDAn outdoors townAurora County · 83 people
C ×
Cooper Township, SDAn outdoors townAurora County
Swap order
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 TownshipAn outdoors town
Outdoors18.3% conserved land2.1 miles of trails across 0 parks and preserves All about Lake Township →
Cooper TownshipAn outdoors town
Outdoors30.3% conserved land3.6 miles of trails across 0 parks and preserves All about Cooper 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.

Seasonal homes+100 pts
Cooper Township has more second homes
Cooper Township 100%Lake Township 0%
Street grid2×
Lake Township has the more walkable street grid
Lake Township 0.8Cooper Township 0.4
Conserved land+12 pts
Cooper Township has more conserved land
Cooper Township 30.3%Lake Township 18.3%
Trails+71%
Cooper Township has more miles of trail
Cooper Township 3.6 miLake Township 2.1 mi
★ What stands out · Where they are

Lake Township and Cooper Township share a border

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Lake TownshipCooper TownshipLake TownshipCooper Township
Lake Township ↔ Cooper Township6.8 miles apart · They share a border · Same county
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 TownshipCooper Township
Snow a year38″38″
January low8°F8°F
July high86°F86°F
Growing season (days)153d153d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)48th48th
Outdoors & history
Lake TownshipCooper Township
Trails2 mi4 mi
Conserved land18.3%30.3%
Community
Lake TownshipCooper 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.

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 TownshipCooper Township
People
Population 83Highest 0Lowest
Median age 31.3±42.5 18% below SD —
Kids under 18 42.2%±20 SD: 24.2% —
Age 65+ 8.4%±34.2 SD: 18% —
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 56.8% SD: 31.9% —
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 0%±17 SD: 5% —
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $107,500±$16k 43% above SD —
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $70,000±$58k 73% below SD —
Property taxmedian, yearly $1,900 30% below SD —
Below poverty line 18.1% SD: 11.9% —
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 100% SD: 68.6% —
Typical home builtmedian year 1938 42 yrs older than SD —
Getting to work
Work from home 24.1%±22.6 SD: 9.7% —
Work in townworking residents 0% 0%
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 38.8 miLowest 53.8 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.69Lowest 0.86Highest
Top workplaceoutside town White Lake (25%)Mitchell (29%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Cooper TownshipFew work in Lake Township
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 18.3%Lowest 30.3%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 2.1 miLowest 3.6 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.1 mi 0.1 mi
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0 0
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 0.8Highest 0.4Lowest
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 Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Lake Township’s Town Square.

Cooper Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Cooper Township’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Lake Township and Cooper Township

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

Bordering Lake Township

W
+ Compare
White Lake Township96 people · $417K homes
W
+ Compare
Willow Lake Township32 people
P
+ Compare
Patten Township97 people

Towns like Lake Township

D
+ Compare
Draper Township48 people
H
+ Compare
Howard Township95 people
R
+ Compare
Rosette Township37 people
K
+ Compare
Kaylor Township191 people

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.

Post to Lake Township

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in