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Langford vs Emery

139 miles apart. The biggest differences: property tax bill (2× in Emery) and typical home built (21 yrs in Emery).

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Langford, SDHomes around $231KSouth Dakota · 481 people

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Emery, SDKnown for its schoolsSouth Dakota · 539 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.

LangfordHomes around $231K

Housing$231K typical home28% below the SD typical home SchoolsBetter than 31%of SD districts All about Langford →

EmeryKnown for its schools

SchoolsBetter than 86%of SD districts All about Emery →

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.

Property tax bill2×

Tax bills are bigger in Emery

Emery $1,868Langford $920

Typical home built21 yrs

Emery’s homes are older

Langford 1972Emery 1951

Street grid+69%

Langford has the more walkable street grid

Langford 146Emery 86.0

Average commute7 min

Langford has the shorter commute

Emery 25 minLangford 18 min

★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $400 more a month in Langford

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%

Langford$1,350/mo

Typical home $231K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.74% · or rent about $688/mo · Housing →

Emery$950/mo

Typical home $152K (Census) · tax rate 1.23% · or rent about $675/mo · Housing →

The difference: $400 a month, about $4,800 a year, between Langford and Emery.

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

CLangfordBetter than 31% of districts in the state AEmeryBetter than 86% 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

LangfordEmery

Snow a year45″36″

January low0°F 6°F

July high83°F 84°F

Growing season (days)135d 143d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)22nd 55th

Outdoors & history

LangfordEmery

Settled1886 —

National Register places1 —

Community

LangfordEmery

Library hours a week18 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

139 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

LangfordSD EmerySD

Langford ↔ Emery139 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

LangfordEmery

People

Population 481Lowest 539Highest

Median age 38.4±15.2Highest about the SD average 33.5±6Lowest 12% below SD

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

Kids under 18 28.1%±6.6Lowest SD: 24.2% 31.5%±3.5Highest SD: 24.2%

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

Age 65+ 14.1%±2.3Highest SD: 18% 12.4%±2.4Lowest SD: 18%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 25.1%Lowest SD: 31.9% 25.3%Highest SD: 31.9%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 8.1%±8.3Highest SD: 5% 1.9%±1.4Lowest SD: 5%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $79,375±$23kHighest 6% above SD $67,321±$11kLowest 10% below SD

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $125,000±$36kLowest 51% below SD $152,400±$17kHighest 41% below SD

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

Rentmedian gross, monthly $688±$172Highest 27% below SD $675±$350Lowest 29% below SD

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

Property taxmedian, yearly $920Lowest 66% below SD $1,868Highest 31% below SD

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 8.7%±79.4Lowest SD: 39.8% 21.4%±39.4Highest SD: 39.8%

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

Below poverty line 0.6%Lowest SD: 11.9% 6.7%Highest SD: 11.9%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 83.6%Lowest SD: 68.6% 85%Highest SD: 68.6%

Typical home builtmedian year 1972Highest 8 yrs older than SD 1951Lowest 29 yrs older than SD

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 18 minLowest 3% above SD 25 minHighest 42% above SD

Work from home 5.9%±3.5Lowest SD: 9.7% 6.8%±3.2Highest SD: 9.7%

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

Work in townworking residents 3.6%Lowest 6.5%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 14.8 miLowest 21.8 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.27Highest 0.90Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Britton (34%)Mitchell (28%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in EmeryFew work in Langford

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 1.2%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 0 0

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 146Highest 86.0Lowest

Schools

School district Langford Area School District 45-5Bridgewater-Emery 30-3

High school in town Langford Area High School - 01Bridgewater-Emery High School - 01

Students per teacherat that high school 11.8Highest 9.6Lowest

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.

Langford neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Langford’s Town Square.

Emery neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Emery’s Town Square.

Add a town

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Towns like Langford

Hurley394 people · $111K homes

Kennebec296 people · $156K homes

Newell378 people · $141K homes

Jefferson554 people · $179K 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.