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Compare towns

Lawrence Township vs Willow Lake

115 miles apart. The biggest differences: street grid (49.4× in Willow Lake) and jobs per worker (6.9× in Willow Lake).

L ×
Lawrence Township, SDA small town of 501Charles Mix County · 501 people
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Willow Lake, SDKnown for its schoolsSouth Dakota · 433 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.

Lawrence TownshipA small town of 501
Quiet strengthsLawrence Township doesn’t stand out on the data we haveNeighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.
All about Lawrence Township →
Willow LakeKnown for its schools
SchoolsBetter than 31%of SD districts All about Willow Lake →
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.

Street grid49.4×
Willow Lake has the more walkable street grid
Willow Lake 64.2Lawrence Township 1.3
Jobs per worker6.9×
Willow Lake is more of a job hub
Willow Lake 1.03Lawrence Township 0.15
Property tax bill+66%
Tax bills are bigger in Willow Lake
Willow Lake $2,212Lawrence Township $1,330
Typical home built31 yrs
Willow Lake’s homes are older
Lawrence Township 1980Willow Lake 1949
Average commute9 min
Lawrence Township has the shorter commute
Willow Lake 23 minLawrence Township 14 min
Bachelor’s degree++11.1 pts
More adults in Lawrence Township have a degree
Lawrence Township 29.8%Willow Lake 18.7%
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $510 more a month in Lawrence Township

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.

Lawrence Township$1,470/mo
Typical home $259K (Census) · tax rate 0.51% · or rent about $675/mo · Housing →
Willow Lake$970/mo
Typical home $149K (Census) · tax rate 1.48% · or rent about $815/mo · Housing →

The difference: $510 a month, about $6,100 a year, between Lawrence Township and Willow Lake.

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
–Lawrence TownshipNot graded CWillow LakeBetter than 31% 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
Lawrence TownshipWillow Lake
Snow a year31″48″
January low12°F—
July high87°F—
Growing season (days)165d—
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)43rd39th
Outdoors & history
Lawrence TownshipWillow Lake
Trails1 mi—
Conserved land2.4%—
National Register places—1
Community
Lawrence TownshipWillow Lake
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

115 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Lawrence TownshipCharles Mix CountyWillow LakeSD
Lawrence Township ↔ Willow Lake115 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.

Lawrence TownshipWillow Lake
People
Population 501Highest 433Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -15.3% SD: +8.9% —
Median age 17.8±4.8Highest 53% below SD 17.5±6.9Lowest 54% below SD
Lawrence Township and Willow Lake are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 50.3%±24.6Lowest SD: 24.2% 51%±30.2Highest SD: 24.2%
Willow Lake and Lawrence Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 2.8%±6.4Lowest SD: 18% 8.8%±4.7Highest SD: 18%
Willow Lake and Lawrence Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 29.8%Highest SD: 31.9% 18.7%Lowest SD: 31.9%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 1.2%±2.5Lowest SD: 5% 3%±2.1Highest SD: 5%
Willow Lake and Lawrence Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $65,833±$36kLowest 12% below SD $72,875±$19kHighest about the SD average
Willow Lake and Lawrence Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $259,400±$185kHighest about the SD average $149,000±$52kLowest 42% below SD
Lawrence Township and Willow Lake are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $675±$420Lowest 29% below SD $815±$256Highest 14% below SD
Willow Lake and Lawrence Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $1,330Lowest 51% below SD $2,212Highest 19% below SD
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 37%±62.5Highest SD: 39.8% 4.8%±41.7Lowest SD: 39.8%
Lawrence Township and Willow Lake are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 58.8%Highest SD: 11.9% 1.2%Lowest SD: 11.9%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 70%Highest SD: 68.6% 62.2%Lowest SD: 68.6%
Typical home builtmedian year 1980Highest same as SD 1949Lowest 31 yrs older than SD
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 14 minLowest 21% below SD 23 minHighest 26% above SD
Work from home 0%±7.9Lowest SD: 9.7% 15.6%±18.7Highest SD: 9.7%
Willow Lake and Lawrence Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 0%Lowest 5.8%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 6.3 miLowest 30.8 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.15Lowest 1.03Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Wagner (45%)Clark (17%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Willow LakeFew work in Lawrence Township
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 2.4%Highest 0%Lowest
Trailsmapped miles 1.3 miHighest 0.0 miLowest
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 1.3Lowest 64.2Highest
Schools
School district —Willow Lake School District 12-3
High school in town —Willow Lake High School - 01
Students per teacherat that high school — 11.1
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.

Lawrence Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Lawrence Township’s Town Square.

Willow Lake neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Willow Lake’s Town Square.

Add a town

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Bordering Lawrence Township

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+ Compare
Lone Tree Township333 people · $95K homes
+ Compare
Wagner1,529 people · $136K homes
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Ree Township51 people
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+ Compare
Bryan Township341 people · $293K homes

Towns like Lawrence Township

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+ Compare
Plankinton Township295 people · $245K homes
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Milltown Township202 people · $166K homes
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Burk Township416 people · $531K homes
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Lake Norden889 people · $193K 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.

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