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Lead vs Canton

365 miles apart. The biggest differences: trails (3.1× in Lead) and property tax bill (+31% in Canton).

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Lead, SDAn outdoors townSouth Dakota · 3,006 people

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Canton, SDKnown for its schoolsSouth Dakota · 3,033 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.

LeadAn outdoors town

Outdoors#3 most trails in SD3.7 miles of trails across 1 parks and preserves Housing$388K typical home20% above the SD typical home HealthHealthier than 59%of U.S. towns on CDC estimates All about Lead →

CantonKnown for its schools

Schools#6 for schools in SDof 34 towns Housing$305K typical home5% below the SD typical home HealthHealthier than 60%of U.S. towns on CDC estimates All about Canton →

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.

Lead has more miles of trail

Lead 3.7 miCanton 1.2 mi

Property tax bill+31%

Tax bills are bigger in Canton

Canton $2,434Lead $1,864

Typical home built22 yrs

Lead’s homes are older

Canton 1960Lead 1938

Street grid+63%

Lead has the more walkable street grid

Lead 99.5Canton 61.0

Growth since 2010+4.8 pts

Canton has grown faster since 2010

Canton +0.3%Lead -4.5%

Seasonal homes+9.4 pts

Lead has more second homes

Lead 9.4%Canton 0%

★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $430 more a month in Lead

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%

Lead$2,350/mo

Typical home $388K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.98% · or rent about $835/mo · Housing →

Canton$1,920/mo

Typical home $305K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.27% · or rent about $673/mo · Housing →

The difference: $430 a month, about $5,100 a year, between Lead and Canton.

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

Canton places higher on 12 of 21 SD lists

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.

Safety

B+LeadSafer than 73% of U.S. towns –CantonNot graded

Schools

C+LeadBetter than 39% of districts in the state A−CantonBetter than 79% of districts in the state

Health

BLeadHealthier than 59% of U.S. towns BCantonHealthier than 60% of U.S. towns

8Lead

12Canton

Lists won, of 21 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Most trailsOutdoors · 27 towns #3#24 Best schoolsSchools · 34 towns #31#6 Most remote workersWork · 37 towns #35#11 Highest graduation rateSchools · 33 towns #22#4 Highest incomeIncome · 37 towns #16#31 Lowest obesityHealth · 37 towns #16#31 Most walkableOutdoors · 37 towns #3#16 Lowest depressionHealth · 37 towns #18#8

Left end = #1 in South Dakota. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Lead’s rankings →

Life in each

Lead gets 148 more inches of snow a year

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

LeadCanton

Snow a year184″36″

January low18°F 6°F

July high82°F 83°F

Growing season (days)133d 151d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)54th 71st

Outdoors & history

LeadCanton

Trails4 mi 1 mi

Conserved land0.8%1.3%

Settled1876 —

National Register places2 13

Archive photos12 —

Famous people born here9 —

Community

LeadCanton

Library hours a week40 hrs 45 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

365 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

LeadSD CantonSD

Lead ↔ Canton365 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

LeadCanton

People

Population 3,006Lowest 3,033Highest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -4.5%Lowest SD: +8.9% +0.3%Highest SD: +8.9%

Median age 46.5±13.1Highest 22% above SD 42.2±11.9Lowest 11% above SD

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

Kids under 18 14.7%±5.1Lowest SD: 24.2% 22.9%±6.2Highest SD: 24.2%

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

Age 65+ 27.2%±7.3Highest SD: 18% 25.9%±6.2Lowest SD: 18%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 20.5%Highest SD: 31.9% 16.9%Lowest SD: 31.9%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 1.8%±1.8Highest SD: 5% 1%±1.2Lowest SD: 5%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $73,047±$33kHighest about the SD average $60,850±$10kLowest 19% below SD

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $189,400±$19kLowest 26% below SD $191,400±$11kHighest 26% below SD

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

Rentmedian gross, monthly $835±$81Highest 12% below SD $673±$109Lowest 29% below SD

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

Property taxmedian, yearly $1,864Lowest 32% below SD $2,434Highest 11% below SD

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 30.9%±15.1Lowest SD: 39.8% 35.9%±17Highest SD: 39.8%

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

Below poverty line 7.5%Lowest SD: 11.9% 8.1%Highest SD: 11.9%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 70.3%Highest SD: 68.6% 68.1%Lowest SD: 68.6%

Typical home builtmedian year 1938Lowest 42 yrs older than SD 1960Highest 20 yrs older than SD

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 20 minHighest 13% above SD 20 minLowest 12% above SD

Work from home 2%±2Lowest SD: 9.7% 9.3%±8.2Highest SD: 9.7%

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

Work in townworking residents 18%Lowest 19.1%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 3.3 miLowest 16.8 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.62Lowest 0.72Highest

Top workplaceoutside town Deadwood (38%)Sioux Falls (43%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in CantonFew work in Lead

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 0.8%Lowest 1.3%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 3.7 miHighest 1.2 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 1.9 miHighest 0.4 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 1Lowest 6Highest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 99.5Highest 61.0Lowest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #31 of 34 in SD #6 of 34 in SD

School district Lead-Deadwood School District 40-1Canton School District 41-1

High school in town Lead-Deadwood High School - 01Canton High School - 01

Students per teacherat that high school 10.7Lowest 14.9Highest

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.

Lead neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Lead’s Town Square.

Canton neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Canton’s Town Square.

Add a town

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Bordering Lead

Deadwood1,209 people · $227K homes

Towns like Lead

Custer2,341 people · $236K homes

Fort Pierre2,410 people · $221K homes

Milbank3,525 people · $155K homes

Mobridge2,932 people · $137K 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.