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Lead vs Fort Pierre

167 miles apart. The biggest differences: trails (6.2× in Lead) and typical home built (55 yrs in Lead).

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Lead, SDAn outdoors townSouth Dakota · 3,006 people
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Fort Pierre, SDA history townSouth Dakota · 2,410 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.

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 →
Fort PierreA history town
History12 archive photos & papers8 places on the National Register HealthHealthier than 75%of U.S. towns on CDC estimates SchoolsBetter than 27%of SD districts All about Fort Pierre →
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.

Trails6.2×
Lead has more miles of trail
Lead 3.7 miFort Pierre 0.6 mi
Typical home built55 yrs
Lead’s homes are older
Fort Pierre 1993Lead 1938
Property tax bill+44%
Tax bills are bigger in Fort Pierre
Fort Pierre $2,688Lead $1,864
Street grid+70%
Lead has the more walkable street grid
Lead 99.5Fort Pierre 58.5
Growth since 2010+6.3 pts
Fort Pierre has grown faster since 2010
Fort Pierre +1.8%Lead -4.5%
Homeowners+11.5 pts renters
Lead has more renters
Fort Pierre 81.8%Lead 70.3%
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $410 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.

Lead$2,350/mo
Typical home $388K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.98% · or rent about $835/mo · Housing →
Fort Pierre$1,940/mo
Typical home $310K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.22% · or rent about $913/mo · Housing →

The difference: $410 a month, about $4,900 a year, between Lead and Fort Pierre.

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.

Life in each

Lead gets 147 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
LeadFort Pierre
Snow a year184″37″
January low18°F9°F
July high82°F88°F
Growing season (days)133d148d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)54th91st
Outdoors & history
LeadFort Pierre
Trails4 mi1 mi
Conserved land0.8%2.4%
Settled1876—
National Register places28
Archive photos1212
Famous people born here93
Community
LeadFort Pierre
Library hours a week40 hrs—
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.

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.

Safety
B+LeadSafer than 73% of U.S. towns –Fort PierreNot graded
Schools
C+LeadBetter than 39% of districts in the state CFort PierreBetter than 27% of districts in the state
Health
BLeadHealthier than 59% of U.S. towns A−Fort PierreHealthier than 75% of U.S. towns
Where they are

167 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

LeadSDFort PierreSD
Lead ↔ Fort Pierre167 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.

LeadFort Pierre
People
Population 3,006Highest 2,410Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -4.5%Lowest SD: +8.9% +1.8%Highest SD: +8.9%
Median age 46.5±13.1Highest 22% above SD 44.2±4.3Lowest 16% above SD
Lead and Fort Pierre 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% 23.3%±4.1Highest SD: 24.2%
Fort Pierre 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% 24%±4.8Lowest SD: 18%
Lead and Fort Pierre are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 20.5%Lowest SD: 31.9% 24.7%Highest SD: 31.9%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 1.8%±1.8Highest SD: 5% 1.4%±1.4Lowest SD: 5%
Lead and Fort Pierre 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 $70,357±$24kLowest 6% below SD
Lead and Fort Pierre 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 $220,900±$69kHighest 14% below SD
Fort Pierre and Lead are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $835±$81Lowest 12% below SD $913±$108Highest 3% below SD
Fort Pierre and Lead 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 $2,688Highest about the SD average
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 30.9%±15.1Lowest SD: 39.8% 39.9%±23.5Highest SD: 39.8%
Fort Pierre and Lead are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 7.5%Highest SD: 11.9% 5.6%Lowest SD: 11.9%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 70.3%Lowest SD: 68.6% 81.8%Highest SD: 68.6%
Typical home builtmedian year 1938Lowest 42 yrs older than SD 1993Highest 13 yrs newer than SD
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 20 minHighest 13% above SD 17 minLowest about the SD average
Work from home 2%±2Lowest SD: 9.7% 6.8%±4.4Highest SD: 9.7%
Fort Pierre and Lead are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 18%Highest 16.9%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 3.3 miHighest 2.3 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.62Lowest 1.02Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Deadwood (38%)Pierre (51%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Fort PierreFew work in Lead
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 0.8%Lowest 2.4%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 3.7 miHighest 0.6 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 1.9 miHighest 0.2 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 1 1
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 99.5Highest 58.5Lowest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #31 of 34 in SD—
School district Lead-Deadwood School District 40-1Stanley County School District 57-1
High school in town Lead-Deadwood High School - 01Stanley County High School - 01
Students per teacherat that high school 10.7Lowest 13.7Highest
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.

Fort Pierre neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Fort Pierre’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Lead and Fort Pierre

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Bordering Lead

D
+ Compare
Deadwood1,209 people · $227K homes

Towns like Lead

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Canton3,033 people · $191K homes
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Custer2,341 people · $236K homes
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Milbank3,525 people · $155K homes
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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.

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