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Lemmon vs Alcester

339 miles apart. The biggest differences: work in town (+29.3 pts in Lemmon) and street grid (2.3× in Lemmon).

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Lemmon, SDHomes around $125KSouth Dakota · 1,208 people

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Alcester, SDKnown for its schoolsSouth Dakota · 989 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.

LemmonHomes around $125K

Housing$125K typical home61% below the SD typical home

History12 archive photos & papers5 places on the National Register All about Lemmon →

AlcesterKnown for its schools

SchoolsBetter than 31%of SD districts All about Alcester →

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.

Work in town+29.3 pts

More of Lemmon’s workers stay in town

Lemmon 38.3%Alcester 9%

Street grid2.3×

Lemmon has the more walkable street grid

Lemmon 126Alcester 55.6

Growth since 2010+7.1 pts

Alcester has grown faster since 2010

Alcester +1.6%Lemmon -5.5%

Average commute6 min

Lemmon has the shorter commute

Alcester 15 minLemmon 9 min

Seasonal homes+9 pts

Lemmon has more second homes

Lemmon 9%Alcester 0%

Property tax bill+17%

Tax bills are bigger in Alcester

Alcester $1,726Lemmon $1,479

★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $1,100 more a month in Alcester

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%

Lemmon$830/mo

Typical home $125K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.72% · or rent about $672/mo · Housing →

Alcester$1,930/mo

Typical home $302K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.37% · or rent about $688/mo · Housing →

The difference: $1,100 a month, about $13,200 a year, between Alcester and Lemmon.

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

BLemmonBetter than 60% of districts in the state CAlcesterBetter than 31% of districts in the state

Health

B−LemmonHealthier than 47% of U.S. towns –AlcesterNot graded

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

LemmonAlcester

Snow a year42″31″

January low9°F 7°F

July high87°F 85°F

Growing season (days)142d 155d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)54th 41st

Outdoors & history

LemmonAlcester

Trails0 mi —

Conserved land0%—

National Register places5 1

Archive photos12 —

Famous people born here3 —

Community

LemmonAlcester

Library hours a week36 hrs 40 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

339 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

LemmonSD AlcesterSD

Lemmon ↔ Alcester339 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

LemmonAlcester

People

Population 1,208Highest 989Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -5.5%Lowest SD: +8.9% +1.6%Highest SD: +8.9%

Median age 45.9±8.9Highest 21% above SD 44.4±14.9Lowest 17% above SD

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

Kids under 18 21.7%±5.2Lowest SD: 24.2% 27.8%±9.5Highest SD: 24.2%

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

Age 65+ 31%±2.7Lowest SD: 18% 31.9%±6Highest SD: 18%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 22.9%Highest SD: 31.9% 20.3%Lowest SD: 31.9%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 3.2%±2.4Highest SD: 5% 1.8%±1.1Lowest SD: 5%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $50,147±$16kLowest 33% below SD $57,000±$6kHighest 24% below SD

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $86,200±$9kLowest 67% below SD $125,800±$41kHighest 51% below SD

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

Rentmedian gross, monthly $672±$107Lowest 29% below SD $688±$75Highest 27% below SD

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

Property taxmedian, yearly $1,479Lowest 46% below SD $1,726Highest 37% below SD

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 37.6%±14.3Highest SD: 39.8% 14.4%±9.8Lowest SD: 39.8%

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

Below poverty line 22%Highest SD: 11.9% 12.4%Lowest SD: 11.9%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 73%Highest SD: 68.6% 69.3%Lowest SD: 68.6%

Typical home builtmedian year 1961Lowest 19 yrs older than SD 1970Highest 10 yrs older than SD

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 9 minLowest 48% below SD 15 minHighest 16% below SD

Work from home 9%±6.4Highest SD: 9.7% 4.7%±4.3Lowest SD: 9.7%

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

Work in townworking residents 38.3%Highest 9%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 32.3 miLowest 33.3 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.44Highest 1.10Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Bison (14%)Sioux Falls (26%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in AlcesterFew work in Lemmon

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 0% 0%

Trailsmapped miles 0.4 miHighest 0.0 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.4 miHighest 0.0 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 3Highest 0Lowest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 126Highest 55.6Lowest

Schools

School district Lemmon School District 52-4Alcester-Hudson School District 61-1

High school in town Lemmon High School - 01Alcester-Hudson High School - 01

Students per teacherat that high school 11.0Lowest 11.4Highest

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.

Lemmon neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Lemmon’s Town Square.

Alcester neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Alcester’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Lemmon and Alcester

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

Bordering Lemmon

Lincoln Township164 people · $161K homes

Towns like Lemmon

Menno653 people · $112K homes

Clark1,359 people · $123K homes

Britton988 people · $110K homes

Burke708 people · $150K 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.