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Compare towns

Lemmon vs Clark

227 miles apart. The biggest differences: trails (4× in Lemmon) and work in town (+18.1 pts in Lemmon).

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Lemmon, SDHomes around $125KSouth Dakota · 1,208 people
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Clark, SDKnown for its schoolsSouth Dakota · 1,359 people
Swap order
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 →
ClarkKnown for its schools
SchoolsBetter than 17%of SD districts Housing$199K typical home38% below the SD typical home HistorySettled in 18822 places on the National Register All about Clark →
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.

Trails4×
Lemmon has more miles of trail
Lemmon 0.4 miClark 0.1 mi
Work in town+18.1 pts
More of Lemmon’s workers stay in town
Lemmon 38.3%Clark 20.2%
Average commute9 min
Lemmon has the shorter commute
Clark 18 minLemmon 9 min
Street grid+89%
Lemmon has the more walkable street grid
Lemmon 126Clark 66.9
Growth since 2010+6.3 pts
Clark has grown faster since 2010
Clark +0.8%Lemmon -5.5%
Bachelor’s degree++9.1 pts
More adults in Lemmon have a degree
Lemmon 22.9%Clark 13.8%
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $410 more a month in Clark

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.

Lemmon$830/mo
Typical home $125K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.72% · or rent about $672/mo · Housing →
Clark$1,240/mo
Typical home $199K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.19% · or rent about $775/mo · Housing →

The difference: $410 a month, about $4,900 a year, between Clark 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 C−ClarkBetter than 17% of districts in the state
Health
B−LemmonHealthier than 47% of U.S. towns B−ClarkHealthier than 53% of U.S. towns
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
LemmonClark
Snow a year42″22″
January low9°F—
July high87°F—
Growing season (days)142d—
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)54th39th
Outdoors & history
LemmonClark
Trails0 mi—
Conserved land0%—
Settled—1882
National Register places52
Archive photos126
Famous people born here34
Community
LemmonClark
Library hours a week36 hrs20 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.

Where they are

227 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

LemmonSDClarkSD
Lemmon ↔ Clark227 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.

LemmonClark
People
Population 1,208Lowest 1,359Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -5.5%Lowest SD: +8.9% +0.8%Highest SD: +8.9%
Median age 45.9±8.9Lowest 21% above SD 48.2±6.2Highest 27% above SD
Clark and Lemmon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 21.7%±5.2 SD: 24.2% 21.7%±5.5 SD: 24.2%
Age 65+ 31%±2.7Highest SD: 18% 28.4%±3.1Lowest SD: 18%
Lemmon and Clark 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% 13.8%Lowest SD: 31.9%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 3.2%±2.4Highest SD: 5% 1%±0.8Lowest SD: 5%
Lemmon and Clark 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 $58,750±$11kHighest 22% below SD
Clark 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 $122,800±$39kHighest 52% below SD
Clark 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 $775±$175Highest 18% below SD
Clark and Lemmon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $1,479Highest 46% below SD $1,459Lowest 46% below SD
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 37.6%±14.3Lowest SD: 39.8% 38.1%±17.7Highest SD: 39.8%
Clark and Lemmon 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% 10.7%Lowest SD: 11.9%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 73%Lowest SD: 68.6% 73.9%Highest SD: 68.6%
Typical home builtmedian year 1961Lowest 19 yrs older than SD 1965Highest 15 yrs older than SD
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 9 minLowest 48% below SD 18 minHighest about the SD average
Work from home 9%±6.4Highest SD: 9.7% 3.8%±3.7Lowest SD: 9.7%
Lemmon and Clark are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 38.3%Highest 20.2%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 32.3 miHighest 29.3 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.44Highest 0.97Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Bison (14%)Watertown (12%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in ClarkFew work in Lemmon
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 0%Lowest 0.7%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 0.4 miHighest 0.1 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.4 miHighest 0.1 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 3Highest 0Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 126Highest 66.9Lowest
Schools
School district Lemmon School District 52-4Clark School District 12-2
High school in town Lemmon High School - 01Clark High School - 01
Students per teacherat that high school 11.0Lowest 13.5Highest
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.

Clark neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Clark’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Lemmon and Clark

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

Bordering Lemmon

L
+ Compare
Lincoln Township164 people · $161K homes

Towns like Lemmon

A
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Alcester989 people · $126K homes
M
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Menno653 people · $112K homes
B
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Britton988 people · $110K homes
B
+ Compare
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.

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