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

A−LennoxSafer than 81% of U.S. towns C+Belle FourcheSafer than 41% of U.S. towns

Schools

A−LennoxBetter than 84% of districts in the state CBelle FourcheBetter than 29% of districts in the state

Health

A−LennoxHealthier than 77% of U.S. towns B−Belle FourcheHealthier than 48% of U.S. towns

Monthly cost

A typical home costs about the same each month

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%

Lennox$2,030/mo

Typical home $326K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.17% · or rent about $745/mo · Housing →

Belle Fourche$2,070/mo

Typical home $340K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.02% · or rent about $983/mo · Housing →

Within $50 a month of each other.

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

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

LennoxBelle Fourche

Snow a year45″42″

January low9°F 13°F

July high85°F 87°F

Growing season (days)157d 143d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)43rd 70th

Outdoors & history

LennoxBelle Fourche

Trails—1 mi

Conserved land—1.8%

National Register places1 16

Archive photos—6

Famous people born here—10

Community

LennoxBelle Fourche

Library hours a week38 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

358 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

LennoxSD Belle FourcheSD

Lennox ↔ Belle Fourche358 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

LennoxBelle Fourche

People

Population 2,468Lowest 5,804Highest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +14.8%Highest SD: +8.9% +0.4%Lowest SD: +8.9%

Median age 38±5.5Lowest about the SD average 38.3±3.8Highest about the SD average

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

Kids under 18 24%±6.2Lowest SD: 24.2% 24.1%±3.4Highest SD: 24.2%

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

Age 65+ 18.1%±4.9Lowest SD: 18% 19.2%±3.7Highest SD: 18%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 24.1%Highest SD: 31.9% 17.1%Lowest SD: 31.9%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 1.3%±1.1Lowest SD: 5% 4.5%±2.2Highest SD: 5%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $81,761±$6kHighest 9% above SD $65,071±$22kLowest 13% below SD

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $235,900±$29kHighest 8% below SD $222,500±$32kLowest 14% below SD

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

Rentmedian gross, monthly $745±$328Lowest 21% below SD $983±$94Highest 4% above SD

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

Property taxmedian, yearly $2,757Highest about the SD average $2,266Lowest 17% below SD

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 64.8%±23.4Highest SD: 39.8% 47%±16.4Lowest SD: 39.8%

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

Below poverty line 9.6%Lowest SD: 11.9% 10.6%Highest SD: 11.9%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 74.3%Highest SD: 68.6% 65.5%Lowest SD: 68.6%

Typical home builtmedian year 1977Lowest 3 yrs older than SD 1978Highest 2 yrs older than SD

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 23 minLowest 30% above SD 26 minHighest 45% above SD

Work from home 11.2%±5.9Highest SD: 9.7% 4.3%±2.4Lowest SD: 9.7%

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

Work in townworking residents 9.1%Lowest 29.3%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 14.8 miHighest 12.3 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.65Lowest 0.70Highest

Top workplaceoutside town Sioux Falls (55%)Spearfish (20%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Belle FourcheFew work in Lennox

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 0%Lowest 1.8%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 0.5 miLowest 0.6 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.3 miHighest 0.1 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0Lowest 5Highest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 80.2Highest 30.6Lowest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading —#27 of 34 in SD

School district Lennox School District 41-4Belle Fourche School District 09-1

High school in town Lennox High School - 01Belle Fourche High School - 01

Students per teacherat that high school 17.2Highest 14.6Lowest

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.

Lennox neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Lennox’s Town Square.

Belle Fourche neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Belle Fourche’s Town Square.

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Set another town beside Lennox and Belle Fourche

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Bordering Lennox

+ Compare

Perry Township677 people · $386K homes

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Grant Township490 people

Towns like Lennox

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Parkston1,874 people · $157K homes

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Elk Point2,537 people · $249K homes

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Beresford2,360 people · $234K homes

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Freeman1,565 people · $164K 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.

Lennox vs Belle Fourche

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

Grades and rankings, side by side

A typical home costs about the same each month

What daily life feels like in each

358 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Lennox and Belle Fourche

Bordering Lennox

Towns like Lennox

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