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Leola vs Bruce

134 miles apart. The biggest differences: trails (2.5× in Leola) and jobs per worker (2× in Leola).

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Leola, SDA small town of 381South Dakota · 381 people

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Bruce, SDA small town of 290South Dakota · 290 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.

LeolaA small town of 381

Quiet strengthsLeola doesn’t stand out on the data we haveNeighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.

All about Leola →

BruceA small town of 290

Quiet strengthsBruce doesn’t stand out on the data we haveNeighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.

All about Bruce →

The biggest differences

Where they differ most

The rows below where the towns are furthest apart, beyond the Census margin of error. The full table is further down.

Leola has more miles of trail

Leola 0.5 miBruce 0.2 mi

Jobs per worker2×

Leola is more of a job hub

Leola 0.84Bruce 0.41

Average commute8 min

Bruce has the shorter commute

Leola 28 minBruce 20 min

Typical home built16 yrs

Bruce’s homes are older

Leola 1956Bruce 1940

Work in town+9.2 pts

More of Leola’s workers stay in town

Leola 12.2%Bruce 3%

★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $1,890 more a month in Bruce

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%

Leola$500/mo

Typical home $65K (Census) · tax rate 2.86% · or rent about $843/mo · Housing →

Bruce$2,390/mo

Typical home $366K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.53% · or rent about $692/mo · Housing →

The difference: $1,890 a month, about $22,600 a year, between Bruce and Leola.

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

BLeolaBetter than 60% of districts in the state –BruceNot 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

LeolaBruce

Snow a year34″36″

January low3°F 4°F

July high84°F 81°F

Growing season (days)143d 145d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)37th 57th

Outdoors & history

LeolaBruce

National Register places1 1

Archive photos—2

Community

LeolaBruce

Library hours a week20 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

134 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

LeolaSD BruceSD

Leola ↔ Bruce134 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

LeolaBruce

People

Population 381Highest 290Lowest

Median age 38.9±10.3Highest about the SD average 38.7±6.9Lowest about the SD average

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

Kids under 18 27.6%±3.2Lowest SD: 24.2% 31.4%±9.5Highest SD: 24.2%

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

Age 65+ 18.9%±5.3Highest SD: 18% 17.2%±8Lowest SD: 18%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 31.4%Highest SD: 31.9% 25.4%Lowest SD: 31.9%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 2.6%±2.9Highest SD: 5% 2.1%±4.1Lowest SD: 5%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $71,250±$17kHighest 5% below SD $55,000±$28kLowest 27% below SD

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $65,400±$10kLowest 75% below SD $114,100±$53kHighest 56% below SD

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

Rentmedian gross, monthly $843±$139Highest 11% below SD $692±$258Lowest 27% below SD

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

Property taxmedian, yearly $1,868Highest 31% below SD $1,750Lowest 36% below SD

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 19.2%±55.8Lowest SD: 39.8% 44%±69.6Highest SD: 39.8%

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

Below poverty line 6.3%Highest SD: 11.9% 6.2%Lowest SD: 11.9%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 80.7%Highest SD: 68.6% 77.3%Lowest SD: 68.6%

Typical home builtmedian year 1956Highest 24 yrs older than SD 1940Lowest 40 yrs older than SD

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 28 minHighest 56% above SD 20 minLowest 13% above SD

Work from home 5.8%±5.4Lowest SD: 9.7% 11.6%±10Highest SD: 9.7%

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

Work in townworking residents 12.2%Highest 3%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 32.8 miHighest 11.3 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.84Highest 0.41Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Eureka (18%)Brookings (45%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in BruceFew work in Leola

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 0% 0%

Trailsmapped miles 0.5 miHighest 0.2 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.7 miHighest 0.5 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0 0

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 105Lowest 112Highest

Schools

School district Leola School District 44-2—

High school in town Leola High School - 01—

Students per teacherat that high school 7.0 —

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.

Leola neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Leola’s Town Square.

Bruce neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Bruce’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Leola and Bruce

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Towns like Leola

Langford481 people · $125K homes

Hurley394 people · $111K homes

Bison406 people · $82K homes

Stickney284 people · $132K 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.