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Letcher vs Spencer

30 miles apart. The biggest differences: home values (+52% in Spencer) and street grid (2.4× in Spencer).

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Letcher, SDA small town of 171South Dakota · 171 people

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Spencer, SDHomes around $267KSouth Dakota · 103 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.

LetcherA small town of 171

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

All about Letcher →

SpencerHomes around $267K

Housing$267K typical home17% below the SD typical home All about Spencer →

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.

Home values+52%

Homes cost more in Spencer

Spencer $155,600Letcher $102,100

Street grid2.4×

Spencer has the more walkable street grid

Spencer 136Letcher 57.9

Typical home built35 yrs

Letcher’s homes are older

Spencer 1993Letcher 1958

Average commute7 min

Letcher has the shorter commute

Spencer 28 minLetcher 21 min

★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $970 more a month in Spencer

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%

Letcher$670/mo

Typical home $102K (Census) · tax rate 1.58% · or rent about $725/mo · Housing →

Spencer$1,640/mo

Typical home $267K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.11% · or rent about $440/mo · Housing →

The difference: $970 a month, about $11,700 a year, between Spencer and Letcher.

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

LetcherSpencer

Snow a year26″36″

January low5°F 6°F

July high86°F 84°F

Growing season (days)140d 143d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)45th 52nd

Outdoors & history

LetcherSpencer

National Register places2 —

Famous people born here1 —

Community

LetcherSpencer

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

30 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

LetcherSD SpencerSD

Letcher ↔ Spencer30 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

LetcherSpencer

People

Population 171Highest 103Lowest

Median age 38.4±8.2Highest about the SD average 36.8±25.3Lowest 3% below SD

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

Kids under 18 29.2%±10.4Highest SD: 24.2% 20.4%±14.3Lowest SD: 24.2%

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

Age 65+ 16.4%±11.3Lowest SD: 18% 24.3%±21.8Highest SD: 18%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 17.9%Lowest SD: 31.9% 18.1%Highest SD: 31.9%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 11.1%±8.2Highest SD: 5% 0%±13.7Lowest SD: 5%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $81,042±$24kHighest 8% above SD $67,188±$29kLowest 11% below SD

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $102,100±$18kLowest 60% below SD $155,600±$24kHighest 40% below SD

Rentmedian gross, monthly $725±$195Highest 23% below SD $440±$133Lowest 53% below SD

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

Property taxmedian, yearly $1,614Lowest 41% below SD $1,722Highest 37% below SD

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 85.7%±78.5Highest SD: 39.8% 0%±100Lowest SD: 39.8%

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

Below poverty line 24%Highest SD: 11.9% 2.9%Lowest SD: 11.9%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 80%Lowest SD: 68.6% 84.2%Highest SD: 68.6%

Typical home builtmedian year 1958Lowest 22 yrs older than SD 1993Highest 13 yrs newer than SD

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 21 minLowest 20% above SD 28 minHighest 60% above SD

Work from home 6.6%±5Lowest SD: 9.7% 13.3%±10.7Highest SD: 9.7%

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

Work in townworking residents 1.5%Highest 0%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 15.3 miLowest 41.3 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.21Highest 0.20Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Woonsocket (19%)Sioux Falls (27%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in SpencerFew work in Letcher

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 0.5%Highest 0.1%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 0.0 mi 0.0 mi

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 mi 0.0 mi

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0 0

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 57.9Lowest 136Highest

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.

Letcher neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Letcher’s Town Square.

Spencer neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Spencer’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Letcher and Spencer

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Towns like Letcher

Mission Hill200 people · $104K homes

Pierpont161 people · $75K homes

Volin139 people · $116K homes

Kennebec296 people · $156K 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.