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Lincoln Township vs Mellette

182 miles apart. The biggest differences: street grid (308.3× in Mellette) and kids under 18 (+31.7 pts in Mellette).

L ×
Lincoln Township, SDOne of the healthiest townsPerkins County · 164 people
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Mellette, SDA regional job hubSouth Dakota · 199 people
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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.

Lincoln TownshipOne of the healthiest towns
HealthHealthier than 70%of U.S. towns on CDC estimates All about Lincoln Township →
MelletteA regional job hub
Work96 jobsbased in Mellette, a regional job hub All about Mellette →
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.

Street grid308.3×
Mellette has the more walkable street grid
Mellette 123Lincoln Township 0.4
Kids under 18+31.7 pts
Mellette has more kids
Mellette 31.7%Lincoln Township 0%
In college+24.7 pts
Lincoln Township is more of a college town
Lincoln Township 26.2%Mellette 1.5%
Bachelor’s degree++11.2 pts
More adults in Mellette have a degree
Mellette 20%Lincoln Township 8.8%
Typical home built16 yrs
Lincoln Township’s homes are older
Mellette 1985Lincoln Township 1969
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $230 more a month in Mellette

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.

Lincoln Township$980/mo
Typical home $161K (Census) · tax rate 1.03% · Housing →
Mellette$1,210/mo
Typical home $201K (Census) · tax rate 0.95% · Housing →

The difference: $230 a month, about $2,800 a year, between Mellette and Lincoln Township.

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
–Lincoln TownshipNot graded BMelletteBetter than 60% of districts in the state
Health
B+Lincoln TownshipHealthier than 70% of U.S. towns –MelletteNot 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
Lincoln TownshipMellette
Snow a year42″43″
January low9°F1°F
July high87°F84°F
Growing season (days)142d137d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)54th30th
Outdoors & history
Lincoln TownshipMellette
Trails11 mi—
Conserved land0.7%—
Settled—1881
Famous people born here—1
Community
Lincoln TownshipMellette
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

182 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Lincoln TownshipPerkins CountyMelletteSD
Lincoln Township ↔ Mellette182 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.

Lincoln TownshipMellette
People
Population 164Lowest 199Highest
Median age 41±27.9Highest 8% above SD 39.4±16.6Lowest 4% above SD
Lincoln Township and Mellette are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 0%±17.2Lowest SD: 24.2% 31.7%±9.9Highest SD: 24.2%
Age 65+ 9.1%±19.7Lowest SD: 18% 20.1%±12.7Highest SD: 18%
Mellette and Lincoln Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 8.8%Lowest SD: 31.9% 20%Highest SD: 31.9%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 26.2%±18.4Highest SD: 5% 1.5%±5.6Lowest SD: 5%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $111,618±$34kHighest 49% above SD $106,964±$13kLowest 42% above SD
Lincoln Township and Mellette are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $160,600±$97kLowest 38% below SD $201,000±$33kHighest 22% below SD
Mellette and Lincoln Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $1,662Lowest 39% below SD $1,911Highest 30% below SD
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 0%±100Lowest SD: 39.8% 14.3%±100Highest SD: 39.8%
Mellette and Lincoln Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 5.5%Lowest SD: 11.9% 10.1%Highest SD: 11.9%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 83.3%Lowest SD: 68.6% 85.5%Highest SD: 68.6%
Typical home builtmedian year 1969Lowest 11 yrs older than SD 1985Highest 5 yrs newer than SD
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 16 minLowest 11% below SD 19 minHighest 8% above SD
Work from home 0%±8.8Lowest SD: 9.7% 13%±6.8Highest SD: 9.7%
Mellette and Lincoln Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 0%Lowest 3.2%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 19.8 miLowest 20.8 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.30Lowest 1.55Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Lemmon (49%)Redfield (21%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in MelletteFew work in Lincoln Township
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 0.7%Highest 0%Lowest
Trailsmapped miles 10.6 miHighest 0.0 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.1 miHighest 0.0 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 1Highest 0Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 0.4Lowest 123Highest
Schools
School district —Northwestern Area School District 56-7
High school in town —Northwestern High School - 01
Students per teacherat that high school — 11.8
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.

Lincoln Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Lincoln Township’s Town Square.

Mellette neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Mellette’s Town Square.

Add a town

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Bordering Lincoln Township

+ Compare
Lemmon1,208 people · $86K homes
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De Witt Township38 people · $220K homes
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Orange Township, ND26 people
F
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Flat Creek Township69 people

Towns like Lincoln Township

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Trenton Township249 people
F
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Fairview Township193 people · $150K homes
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Pringle206 people
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Volin139 people · $116K 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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