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Lincoln Township vs Ordway Township

Next-door neighbors in Brown County. The biggest differences: size (13.5× in Lincoln Township) and trails (3.7× in Lincoln Township).

L ×
Lincoln Township, SDAn outdoors townBrown County · 1,598 people
O ×
Ordway Township, SDA small town of 118Brown County · 118 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 TownshipAn outdoors town
Outdoors38.1% conserved land8.5 miles of trails across 0 parks and preserves HealthHealthier than 70%of U.S. towns on CDC estimates All about Lincoln Township →
Ordway TownshipA small town of 118
Quiet strengthsOrdway Township doesn’t stand out on the data we haveNeighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.
All about Ordway Township →
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.

Size13.5×
Lincoln Township is the bigger place
Lincoln Township 1,598Ordway Township 118
Trails3.7×
Lincoln Township has more miles of trail
Lincoln Township 8.5 miOrdway Township 2.3 mi
Conserved land+35.7 pts
Lincoln Township has more conserved land
Lincoln Township 38.1%Ordway Township 2.4%
Jobs per worker3.2×
Ordway Township is more of a job hub
Ordway Township 0.41Lincoln Township 0.13
Bachelor’s degree++26.5 pts
More adults in Ordway Township have a degree
Ordway Township 56.3%Lincoln Township 29.8%
Homeowners+16 pts renters
Lincoln Township has more renters
Ordway Township 100%Lincoln Township 84%
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $270 more a month in Lincoln Township

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$1,410/mo
Typical home $243K (Census) · tax rate 0.68% · Housing →
Ordway Township$1,150/mo
Typical home $190K (Census) · tax rate 0.95% · Housing →

The difference: $270 a month, about $3,200 a year, between Lincoln Township and Ordway 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.

Where they are

Lincoln Township and Ordway Township share a border

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Lincoln TownshipOrdway TownshipLincoln TownshipOrdway Township
Lincoln Township ↔ Ordway Township6.5 miles apart · They share a border · Same county
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.

Health
B+Lincoln TownshipHealthier than 70% of U.S. towns –Ordway TownshipNot 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 TownshipOrdway Township
Snow a year44″42″
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)37th37th
Outdoors & history
Lincoln TownshipOrdway Township
Trails9 mi2 mi
Conserved land38.1%2.4%
Community
Lincoln TownshipOrdway Township
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.

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 TownshipOrdway Township
People
Population 1,598Highest 118Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -8.6% SD: +8.9% —
Median age 51.1±9.6Highest 34% above SD 44.5±58.8Lowest 17% above SD
Lincoln Township and Ordway Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 19.6%±9.3Lowest SD: 24.2% 39.8%±11.3Highest SD: 24.2%
Ordway Township and Lincoln Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 23.7%±6Lowest SD: 18% 39%±9.9Highest SD: 18%
Ordway Township 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+ 29.8%Lowest SD: 31.9% 56.3%Highest SD: 31.9%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 1.4%±2.4Highest SD: 5% 0%±12Lowest SD: 5%
Lincoln Township and Ordway Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $79,040±$20k 5% above SD —
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $242,900±$163kHighest 6% below SD $189,700±$17kLowest 26% below SD
Lincoln Township and Ordway Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $1,643Lowest 40% below SD $1,806Highest 34% below SD
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 100%±100 SD: 39.8% —
Below poverty line 11.9%Highest SD: 11.9% 0%Lowest SD: 11.9%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 84%Lowest SD: 68.6% 100%Highest SD: 68.6%
Typical home builtmedian year 1986Lowest 6 yrs newer than SD 2001Highest 21 yrs newer than SD
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 15 min 13% below SD —
Work from home 14%±10.8Highest SD: 9.7% 0%±34.5Lowest SD: 9.7%
Lincoln Township and Ordway Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 0.4%Highest 0%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 6.3 miLowest 9.8 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.13Lowest 0.41Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Aberdeen (62%)Aberdeen (45%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Ordway TownshipFew work in Lincoln Township
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 38.1%Highest 2.4%Lowest
Trailsmapped miles 8.5 miHighest 2.3 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.2 miHighest 0.1 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0 0
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 1.5Highest 1.4Lowest
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.

Ordway Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Ordway Township’s Town Square.

Add a town

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Bordering Lincoln Township

W
+ Compare
Westport Township56 people · $220K homes
R
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Ravinia Township348 people · $619K homes
A
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Aberdeen Township548 people · $444K homes

Towns like Lincoln Township

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Gettysburg1,260 people · $125K homes
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De Smet943 people · $165K homes
C
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Centerville903 people · $161K homes
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Fort Pierre2,410 people · $221K 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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