Compare towns
Lura Township vs Ward 79 miles apart. The biggest differences: street grid (18.9× in Ward) and average commute (7 min in Lura Township).
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Ward, SD A small town of 52 South Dakota · 52 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.
Lura Township A small town of 53
Quiet strengths Lura Township doesn’t stand out on the data we have Neighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.
All about Lura Township →
Ward A small town of 52
Quiet strengths Ward doesn’t stand out on the data we have Neighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.
All about Ward →
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.
★ What stands out · Monthly cost A typical home costs $410 more a month in Lura 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.
Down payment3.5% 10% 20% Rate
Lura Township $1,430 /mo
Typical home $242K (Census) · tax rate 0.81% · Housing →
Ward $1,020 /mo
Typical home $151K (Census) · tax rate est. 1.8% · Housing →
The difference: $410 a month , about $4,900 a year , between Lura Township and Ward.
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.
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.
Outdoors & history
Community
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 79 miles apart Straight-line miles between town centers.
Lura Township ↔ Ward 79 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.
Raising kids Affordability Owning a home Short commute Working from home Younger crowd Settled, older crowd Growing town Outdoorsy Walkable streets
Population
53 Highest 52 Lowest
Median age
35.5 ±25.7 Highest 7% below SD 31.7 ±29.9 Lowest 17% below SD
Kids under 18
39.6% ±28.6 Highest SD: 24.2% 17.3% ±40.9 Lowest SD: 24.2%
Age 65+
7.5% ±60 Highest SD: 18% 3.8% ±64 Lowest SD: 18%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+
43.8% Highest SD: 31.9% 41.5% Lowest SD: 31.9%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents
0% ±26.7 SD: 5% 0% ±27.2 SD: 5%
Household incomemedian
$104,375 ±$44k Highest 39% above SD $76,875 ±$39k Lowest about the SD average
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied
$241,700 ±$140k Highest 6% below SD $151,300 ±$70k Lowest 41% below SD
Property taxmedian, yearly
$1,950 28% below SD —
Below poverty line
37.7% Highest SD: 11.9% 0% Lowest SD: 11.9%
Homeownersof occupied homes
100% Highest SD: 68.6% 88.5% Lowest SD: 68.6%
Typical home builtmedian year
1938 42 yrs older than SD 1938 42 yrs older than SD
Average commuteone way
14 min Lowest 22% below SD 21 min Highest 20% above SD
Work from home
20.7% ±20.9 Highest SD: 9.7% 0% ±24.4 Lowest SD: 9.7%
Work in townworking residents
0% 0%
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line
24.8 mi Lowest 25.8 mi Highest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub
0.86 Lowest 1.25 Highest
Top workplaceoutside town
Milbank (29%) Sioux Falls (31%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others
Few work in Ward Few work in Lura Township
Conserved landshare of the town
5.1% Highest 0% 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
1 Highest 0 Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure
1.1 Lowest 20.8 Highest
School district
Watertown School District 14-4 —
High school in town
None in town —
“±” Census margin of error ACS 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.
Lura Township or Ward: which would you pick? → What’s it really like to live in Lura Township? → Moving to Lura Township: what should I know? →
Your question goes to Lura Township’s Town Square.
Ward or Lura Township: which would you pick? → What’s it really like to live in Ward? → Moving to Ward: what should I know? →
Your question goes to Ward’s Town Square.
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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