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Compare towns

Marion vs Philip

224 miles apart. The biggest differences: work in town (+40.5 pts in Philip) and jobs per worker (3.4× in Philip).

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Marion, SDKnown for its schoolsSouth Dakota · 981 people
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Philip, SDA regional job hubSouth Dakota · 571 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.

MarionKnown for its schools
SchoolsBetter than 31%of SD districts All about Marion →
PhilipA regional job hub
Work560 jobsbased in Philip, a regional job hub HistorySettled in 19072 places on the National Register All about Philip →
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.

Work in town+40.5 pts
More of Philip’s workers stay in town
Philip 47.5%Marion 7%
Jobs per worker3.4×
Philip is more of a job hub
Philip 2.15Marion 0.63
Average commute17 min
Philip has the shorter commute
Marion 22 minPhilip 5 min
Property tax bill+51%
Tax bills are bigger in Philip
Philip $2,795Marion $1,852
Growth since 2010+10.9 pts
Marion has grown faster since 2010
Marion +8.3%Philip -2.6%
Rent+27%
Rent runs higher in Marion
Marion $813Philip $642
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $610 more a month in Marion

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.

Marion$1,800/mo
Typical home $290K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.13% · or rent about $813/mo · Housing →
Philip$1,190/mo
Typical home $182K (Census) · tax rate 1.53% · or rent about $642/mo · Housing →

The difference: $610 a month, about $7,300 a year, between Marion and Philip.

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
CMarionBetter than 31% of districts in the state C+PhilipBetter than 42% of districts in the state
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
MarionPhilip
Snow a year41″38″
January low—8°F
July high—88°F
Growing season (days)—132d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)49th91st
Outdoors & history
MarionPhilip
Trails0 mi—
Conserved land0%—
Settled18811907
National Register places—2
Archive photos—12
Famous people born here—2
Community
MarionPhilip
Library hours a week—29 hrs
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

224 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

MarionSDPhilipSD
Marion ↔ Philip224 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.

MarionPhilip
People
Population 981Highest 571Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +8.3%Highest SD: +8.9% -2.6%Lowest SD: +8.9%
Median age 51.7±9.3Lowest 36% above SD 52.4±12.5Highest 38% above SD
Philip and Marion are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 21.1%±4.5Highest SD: 24.2% 15.2%±6.2Lowest SD: 24.2%
Marion and Philip are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 33.6%±1.8Highest SD: 18% 27.7%±10.7Lowest SD: 18%
Marion and Philip are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 18.8%Highest SD: 31.9% 15.9%Lowest SD: 31.9%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 1.4%±1.7Highest SD: 5% 1.1%±2.1Lowest SD: 5%
Marion and Philip are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $67,750±$16kHighest 10% below SD $56,635±$25kLowest 25% below SD
Marion and Philip are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $164,500±$29kLowest 36% below SD $182,100±$67kHighest 29% below SD
Philip and Marion are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $813±$79Highest 14% below SD $642±$90Lowest 32% below SD
Property taxmedian, yearly $1,852Lowest 32% below SD $2,795Highest about the SD average
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 35.2%±19.5Highest SD: 39.8% 33.3%±39.6Lowest SD: 39.8%
Marion and Philip are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 10.8%Lowest SD: 11.9% 15.6%Highest SD: 11.9%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 75.9%Highest SD: 68.6% 70.8%Lowest SD: 68.6%
Typical home builtmedian year 1965Lowest 15 yrs older than SD 1983Highest 3 yrs newer than SD
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 22 minHighest 23% above SD 5 minLowest 71% below SD
Work from home 2.3%±1.6Highest SD: 9.7% 0%±3.8Lowest SD: 9.7%
Marion and Philip are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 7%Lowest 47.5%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 25.8 miHighest 12.3 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.63Lowest 2.15Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Sioux Falls (38%)Rapid City (8%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in PhilipFew work in Marion
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 0% 0%
Trailsmapped miles 0.2 miHighest 0.1 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.2 mi 0.2 mi
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 1Highest 0Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 68.5Lowest 127Highest
Schools
School district Marion School District 60-3Haakon School District 27-1
High school in town Marion High School - 01Philip High School - 01
Students per teacherat that high school 9.0Lowest 13.6Highest
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.

Marion neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Marion’s Town Square.

Philip neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Philip’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Marion and Philip

One tap adds it. Up to 4 towns at once.

Bordering Marion

M
+ Compare
Marion Township113 people · $328K homes
M
+ Compare
Monroe Township136 people · $347K homes

Towns like Marion

H
+ Compare
Howard943 people · $101K homes
C
+ Compare
Centerville903 people · $161K homes
+ Compare
Clark1,359 people · $123K homes
+ Compare
Gettysburg1,260 people · $125K 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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