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Mellette vs Lincoln Township

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

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

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 $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.

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

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
MelletteLincoln Township
Snow a year43″42″
January low1°F9°F
July high84°F87°F
Growing season (days)137d142d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)30th54th
Outdoors & history
MelletteLincoln Township
Trails—11 mi
Conserved land—0.7%
Settled1881—
Famous people born here1—
Community
MelletteLincoln 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.

Where they are

182 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Mellette ↔ Lincoln Township182 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.

MelletteLincoln Township
People
Population 199Highest 164Lowest
Median age 39.4±16.6Lowest 4% above SD 41±27.9Highest 8% 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 31.7%±9.9Highest SD: 24.2% 0%±17.2Lowest SD: 24.2%
Age 65+ 20.1%±12.7Highest SD: 18% 9.1%±19.7Lowest 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+ 20%Highest SD: 31.9% 8.8%Lowest SD: 31.9%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 1.5%±5.6Lowest SD: 5% 26.2%±18.4Highest SD: 5%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $106,964±$13kLowest 42% above SD $111,618±$34kHighest 49% 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 $201,000±$33kHighest 22% below SD $160,600±$97kLowest 38% 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 $1,911Highest 30% below SD $1,662Lowest 39% below SD
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 14.3%±100Highest SD: 39.8% 0%±100Lowest 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 10.1%Highest SD: 11.9% 5.5%Lowest SD: 11.9%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 85.5%Highest SD: 68.6% 83.3%Lowest SD: 68.6%
Typical home builtmedian year 1985Highest 5 yrs newer than SD 1969Lowest 11 yrs older than SD
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 19 minHighest 8% above SD 16 minLowest 11% below SD
Work from home 13%±6.8Highest SD: 9.7% 0%±8.8Lowest 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 3.2%Highest 0%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 20.8 miHighest 19.8 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.55Highest 1.30Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Redfield (21%)Lemmon (49%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Lincoln TownshipFew work in Mellette
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 0%Lowest 0.7%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 0.0 miLowest 10.6 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 miLowest 0.1 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0Lowest 1Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 123Highest 0.4Lowest
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.

Mellette neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Mellette’s Town Square.

Lincoln Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Lincoln Township’s Town Square.

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Towns like Mellette

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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