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Mellette Township vs Java

72 miles apart. The biggest differences: street grid (113.1× in Java) and jobs per worker (2.2× in Mellette Township).

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Mellette Township, SDA small town of 67Spink County · 67 people
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Java, SDA small town of 78South Dakota · 78 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.

Mellette TownshipA small town of 67
Quiet strengthsMellette Township doesn’t stand out on the data we haveNeighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.
All about Mellette Township →
JavaA small town of 78
Quiet strengthsJava doesn’t stand out on the data we haveNeighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.
All about Java →
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.

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
Mellette TownshipJava
Snow a year34″33″
January low—4°F
July high—84°F
Growing season (days)—145d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)30th89th
Outdoors & history
Mellette TownshipJava
Trails35 mi—
Conserved land2%—
National Register places—1
Famous people born here1—
Community
Mellette TownshipJava
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

72 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Mellette Township ↔ Java72 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.

Mellette TownshipJava
People
Population 67Lowest 78Highest
Median age 55.9±19.7Highest 47% above SD 54.8±14.3Lowest 44% above SD
Mellette Township and Java are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 13.4%±34Highest SD: 24.2% 9%±26.4Lowest SD: 24.2%
Mellette Township and Java are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 47.8%±39.6Highest SD: 18% 25.6%±26.5Lowest SD: 18%
Mellette Township and Java are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 22.4%Highest SD: 31.9% 20%Lowest SD: 31.9%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 0%±21.1Lowest SD: 5% 1.3%±13.4Highest SD: 5%
Java and Mellette Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $62,500±$39kHighest 17% below SD $38,750±$26kLowest 48% below SD
Mellette Township and Java are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied — $54,200±$20k 79% below SD
Property taxmedian, yearly — $450 83% below SD
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent — 66.7%±100 SD: 39.8%
Below poverty line 0%Lowest SD: 11.9% 25.6%Highest SD: 11.9%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 78.1%Highest SD: 68.6% 76.3%Lowest SD: 68.6%
Typical home builtmedian year 1943Lowest 37 yrs older than SD 1956Highest 24 yrs older than SD
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 28 minLowest 54% above SD 32 minHighest 77% above SD
Work from home 33.3%±22.6Highest SD: 9.7% 0%±32.3Lowest SD: 9.7%
Mellette Township and Java are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 1.9%Lowest 2.1%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 23.8 miLowest 27.3 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.23Highest 0.55Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Sioux Falls (13%)Selby (26%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in JavaFew work in Mellette Township
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 2%Highest 0%Lowest
Trailsmapped miles 34.8 miHighest 0.0 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.5 miHighest 0.0 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0 0
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 0.8Lowest 90.5Highest
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 Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Mellette Township’s Town Square.

Java neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Java’s Town Square.

Add a town

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Bordering Mellette Township

Towns like Mellette Township

Not sure which town to add? Find your place ranks South Dakota towns on what matters to you.Find your place →

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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