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Compare towns

Milbank vs Chamberlain

165 miles apart. The biggest differences: street grid (3× in Milbank) and home values (+45% in Chamberlain).

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Milbank, SDHomes around $237KSouth Dakota · 3,525 people
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Chamberlain, SDAn outdoors townSouth Dakota · 2,588 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.

MilbankHomes around $237K
Housing$237K typical home26% below the SD typical home Schools#13 for schools in SDof 34 towns Outdoors#5 most walkable in SD2.0 miles of trails across 7 parks and preserves All about Milbank →
ChamberlainAn outdoors town
Outdoors#1 most conserved land in SD1.3 miles of trails across 5 parks and preserves Health56% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates Housing$263K typical home18% below the SD typical home All about Chamberlain →
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.

Street grid3×
Milbank has the more walkable street grid
Milbank 81.3Chamberlain 27.3
Home values+45%
Homes cost more in Chamberlain
Chamberlain $224,300Milbank $155,000
Property tax bill+53%
Tax bills are bigger in Chamberlain
Chamberlain $2,498Milbank $1,630
Conserved land+19.2 pts
Chamberlain has more conserved land
Chamberlain 22.4%Milbank 3.2%
Work in town+13.3 pts
More of Milbank’s workers stay in town
Milbank 51.3%Chamberlain 38%
Average commute5 min
Milbank has the shorter commute
Chamberlain 14 minMilbank 9 min
★ What stands out · Report cards

Milbank places higher on 15 of 21 SD lists

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
B+MilbankBetter than 67% of districts in the state CChamberlainBetter than 30% of districts in the state
Health
BMilbankHealthier than 61% of U.S. towns C+ChamberlainHealthier than 44% of U.S. towns
15Milbank
3Chamberlain

Lists won, of 21 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Highest graduation rateSchools · 33 towns #4#31 Most walkableOutdoors · 37 towns #5#32 Most conserved landOutdoors · 33 towns #18#1 Highest incomeIncome · 37 towns #33#14 Most remote workersWork · 37 towns #9#27 Most trailsOutdoors · 27 towns #13#25 Shortest commuteGetting around · 37 towns #1#15 Lowest property taxCost of living · 37 towns #2#13

Left end = #1 in South Dakota. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Milbank’s rankings →

Monthly cost

A typical home costs $170 more a month in Chamberlain

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.

Milbank$1,450/mo
Typical home $237K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.05% · or rent about $548/mo · Housing →
Chamberlain$1,620/mo
Typical home $263K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.11% · or rent about $818/mo · Housing →

The difference: $170 a month, about $2,000 a year, between Chamberlain and Milbank.

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.

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
MilbankChamberlain
Snow a year32″43″
January low—9°F
July high—87°F
Growing season (days)—156d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)50th54th
Outdoors & history
MilbankChamberlain
Trails2 mi1 mi
Conserved land3.2%22.4%
Settled18801881
National Register places62
Archive photos1212
Famous people born here57
Community
MilbankChamberlain
Library hours a week45 hrs42 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

165 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

MilbankSDChamberlainSD
Milbank ↔ Chamberlain165 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.

MilbankChamberlain
People
Population 3,525Highest 2,588Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +5.7%Highest SD: +8.9% +3.6%Lowest SD: +8.9%
Median age 50±7.6Highest 32% above SD 43±7.3Lowest 13% above SD
Milbank and Chamberlain are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 20.1%±3.9Lowest SD: 24.2% 23.1%±3.9Highest SD: 24.2%
Chamberlain and Milbank are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 29.4%±6.1Highest SD: 18% 23.7%±3.4Lowest SD: 18%
Milbank and Chamberlain are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 31.2%Lowest SD: 31.9% 33.3%Highest SD: 31.9%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 0.8%±1Lowest SD: 5% 1.2%±0.8Highest SD: 5%
Chamberlain and Milbank are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $56,011±$13kLowest 25% below SD $76,761±$8kHighest about the SD average
Chamberlain and Milbank are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $155,000±$21kLowest 40% below SD $224,300±$24kHighest 13% below SD
Rentmedian gross, monthly $548±$364Lowest 42% below SD $818±$270Highest 14% below SD
Chamberlain and Milbank are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $1,630Lowest 40% below SD $2,498Highest 8% below SD
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 29.7%±21Lowest SD: 39.8% 34.7%±12.5Highest SD: 39.8%
Chamberlain and Milbank are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 13.2%Highest SD: 11.9% 12.1%Lowest SD: 11.9%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 69.8%Highest SD: 68.6% 68.2%Lowest SD: 68.6%
Typical home builtmedian year 1972Highest 8 yrs older than SD 1971Lowest 9 yrs older than SD
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 9 minLowest 49% below SD 14 minHighest 22% below SD
Work from home 10.3%±6.2Highest SD: 9.7% 4.6%±3.2Lowest SD: 9.7%
Milbank and Chamberlain are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 51.3%Highest 38%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 1.3 miLowest 19.8 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.44Highest 1.14Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Sioux Falls (5%)Sioux Falls (9%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in ChamberlainFew work in Milbank
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 3.2%Lowest 22.4%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 2.0 miHighest 1.3 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.7 miHighest 0.2 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 7Highest 5Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 81.3Highest 27.3Lowest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #13 of 34 in SD#18 of 34 in SD
School district Milbank School District 25-4Chamberlain School District 07-1
High school in town Milbank High School - 01Chamberlain High School - 01
Students per teacherat that high school 12.2Highest 10.6Lowest
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.

Milbank neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Milbank’s Town Square.

Chamberlain neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Chamberlain’s Town Square.

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Bordering Milbank

A
+ Compare
Alban Township740 people · $242K homes
G
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Grant Center Township296 people · $403K homes

Towns like Milbank

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Custer2,341 people · $236K homes
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Lead3,006 people · $189K homes
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Mobridge2,932 people · $137K homes
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Redfield1,989 people · $120K 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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