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Mount Vernon vs St. Francis

138 miles apart. The biggest differences: property tax bill (10.6× in Mount Vernon) and jobs per worker (20.4× in St. Francis).

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Mount Vernon, SDKnown for its schoolsSouth Dakota · 442 people
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St. Francis, SDKnown for its schoolsSouth Dakota · 593 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.

Mount VernonKnown for its schools
SchoolsBetter than 96%of SD districts All about Mount Vernon →
St. FrancisKnown for its schools
SchoolsBetter than 4%of SD districts Work442 jobsbased in St. Francis, a regional job hub All about St. Francis →
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.

Property tax bill10.6×
Tax bills are bigger in Mount Vernon
Mount Vernon $2,104St. Francis $199
Jobs per worker20.4×
St. Francis is more of a job hub
St. Francis 6.31Mount Vernon 0.31
Typical home built39 yrs
Mount Vernon’s homes are older
St. Francis 1977Mount Vernon 1938
Work in town+23.8 pts
More of St. Francis’s workers stay in town
St. Francis 25.7%Mount Vernon 1.9%
Street grid+53%
Mount Vernon has the more walkable street grid
Mount Vernon 157St. Francis 102
Average commute4 min
St. Francis has the shorter commute
Mount Vernon 20 minSt. Francis 16 min
★ What stands out · 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
A+Mount VernonBetter than 96% of districts in the state D−St. FrancisBetter than 4% 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
Mount VernonSt. Francis
Snow a year41″41″
January low9°F11°F
July high87°F87°F
Growing season (days)167d145d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)49th63rd
Outdoors & history
Mount VernonSt. Francis
National Register places11
Archive photos13
Famous people born here2—
Community
Mount VernonSt. Francis
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

138 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Mount VernonSDSt. FrancisSD
Mount Vernon ↔ St. Francis138 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.

Mount VernonSt. Francis
People
Population 442Lowest 593Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census — -33.9% SD: +8.9%
Median age 28.8±2.1Highest 24% below SD 24.8±9.6Lowest 35% below SD
Mount Vernon and St. Francis are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 25.8%±6.8Lowest SD: 24.2% 42%±22.5Highest SD: 24.2%
St. Francis and Mount Vernon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 10.9%±3.5Highest SD: 18% 5.7%±3.5Lowest SD: 18%
Mount Vernon and St. Francis are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 17%Lowest SD: 31.9% 24.4%Highest SD: 31.9%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 2.9%±1.6Lowest SD: 5% 4.2%±4.9Highest SD: 5%
St. Francis and Mount Vernon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $60,357±$33kHighest 20% below SD $42,083±$21kLowest 44% below SD
Mount Vernon and St. Francis are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $164,400±$30k 36% below SD —
Rentmedian gross, monthly $386±$380Lowest 59% below SD $567±$165Highest 40% below SD
St. Francis and Mount Vernon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $2,104Highest 23% below SD $199Lowest 93% below SD
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 12.9%±6.2Lowest SD: 39.8% 16.2%±24.4Highest SD: 39.8%
St. Francis and Mount Vernon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 5%Lowest SD: 11.9% 34.1%Highest SD: 11.9%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 55.5%Highest SD: 68.6% 49.4%Lowest SD: 68.6%
Typical home builtmedian year 1938Lowest 42 yrs older than SD 1977Highest 3 yrs older than SD
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 20 minHighest 11% above SD 16 minLowest 12% below SD
Work from home 9.4%±7.2Highest SD: 9.7% 4.9%±6.2Lowest SD: 9.7%
Mount Vernon and St. Francis are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 1.9%Lowest 25.7%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 12.8 miHighest 2.8 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.31Lowest 6.31Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Mitchell (45%)Two Strike (31%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in St. FrancisFew work in Mount Vernon
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 0% 0%
Trailsmapped miles 0.0 miLowest 0.4 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 miLowest 1.0 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0 0
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 157Highest 102Lowest
Schools
School district Mount Vernon School District 17-3—
High school in town Mount Vernon High School- 01—
Students per teacherat that high school 13.2 —
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.

Mount Vernon neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Mount Vernon’s Town Square.

St. Francis neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to St. Francis’s Town Square.

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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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