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Compare towns

Murdo vs Ipswich

136 miles apart. The biggest differences: work in town (+24.9 pts in Murdo) and street grid (+53% in Murdo).

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Murdo, SDKnown for its schoolsSouth Dakota · 599 people
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Ipswich, SDKnown for its schoolsSouth Dakota · 1,048 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.

MurdoKnown for its schools
SchoolsBetter than 92%of SD districts HistorySettled in 19071 place on the National Register All about Murdo →
IpswichKnown for its schools
SchoolsBetter than 83%of SD districts HealthHealthier than 74%of U.S. towns on CDC estimates History8 historic places8 places on the National Register All about Ipswich →
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.

Work in town+24.9 pts
More of Murdo’s workers stay in town
Murdo 41.2%Ipswich 16.3%
Street grid+53%
Murdo has the more walkable street grid
Murdo 116Ipswich 75.8
Average commute5 min
Murdo has the shorter commute
Ipswich 17 minMurdo 12 min
Typical home built14 yrs
Ipswich’s homes are older
Murdo 1971Ipswich 1957
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $160 more a month in Ipswich

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.

Murdo$840/mo
Typical home $132K (Census) · tax rate 1.30% · or rent about $534/mo · Housing →
Ipswich$1,000/mo
Typical home $165K (Census) · tax rate 0.96% · or rent about $1,053/mo · Housing →

The difference: $160 a month, about $1,900 a year, between Ipswich and Murdo.

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
AMurdoBetter than 92% of districts in the state A−IpswichBetter than 83% of districts in the state
Health
–MurdoNot graded B+IpswichHealthier than 74% of U.S. towns
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
MurdoIpswich
Snow a year49″34″
January low12°F3°F
July high87°F84°F
Growing season (days)158d143d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)48th29th
Outdoors & history
MurdoIpswich
Settled1907—
National Register places18
Archive photos18—
Community
MurdoIpswich
Library hours a week—26 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

136 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

MurdoSDIpswichSD
Murdo ↔ Ipswich136 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.

MurdoIpswich
People
Population 599Lowest 1,048Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census — -2.7% SD: +8.9%
Median age 33.7±15.3Lowest 11% below SD 34.9±14.5Highest 8% below SD
Ipswich and Murdo are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 29%±13.9Highest SD: 24.2% 22.7%±5.3Lowest SD: 24.2%
Murdo and Ipswich are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 23.9%±9.9Highest SD: 18% 21.9%±4.3Lowest SD: 18%
Murdo and Ipswich are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 23.7%Highest SD: 31.9% 19.9%Lowest SD: 31.9%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 2.3%±2.4Highest SD: 5% 2.2%±2.8Lowest SD: 5%
Murdo and Ipswich are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $67,045±$23kLowest 11% below SD $74,167±$15kHighest about the SD average
Ipswich and Murdo are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $132,400±$41kLowest 49% below SD $164,700±$13kHighest 36% below SD
Ipswich and Murdo are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $534±$335Lowest 44% below SD $1,053±$282Highest 11% above SD
Ipswich and Murdo are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $1,726Highest 37% below SD $1,587Lowest 42% below SD
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 4.1%±35.8Lowest SD: 39.8% 30.7%±31.3Highest SD: 39.8%
Ipswich and Murdo are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 21.7%Highest SD: 11.9% 6.6%Lowest SD: 11.9%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 72.4%Highest SD: 68.6% 69.7%Lowest SD: 68.6%
Typical home builtmedian year 1971Highest 9 yrs older than SD 1957Lowest 23 yrs older than SD
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 12 minLowest 33% below SD 17 minHighest 5% below SD
Work from home 3.6%±4.2Lowest SD: 9.7% 10.2%±6.7Highest SD: 9.7%
Ipswich and Murdo are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 41.2%Highest 16.3%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 33.3 miHighest 27.3 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.16Highest 0.90Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Rapid City (7%)Aberdeen (35%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in IpswichFew work in Murdo
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 0%Lowest 4.5%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 0.0 mi 0.0 mi
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 mi 0.0 mi
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0 0
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 116Highest 75.8Lowest
Schools
School district Jones County School District 37-3Ipswich Public School District 22-6
High school in town Jones County High School - 01Ipswich High School - 01
Students per teacherat that high school 7.4Lowest 14.3Highest
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.

Murdo neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Murdo’s Town Square.

Ipswich neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Ipswich’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Murdo and Ipswich

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Bordering Murdo

B
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Buffalo Township20 people

Towns like Murdo

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White484 people · $129K homes
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Wolsey692 people · $101K homes
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Montrose483 people · $240K homes
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Estelline831 people · $142K 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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