Guest, Sign inJoin
Compare towns

Ontario Township vs Bates Township

69 miles apart. The biggest differences: trails (4.6× in Bates Township) and conserved land (+21.6 pts in Ontario Township).

O ×
Ontario Township, SDAn outdoors townHand County · 63 people
B ×
Bates Township, SDA small town of 49Brown County · 49 people
Swap order
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.

Ontario TownshipAn outdoors town
Outdoors24.3% conserved land3.8 miles of trails across 0 parks and preserves All about Ontario Township →
Bates TownshipA small town of 49
Quiet strengthsBates Township doesn’t stand out on the data we haveNeighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.
All about Bates Township →
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.

Trails4.6×
Bates Township has more miles of trail
Bates Township 17.3 miOntario Township 3.8 mi
Conserved land+21.6 pts
Ontario Township has more conserved land
Ontario Township 24.3%Bates Township 2.7%
Street grid2×
Bates Township has the more walkable street grid
Bates Township 0.8Ontario Township 0.4
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
Ontario TownshipBates Township
Snow a year44″32″
January low4°F—
July high85°F—
Growing season (days)139d—
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)62nd38th
Outdoors & history
Ontario TownshipBates Township
Trails4 mi17 mi
Conserved land24.3%2.7%
Archive photos—1
Community
Ontario TownshipBates 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

69 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Ontario TownshipHand CountyBates TownshipBrown County
Ontario Township ↔ Bates Township69 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.

Ontario TownshipBates Township
People
Population 63Highest 49Lowest
Median age 67.1±45.4Highest 77% above SD 65.1±18.6Lowest 71% above SD
Ontario Township and Bates Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 20.6%±36.6Highest SD: 24.2% 0%±57.7Lowest SD: 24.2%
Ontario Township and Bates Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 52.4%±56.6Lowest SD: 18% 55.1%±77.5Highest SD: 18%
Bates Township and Ontario Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 0% SD: 31.9% 0% SD: 31.9%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 0%±22.4 SD: 5% 0%±28.9 SD: 5%
Cost of living
Below poverty line 30.2%Lowest SD: 11.9% 55.1%Highest SD: 11.9%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 100% SD: 68.6% 100% SD: 68.6%
Typical home builtmedian year 1982Highest 2 yrs newer than SD 1980Lowest same as SD
Getting to work
Work from home 0%±30.3Lowest SD: 9.7% 61.3%±62.5Highest SD: 9.7%
Bates Township and Ontario Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 0% 0%
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 36.8 miHighest 23.8 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.00Lowest 0.18Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Miller (12%)Groton (24%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Bates TownshipFew work in Ontario Township
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 24.3%Highest 2.7%Lowest
Trailsmapped miles 3.8 miLowest 17.3 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.1 miLowest 0.5 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0 0
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 0.4Lowest 0.8Highest
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.

Ontario Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Ontario Township’s Town Square.

Bates Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Bates Township’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Ontario Township and Bates Township

One tap adds it. Up to 4 towns at once.

Bordering Ontario Township

C
+ Compare
Campbell Township18 people

Towns like Ontario Township

L
+ Compare
Lake George Township61 people
E
+ Compare
Enterprise Township55 people · $98K homes
C
+ Compare
Cambria Township89 people
S
+ Compare
Sully Township75 people · $272K homes
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.

Post to Ontario Township

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in