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Compare towns

Parker vs Baltic

32 miles apart. The biggest differences: property tax bill (+60% in Baltic) and jobs per worker (2.6× in Parker).

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Parker, SDOne of the healthiest townsSouth Dakota · 1,280 people
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Baltic, SDOne of the healthiest townsSouth Dakota · 1,502 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.

ParkerOne of the healthiest towns
HealthHealthier than 74%of U.S. towns on CDC estimates SchoolsBetter than 68%of SD districts HistorySettled in 18832 places on the National Register All about Parker →
BalticOne of the healthiest towns
HealthHealthier than 72%of U.S. towns on CDC estimates Housing$377K typical home17% above the SD typical home All about Baltic →
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 bill+60%
Tax bills are bigger in Baltic
Baltic $3,111Parker $1,941
Jobs per worker2.6×
Parker is more of a job hub
Parker 0.63Baltic 0.24
Kids under 18+10 pts
Baltic has more kids
Baltic 37.6%Parker 27.6%
Typical home built24 yrs
Parker’s homes are older
Baltic 1997Parker 1973
Median age7.1 yrs
Parker skews older
Parker 36.4Baltic 29.3
Age 65++6.1 pts
Parker has more people 65 and up
Parker 14.3%Baltic 8.2%
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $330 more a month in Baltic

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.

Parker$2,030/mo
Typical home $342K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.84% · or rent about $971/mo · Housing →
Baltic$2,360/mo
Typical home $377K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.22% · or rent about $1,232/mo · Housing →

The difference: $330 a month, about $3,900 a year, between Baltic and Parker.

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
B+ParkerBetter than 68% of districts in the state BBalticBetter than 58% of districts in the state
Health
B+ParkerHealthier than 74% of U.S. towns B+BalticHealthier than 72% 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
ParkerBaltic
Snow a year41″40″
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)49th32nd
Outdoors & history
ParkerBaltic
Trails—0 mi
Conserved land—0%
Settled1883—
National Register places2—
Archive photos6—
Community
ParkerBaltic
Library hours a week43 hrs13 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

32 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

ParkerSDBalticSD
Parker ↔ Baltic32 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.

ParkerBaltic
People
Population 1,280Lowest 1,502Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +16.8%Highest SD: +8.9% +14.4%Lowest SD: +8.9%
Median age 36.4±4.1Highest 4% below SD 29.3±1.7Lowest 23% below SD
Kids under 18 27.6%±3.6Lowest SD: 24.2% 37.6%±3.6Highest SD: 24.2%
Age 65+ 14.3%±3.1Highest SD: 18% 8.2%±1.8Lowest SD: 18%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 19.9%Lowest SD: 31.9% 24.7%Highest SD: 31.9%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 5.2%±4.1Highest SD: 5% 2.6%±1.9Lowest SD: 5%
Parker and Baltic are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $89,676±$13kLowest 19% above SD $107,768±$12kHighest 44% above SD
Baltic and Parker are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $231,100±$51kLowest 10% below SD $254,200±$24kHighest about the SD average
Baltic and Parker are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $971±$285Lowest about the SD average $1,232±$748Highest 30% above SD
Baltic and Parker are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $1,941Lowest 29% below SD $3,111Highest 14% above SD
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 36.6%±18.9Highest SD: 39.8% 7.6%±19.8Lowest SD: 39.8%
Parker and Baltic are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 11.1%Highest SD: 11.9% 1.2%Lowest SD: 11.9%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 78.6%Lowest SD: 68.6% 81.1%Highest SD: 68.6%
Typical home builtmedian year 1973Lowest 7 yrs older than SD 1997Highest 17 yrs newer than SD
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 25 minHighest 40% above SD 22 minLowest 25% above SD
Work from home 2.8%±2.3Lowest SD: 9.7% 7%±2.8Highest SD: 9.7%
Baltic and Parker are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 7.3%Highest 1.9%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 21.8 miHighest 14.8 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.63Highest 0.24Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Sioux Falls (43%)Sioux Falls (55%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in BalticFew work in Parker
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 0% 0%
Trailsmapped miles 0.0 miLowest 0.2 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 miLowest 0.3 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0Lowest 4Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 90.3Highest 73.3Lowest
Schools
School district Parker School District 60-4Baltic School District 49-1
High school in town Parker High School - 01Baltic High School - 01
Students per teacherat that high school 13.7Lowest 14.1Highest
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.

Parker neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Parker’s Town Square.

Baltic neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Baltic’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Parker and Baltic

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

Towns like Parker

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Freeman1,565 people · $164K 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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