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Parkston vs Freeman

28 miles apart. The biggest differences: trails (2.3× in Freeman).

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Parkston, SDHomes around $244KSouth Dakota · 1,874 people

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Freeman, SDHomes around $255KSouth Dakota · 1,565 people

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.

ParkstonHomes around $244K

Housing$244K typical home24% below the SD typical home HealthHealthier than 64%of U.S. towns on CDC estimates All about Parkston →

FreemanHomes around $255K

Housing$255K typical home21% below the SD typical home HealthHealthier than 64%of U.S. towns on CDC estimates All about Freeman →

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.

Freeman has more miles of trail

Freeman 1.4 miParkston 0.6 mi

★ 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

BParkstonBetter than 58% of districts in the state C+FreemanBetter than 42% of districts in the state

Health

BParkstonHealthier than 64% of U.S. towns BFreemanHealthier than 64% of U.S. towns

Monthly cost

A typical home costs about the same each month

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.

Down paymentRate%

Parkston$1,510/mo

Typical home $244K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.16% · or rent about $717/mo · Housing →

Freeman$1,600/mo

Typical home $255K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.24% · or rent about $741/mo · Housing →

The difference: $90 a month, about $1,000 a year, between Freeman and Parkston.

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

ParkstonFreeman

Snow a year39″41″

January low10°F —

July high86°F —

Growing season (days)156d —

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)54th 50th

Outdoors & history

ParkstonFreeman

Trails1 mi 1 mi

Conserved land0%0%

Settled1886 1893

National Register places—3

Famous people born here—4

Community

ParkstonFreeman

Library hours a week47 hrs 41 hrs

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined0 0

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

28 miles apart

And the people who already live in one and work in the other.

ParkstonFreeman

Parkston ↔ Freeman28 miles apart

Who commutes between them

20 Parkston residents work in Freeman (2.8% of its workers)

Work & commute in Parkston →

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.

Only big differences vs South Dakota average

ParkstonFreeman

People

Population 1,874Highest 1,565Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +3.9%Highest SD: +8.9% +1.8%Lowest SD: +8.9%

Median age 39.4±4Highest 4% above SD 37.8±5.2Lowest about the SD average

Parkston and Freeman are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Kids under 18 27.4%±4.4Lowest SD: 24.2% 32.5%±5.3Highest SD: 24.2%

Freeman and Parkston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Age 65+ 18.7%±3.7Lowest SD: 18% 20.4%±2.2Highest SD: 18%

Freeman and Parkston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 25.5%Highest SD: 31.9% 19.3%Lowest SD: 31.9%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 2.6%±1.4Lowest SD: 5% 3.3%±1.4Highest SD: 5%

Freeman and Parkston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $70,139±$9kHighest 7% below SD $57,440±$5kLowest 23% below SD

Parkston and Freeman are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $157,100±$14kLowest 39% below SD $164,200±$15kHighest 36% below SD

Freeman and Parkston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Rentmedian gross, monthly $717±$208Lowest 24% below SD $741±$91Highest 22% below SD

Freeman and Parkston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Property taxmedian, yearly $1,818Lowest 33% below SD $2,030Highest 25% below SD

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 36.1%±17.5 SD: 39.8% 36.1%±20.2 SD: 39.8%

Below poverty line 7.5%Lowest SD: 11.9% 20.9%Highest SD: 11.9%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 73.7%Lowest SD: 68.6% 75.1%Highest SD: 68.6%

Typical home builtmedian year 1968Highest 12 yrs older than SD 1958Lowest 22 yrs older than SD

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 16 minHighest 10% below SD 16 minLowest 11% below SD

Work from home 4.6%±2.9Highest SD: 9.7% 3.5%±2.8Lowest SD: 9.7%

Parkston and Freeman are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Work in townworking residents 30.2%Highest 25.1%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 21.8 miHighest 11.8 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.02Lowest 1.28Highest

Top workplaceoutside town Mitchell (18%)Sioux Falls (15%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others 3% work in FreemanFew work in Parkston

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 0% 0%

Trailsmapped miles 0.6 miLowest 1.4 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.5 miLowest 0.9 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 2 2

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 83.4Highest 69.8Lowest

Schools

School district Parkston School District 33-3Freeman School District 33-1

High school in town Parkston High School - 01Freeman High School - 01

Students per teacherat that high school 9.9Highest 9.3Lowest

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.

Parkston neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Parkston’s Town Square.

Freeman neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Freeman’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Parkston and Freeman

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

Bordering Parkston

Susquehanna Township57 people · $413K homes

Liberty Township218 people · $737K homes

Towns like Parkston

Lennox2,468 people · $236K homes

Salem1,216 people · $167K homes

Clear Lake1,327 people · $163K homes

Webster1,896 people · $154K 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.