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Parnell Township vs Alton Township

Next-door neighbors in Brookings County. The biggest differences: jobs per worker (8.3× in Parnell Township) and work from home (+23.6 pts in Parnell Township).

P ×
Parnell Township, SDA small town of 131Brookings County · 131 people
A ×
Alton Township, SDA small town of 150Brookings County · 150 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.

Parnell TownshipA small town of 131
Quiet strengthsParnell Township doesn’t stand out on the data we haveNeighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.
All about Parnell Township →
Alton TownshipA small town of 150
Quiet strengthsAlton Township doesn’t stand out on the data we haveNeighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.
All about Alton 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.

★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $260 more a month in Parnell Township

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.

Parnell Township$2,060/mo
Typical home $342K (Census) · tax rate 0.92% · Housing →
Alton Township$1,800/mo
Typical home $289K (Census) · tax rate 1.20% · Housing →

The difference: $260 a month, about $3,100 a year, between Parnell Township and Alton Township.

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.

Where they are

Parnell Township and Alton Township share a border

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Parnell TownshipAlton TownshipParnell TownshipAlton Township
Parnell Township ↔ Alton Township5.5 miles apart · They share a border · Same county
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.

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
Parnell TownshipAlton Township
Snow a year36″36″
January low4°F4°F
July high81°F81°F
Growing season (days)145d145d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)40th40th
Outdoors & history
Parnell TownshipAlton Township
Trails2 mi2 mi
Conserved land0%0.7%
National Register places—1
Community
Parnell TownshipAlton 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.

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.

Parnell TownshipAlton Township
People
Population 131Lowest 150Highest
Median age 42±10.9Lowest 11% above SD 57.8±11Highest 52% above SD
Alton Township and Parnell Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 32.8%±16.9Highest SD: 24.2% 20.7%±18.3Lowest SD: 24.2%
Parnell Township and Alton Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 19.1%±19.4Highest SD: 18% 16%±14.9Lowest SD: 18%
Parnell Township and Alton Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 32.2%Highest SD: 31.9% 25.7%Lowest SD: 31.9%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 0%±10.8Lowest SD: 5% 2.7%±7.3Highest SD: 5%
Alton Township and Parnell Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $86,250±$23kLowest 15% above SD $92,813±$71kHighest 24% above SD
Alton Township and Parnell Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $342,300±$130kHighest 33% above SD $288,500±$30kLowest 12% above SD
Parnell Township and Alton Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $3,161Lowest 16% above SD $3,467Highest 27% above SD
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent — 0%±100 SD: 39.8%
Below poverty line 0%Lowest SD: 11.9% 18.7%Highest SD: 11.9%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 100%Highest SD: 68.6% 91.8%Lowest SD: 68.6%
Typical home builtmedian year 1938Lowest 42 yrs older than SD 1944Highest 36 yrs older than SD
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 19 minHighest 6% above SD 18 minLowest about the SD average
Work from home 30.9%±9.6Highest SD: 9.7% 7.3%±8.2Lowest SD: 9.7%
Work in townworking residents 0%Lowest 0.7%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 11.3 miHighest 10.3 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.66Highest 0.08Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Brookings (56%)Brookings (61%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Alton TownshipFew work in Parnell Township
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 0%Lowest 0.7%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 1.5 miLowest 2.0 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 miLowest 0.1 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0 0
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 1.3Highest 1.0Lowest
Schools
School district —Elkton School District 05-3
High school in town —None in town
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.

Parnell Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Parnell Township’s Town Square.

Alton Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Alton Township’s Town Square.

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Set another town beside Parnell Township and Alton Township

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Bordering Parnell Township

Towns like Parnell Township

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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