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Pelican Township vs Wall Lake Township

90 miles apart. The biggest differences: work from home (+26.5 pts in Wall Lake Township) and trails (2.7× in Pelican Township).

P ×
Pelican Township, SDA small town of 1,064Codington County · 1,064 people
W ×
Wall Lake Township, SDOne of the healthiest townsMinnehaha County · 1,130 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.

Pelican TownshipA small town of 1,064
Quiet strengthsPelican Township doesn’t stand out on the data we haveNeighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.
All about Pelican Township →
Wall Lake TownshipOne of the healthiest towns
HealthHealthier than 81%of U.S. towns on CDC estimates SchoolsBetter than 67%of SD districts All about Wall Lake 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.

Work from home+26.5 pts
More people work from home in Wall Lake Township
Wall Lake Township 31.8%Pelican Township 5.3%
Trails2.7×
Pelican Township has more miles of trail
Pelican Township 4.0 miWall Lake Township 1.5 mi
Average commute11 min
Pelican Township has the shorter commute
Wall Lake Township 23 minPelican Township 13 min
Growth since 2010+7.2 pts
Wall Lake Township has grown faster since 2010
Wall Lake Township +8.3%Pelican Township +1.1%
Property tax bill+18%
Tax bills are bigger in Wall Lake Township
Wall Lake Township $3,635Pelican Township $3,075
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $270 more a month in Wall Lake 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.

Pelican Township$2,070/mo
Typical home $347K (Census) · tax rate 0.89% · Housing →
Wall Lake Township$2,340/mo
Typical home $389K (Census) · tax rate 0.94% · Housing →

The difference: $270 a month, about $3,200 a year, between Wall Lake Township and Pelican 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.

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
–Pelican TownshipNot graded B+Wall Lake TownshipBetter than 67% of districts in the state
Health
BPelican TownshipHealthier than 58% of U.S. towns A−Wall Lake TownshipHealthier than 81% 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
Pelican TownshipWall Lake Township
Snow a year41″45″
January low3°F9°F
July high82°F85°F
Growing season (days)145d157d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)38th26th
Outdoors & history
Pelican TownshipWall Lake Township
Trails4 mi2 mi
Conserved land7%11.1%
Community
Pelican TownshipWall Lake 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

90 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Pelican TownshipCodington CountyWall Lake TownshipMinnehaha County
Pelican Township ↔ Wall Lake Township90 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.

Pelican TownshipWall Lake Township
People
Population 1,064Lowest 1,130Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +1.1%Lowest SD: +8.9% +8.3%Highest SD: +8.9%
Median age 33.7±7Lowest 11% below SD 36.3±22.4Highest 4% below SD
Wall Lake Township and Pelican Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 33.6%±7Highest SD: 24.2% 25%±6.8Lowest SD: 24.2%
Pelican Township and Wall Lake Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 10.8%±3.4Lowest SD: 18% 18.5%±9.3Highest SD: 18%
Wall Lake Township and Pelican Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 19.4%Lowest SD: 31.9% 27.2%Highest SD: 31.9%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 0.2%±1Lowest SD: 5% 6.2%±4.8Highest SD: 5%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $98,977±$37kLowest 32% above SD $129,375±$40kHighest 72% above SD
Wall Lake Township and Pelican Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $346,700±$66kLowest 35% above SD $388,600±$207kHighest 51% above SD
Wall Lake Township and Pelican Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $3,075Lowest 13% above SD $3,635Highest 33% above SD
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 100%±35.9 SD: 39.8% —
Below poverty line 17.8%Highest SD: 11.9% 0%Lowest SD: 11.9%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 93.7%Lowest SD: 68.6% 100%Highest SD: 68.6%
Typical home builtmedian year 1980Highest same as SD 1975Lowest 5 yrs older than SD
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 13 minLowest 28% below SD 23 minHighest 31% above SD
Work from home 5.3%±6Lowest SD: 9.7% 31.8%±14.4Highest SD: 9.7%
Work in townworking residents 0.3%Lowest 2.7%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 5.8 miLowest 10.3 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.32Highest 0.31Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Watertown (66%)Sioux Falls (64%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Wall Lake TownshipFew work in Pelican Township
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 7%Lowest 11.1%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 4.0 miHighest 1.5 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.1 miHighest 0.0 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 3Highest 1Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 1.6Lowest 1.8Highest
Schools
School district —West Central School District 49-7
High school in town —Falls Academy - 08
Students per teacherat that high school — 58.0
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.

Pelican Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Pelican Township’s Town Square.

Wall Lake Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Wall Lake Township’s Town Square.

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Bordering Pelican Township

+ Compare
Watertown23,044 people · $229K homes
K
+ Compare
Kampeska Township227 people · $347K homes
O
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Oxford Township167 people · $221K homes
L
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Lake Township851 people · $350K homes

Towns like Pelican Township

W
+ Compare
Worthing1,036 people · $220K homes
P
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Prosper Township498 people · $298K homes
+ Compare
Castlewood804 people · $198K homes
+ Compare
Valley Springs996 people · $193K 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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