Guest, Sign inJoin
Compare towns

Philip vs Marion

224 miles apart. The biggest differences: work in town (+40.5 pts in Philip) and jobs per worker (3.4× in Philip).

×
Philip, SDA regional job hubSouth Dakota · 571 people
×
Marion, SDKnown for its schoolsSouth Dakota · 981 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.

PhilipA regional job hub
Work560 jobsbased in Philip, a regional job hub HistorySettled in 19072 places on the National Register All about Philip →
MarionKnown for its schools
SchoolsBetter than 31%of SD districts All about Marion →
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.

Work in town+40.5 pts
More of Philip’s workers stay in town
Philip 47.5%Marion 7%
Jobs per worker3.4×
Philip is more of a job hub
Philip 2.15Marion 0.63
Average commute17 min
Philip has the shorter commute
Marion 22 minPhilip 5 min
Property tax bill+51%
Tax bills are bigger in Philip
Philip $2,795Marion $1,852
Growth since 2010+10.9 pts
Marion has grown faster since 2010
Marion +8.3%Philip -2.6%
Rent+27%
Rent runs higher in Marion
Marion $813Philip $642
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $610 more a month in Marion

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.

Philip$1,190/mo
Typical home $182K (Census) · tax rate 1.53% · or rent about $642/mo · Housing →
Marion$1,800/mo
Typical home $290K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.13% · or rent about $813/mo · Housing →

The difference: $610 a month, about $7,300 a year, between Marion and Philip.

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
C+PhilipBetter than 42% of districts in the state CMarionBetter than 31% of districts in the state
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
PhilipMarion
Snow a year38″41″
January low8°F—
July high88°F—
Growing season (days)132d—
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)91st49th
Outdoors & history
PhilipMarion
Trails—0 mi
Conserved land—0%
Settled19071881
National Register places2—
Archive photos12—
Famous people born here2—
Community
PhilipMarion
Library hours a week29 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

224 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

PhilipSDMarionSD
Philip ↔ Marion224 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.

PhilipMarion
People
Population 571Lowest 981Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -2.6%Lowest SD: +8.9% +8.3%Highest SD: +8.9%
Median age 52.4±12.5Highest 38% above SD 51.7±9.3Lowest 36% above SD
Philip and Marion are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 15.2%±6.2Lowest SD: 24.2% 21.1%±4.5Highest SD: 24.2%
Marion and Philip are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 27.7%±10.7Lowest SD: 18% 33.6%±1.8Highest SD: 18%
Marion and Philip are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 15.9%Lowest SD: 31.9% 18.8%Highest SD: 31.9%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 1.1%±2.1Lowest SD: 5% 1.4%±1.7Highest SD: 5%
Marion and Philip are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $56,635±$25kLowest 25% below SD $67,750±$16kHighest 10% below SD
Marion and Philip are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $182,100±$67kHighest 29% below SD $164,500±$29kLowest 36% below SD
Philip and Marion are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $642±$90Lowest 32% below SD $813±$79Highest 14% below SD
Property taxmedian, yearly $2,795Highest about the SD average $1,852Lowest 32% below SD
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 33.3%±39.6Lowest SD: 39.8% 35.2%±19.5Highest SD: 39.8%
Marion and Philip are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 15.6%Highest SD: 11.9% 10.8%Lowest SD: 11.9%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 70.8%Lowest SD: 68.6% 75.9%Highest SD: 68.6%
Typical home builtmedian year 1983Highest 3 yrs newer than SD 1965Lowest 15 yrs older than SD
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 5 minLowest 71% below SD 22 minHighest 23% above SD
Work from home 0%±3.8Lowest SD: 9.7% 2.3%±1.6Highest SD: 9.7%
Marion and Philip are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 47.5%Highest 7%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 12.3 miLowest 25.8 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 2.15Highest 0.63Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Rapid City (8%)Sioux Falls (38%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in MarionFew work in Philip
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 0% 0%
Trailsmapped miles 0.1 miLowest 0.2 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.2 mi 0.2 mi
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0Lowest 1Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 127Highest 68.5Lowest
Schools
School district Haakon School District 27-1Marion School District 60-3
High school in town Philip High School - 01Marion High School - 01
Students per teacherat that high school 13.6Highest 9.0Lowest
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.

Philip neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Philip’s Town Square.

Marion neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Marion’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Philip and Marion

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

Towns like Philip

K
+ Compare
Kimball457 people · $153K homes
+ Compare
Bridgewater451 people · $116K homes
L
+ Compare
Lake Preston596 people · $130K homes
+ Compare
New Underwood509 people · $194K 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.

Post to Philip

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