Guest, Sign inJoin
Compare towns

Pierre vs Aberdeen

118 miles apart. The biggest differences: rent (+29% in Pierre) and household income (+21% in Pierre).

×
Pierre, SDA history townSouth Dakota · 13,948 people
×
Aberdeen, SDA history townSouth Dakota · 28,189 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.

PierreA history town
HistorySettled in 188032 places on the National Register Outdoors#7 most trails in SD13 miles of trails across 4 parks and preserves HealthHealthier than 78%of U.S. towns on CDC estimates All about Pierre →
AberdeenA history town
HistorySettled in 188023 places on the National Register HealthHealthier than 72%of U.S. towns on CDC estimates Housing$244K typical home24% below the SD typical home All about Aberdeen →
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.

Rent+29%
Rent runs higher in Pierre
Pierre $983Aberdeen $762
Household income+21%
Households in Pierre earn more
Pierre $77,672Aberdeen $64,405
Growth since 2010+5.9 pts
Aberdeen has grown faster since 2010
Aberdeen +9.2%Pierre +3.3%
Size2×
Aberdeen is the bigger place
Aberdeen 28,189Pierre 13,948
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $320 more a month in Pierre

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.

Pierre$1,860/mo
Typical home $300K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.14% · or rent about $983/mo · Housing →
Aberdeen$1,530/mo
Typical home $244K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.25% · or rent about $762/mo · Housing →

The difference: $320 a month, about $3,900 a year, between Pierre and Aberdeen.

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.

Safety
C−PierreSafer than 16% of U.S. towns CAberdeenSafer than 28% of U.S. towns
Schools
B+PierreBetter than 67% of districts in the state B+AberdeenBetter than 65% of districts in the state
Health
A−PierreHealthier than 78% of U.S. towns B+AberdeenHealthier than 72% of U.S. towns
10Pierre
10Aberdeen

Lists won, of 22 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 37 towns #37#1 Cheapest rentCost of living · 34 towns #22#4 Fewest uninsuredHealth · 37 towns #5#20 Highest incomeIncome · 37 towns #13#28 Most walkableOutdoors · 37 towns #22#12 Most activeHealth · 37 towns #16#25 Fastest growingGrowth · 36 towns #24#16 Shortest commuteGetting around · 37 towns #13#5

Left end = #1 in South Dakota. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Pierre’s rankings →

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
PierreAberdeen
Snow a year37″43″
January low9°F2°F
July high88°F85°F
Growing season (days)148d139d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)60th40th
Outdoors & history
PierreAberdeen
Trails13 mi12 mi
Conserved land7%5.1%
Settled18801880
National Register places3223
Community
PierreAberdeen
Library hours a week63 hrs61 hrs
Colleges in town—1
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

118 miles apart

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

PierreSDAberdeenSD
Pierre ↔ Aberdeen118 miles apart
Who commutes between them
151 Aberdeen residents work in Pierre (1.1% of its workers)
54 Pierre residents work in Aberdeen (0.8% of its workers)
Work & commute in Aberdeen →
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.

PierreAberdeen
People
Population 13,948Lowest 28,189Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +3.3%Lowest SD: +8.9% +9.2%Highest SD: +8.9%
Median age 39.4±1.5Highest 4% above SD 36.4±0.9Lowest 4% below SD
Kids under 18 22.9%±2.3Highest SD: 24.2% 22.4%±1.8Lowest SD: 24.2%
Pierre and Aberdeen are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 18.2%±2.3Highest SD: 18% 16.4%±1.6Lowest SD: 18%
Pierre and Aberdeen are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 39%Highest SD: 31.9% 35%Lowest SD: 31.9%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 3.8%±1.5Lowest SD: 5% 6.4%±1.2Highest SD: 5%
Aberdeen and Pierre are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $77,672±$7kHighest 3% above SD $64,405±$5kLowest 14% below SD
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $230,700±$14kHighest 10% below SD $217,300±$13kLowest 16% below SD
Pierre and Aberdeen are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $983±$90Highest 4% above SD $762±$38Lowest 19% below SD
Property taxmedian, yearly $2,632Lowest 3% below SD $2,719Highest about the SD average
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 37.3%±9.6Lowest SD: 39.8% 45.8%±6.3Highest SD: 39.8%
Aberdeen and Pierre are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 10.1%Lowest SD: 11.9% 13.8%Highest SD: 11.9%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 68.6%Highest SD: 68.6% 61.7%Lowest SD: 68.6%
Typical home builtmedian year 1976Highest 4 yrs older than SD 1972Lowest 8 yrs older than SD
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 13 minHighest 25% below SD 12 minLowest 33% below SD
Work from home 4.2%±2.6Lowest SD: 9.7% 5.4%±1.7Highest SD: 9.7%
Aberdeen and Pierre are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 65.4%Lowest 66.5%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 1.8 miLowest 2.3 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.39Highest 1.12Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Fort Pierre (6%)Aberdeen Township (7%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others 1% work in Aberdeen1% work in Pierre
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 7%Highest 5.1%Lowest
Trailsmapped miles 13.4 miHighest 12.1 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 1.0 miHighest 0.7 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 4Lowest 13Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 53.8Lowest 66.3Highest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #14 of 34 in SD#20 of 34 in SD
School district Pierre School District 32-2 · Pierre Indian Learning CenterSD SCH FOR THE BLIND & VISUALLY IMPAIRED · Aberdeen School District 06-1
High school in town T F Riggs High School - 01Central High School - 01
Students per teacherat that high school 17.7Highest 17.2Lowest
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.

Pierre neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Pierre’s Town Square.

Aberdeen neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Aberdeen’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Pierre and Aberdeen

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

Towns like Pierre

+ Compare
Yankton15,540 people · $223K homes
H
+ Compare
Huron14,385 people · $159K homes
B
+ Compare
Brandon10,996 people · $337K homes
+ Compare
Madison6,094 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.

Post to Pierre

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