Compare towns

Pierre vs Yankton

179 miles apart. The biggest differences: rent (+24% in Pierre) and trails (+60% in Pierre).

Pierre, SDA history townSouth Dakota · 13,948 people

Yankton, SDA history townSouth Dakota · 15,540 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.

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 →

YanktonA history town

HistorySettled in 185824 places on the National Register Schools#12 for schools in SDof 34 towns HealthHealthier than 65%of U.S. towns on CDC estimates All about Yankton →

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+24%

Rent runs higher in Pierre

Pierre $983Yankton $790

Trails+60%

Pierre has more miles of trail

Pierre 13.4 miYankton 8.4 mi

★ What stands out · 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%

Pierre$1,860/mo

Typical home $300K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.14% · or rent about $983/mo · Housing →

Yankton$1,710/mo

Typical home $276K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.13% · or rent about $790/mo · Housing →

The difference: $150 a month, about $1,800 a year, between Pierre and Yankton.

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

Yankton places higher on 12 of 22 SD lists

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 CYanktonSafer than 28% of U.S. towns

Schools

B+PierreBetter than 67% of districts in the state B+YanktonBetter than 70% of districts in the state

Health

A−PierreHealthier than 78% of U.S. towns B+YanktonHealthier than 65% of U.S. towns

8Pierre

12Yankton

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

Lowest obesityHealth · 37 towns #12#35 Cheapest rentCost of living · 34 towns #22#8 Fewest uninsuredHealth · 37 towns #5#20 Highest graduation rateSchools · 33 towns #15#3 Most new homesHousing · 31 towns #21#10 Most walkableOutdoors · 37 towns #22#11 Most educatedPeople · 37 towns #10#19 Highest incomeIncome · 37 towns #13#22

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

PierreYankton

Snow a year37″38″

January low9°F 10°F

July high88°F 87°F

Growing season (days)148d 164d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)60th 55th

Outdoors & history

PierreYankton

Trails13 mi 8 mi

Conserved land7%4.4%

Settled1880 1858

National Register places32 24

Community

PierreYankton

Library hours a week63 hrs 60 hrs

Colleges in town—1

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

179 miles apart

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

PierreSD YanktonSD

Pierre ↔ Yankton179 miles apart

Who commutes between them

40 Yankton residents work in Pierre (0.5% of its workers)

33 Pierre residents work in Yankton (0.5% of its workers)

Work & commute in Yankton →

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

PierreYankton

People

Population 13,948Lowest 15,540Highest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +3.3%Lowest SD: +8.9% +6.6%Highest SD: +8.9%

Median age 39.4±1.5Lowest 4% above SD 41.4±1.7Highest 9% above SD

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

Kids under 18 22.9%±2.3Highest SD: 24.2% 21.2%±2.2Lowest SD: 24.2%

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

Age 65+ 18.2%±2.3Lowest SD: 18% 22%±2.7Highest SD: 18%

Yankton and Pierre 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% 33.2%Lowest SD: 31.9%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 3.8%±1.5Lowest SD: 5% 5.5%±1.2Highest SD: 5%

Yankton 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 $67,804±$10kLowest 10% below SD

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $230,700±$14kHighest 10% below SD $222,700±$17kLowest 13% below SD

Pierre and Yankton 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 $790±$61Lowest 16% below SD

Property taxmedian, yearly $2,632Highest 3% below SD $2,507Lowest 8% below SD

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 37.3%±9.6Highest SD: 39.8% 36%±8.3Lowest SD: 39.8%

Pierre and Yankton 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% 14.1%Highest SD: 11.9%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 68.6%Highest SD: 68.6% 66.3%Lowest SD: 68.6%

Typical home builtmedian year 1976 4 yrs older than SD 1976 4 yrs older than SD

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 13 min 25% below SD 13 min 25% below SD

Work from home 4.2%±2.6Lowest SD: 9.7% 5.5%±2.7Highest SD: 9.7%

Yankton 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%Highest 61.2%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 1.8 mi 1.8 mi

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.39Highest 1.32Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Fort Pierre (6%)Sioux Falls (9%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others 1% work in Yankton1% work in Pierre

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 7%Highest 4.4%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 13.4 miHighest 8.4 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 1.0 miHighest 0.9 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 4Lowest 6Highest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 53.8Lowest 66.6Highest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #14 of 34 in SD #12 of 34 in SD

School district Pierre School District 32-2 · Pierre Indian Learning CenterYankton School District 63-3

High school in town T F Riggs High School - 01Yankton High School - 01

Students per teacherat that high school 17.7Lowest 18.0Highest

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.

Yankton neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Yankton’s Town Square.

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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.

Pierre vs Yankton

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they differ most

A typical home costs about the same each month

Yankton places higher on 12 of 22 SD lists

What daily life feels like in each

179 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Pierre and Yankton

Towns like Pierre

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