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Plankinton vs Burke

55 miles apart. The biggest differences: trails (7× in Plankinton) and rent (+85% in Plankinton).

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Plankinton, SDKnown for its schoolsSouth Dakota · 603 people
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Burke, SDA regional job hubSouth Dakota · 708 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.

PlankintonKnown for its schools
SchoolsBetter than 71%of SD districts All about Plankinton →
BurkeA regional job hub
Work390 jobsbased in Burke, a regional job hub All about Burke →
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.

Trails7×
Plankinton has more miles of trail
Plankinton 0.7 miBurke 0.1 mi
Rent+85%
Rent runs higher in Plankinton
Plankinton $970Burke $525
Growth since 2010+15.3 pts
Plankinton has grown faster since 2010
Plankinton +10.5%Burke -4.8%
Household income+43%
Households in Plankinton earn more
Plankinton $74,833Burke $52,500
Average commute10 min
Burke has the shorter commute
Plankinton 22 minBurke 12 min
Jobs per worker2.1×
Burke is more of a job hub
Burke 1.50Plankinton 0.70
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $160 more a month in Burke

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.

Plankinton$740/mo
Typical home $115K (Census) · tax rate 1.48% · or rent about $970/mo · Housing →
Burke$900/mo
Typical home $150K (Census) · tax rate 0.91% · or rent about $525/mo · Housing →

The difference: $160 a month, about $1,900 a year, between Burke and Plankinton.

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
B+PlankintonBetter than 71% of districts in the state BBurkeBetter than 60% 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
PlankintonBurke
Snow a year38″45″
January low8°F10°F
July high86°F87°F
Growing season (days)153d149d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)48th43rd
Outdoors & history
PlankintonBurke
Trails1 mi—
Conserved land0%—
Settled—1904
National Register places21
Archive photos—1
Famous people born here—5
Community
PlankintonBurke
Library hours a week10 hrs20 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

55 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

PlankintonSDBurkeSD
Plankinton ↔ Burke55 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.

PlankintonBurke
People
Population 603Lowest 708Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +10.5%Highest SD: +8.9% -4.8%Lowest SD: +8.9%
Median age 42.4±3.5Lowest 12% above SD 43.7±5.4Highest 15% above SD
Burke and Plankinton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 23.7%±5.5Highest SD: 24.2% 23.3%±4.5Lowest SD: 24.2%
Plankinton and Burke are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 14.1%±4.1Lowest SD: 18% 24.4%±2.6Highest SD: 18%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 27.5%Highest SD: 31.9% 21.1%Lowest SD: 31.9%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 2.7%±2.4Lowest SD: 5% 3.4%±3.9Highest SD: 5%
Burke and Plankinton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $74,833±$7kHighest about the SD average $52,500±$13kLowest 30% below SD
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $114,800±$29kLowest 55% below SD $150,000±$31kHighest 42% below SD
Burke and Plankinton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $970±$159Highest about the SD average $525±$120Lowest 45% below SD
Property taxmedian, yearly $1,703Highest 37% below SD $1,369Lowest 50% below SD
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 39.3%±28.7Highest SD: 39.8% 13.8%±18.4Lowest SD: 39.8%
Plankinton and Burke 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% 8.1%Lowest SD: 11.9%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 69%Lowest SD: 68.6% 71.8%Highest SD: 68.6%
Typical home builtmedian year 1979Highest 1 yr older than SD 1966Lowest 14 yrs older than SD
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 22 minHighest 23% above SD 12 minLowest 34% below SD
Work from home 11.5%±4.5Highest SD: 9.7% 3.3%±2.4Lowest SD: 9.7%
Work in townworking residents 11.6%Lowest 26.2%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 22.3 miHighest 16.8 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.70Lowest 1.50Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Mitchell (18%)Gregory (10%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in BurkeFew work in Plankinton
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 0% 0%
Trailsmapped miles 0.7 miHighest 0.1 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.9 miHighest 0.2 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 3Highest 0Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 117Lowest 118Highest
Schools
School district Plankinton School District 01-1South Central School District 26-5 · Burke School District 26-2
High school in town Plankinton High School - 01Burke High School - 01
Students per teacherat that high school 10.1Lowest 12.2Highest
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.

Plankinton neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Plankinton’s Town Square.

Burke neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Burke’s Town Square.

Add a town

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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.

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