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Compare towns

Pukwana vs Florence

127 miles apart. The biggest differences: jobs per worker (2.5× in Florence) and property tax bill (+45% in Florence).

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Pukwana, SDAn outdoors townSouth Dakota · 300 people
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Florence, SDHomes around $526KSouth Dakota · 317 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.

PukwanaAn outdoors town
Outdoors21.3% conserved land0.4 miles of trails across 1 parks and preserves All about Pukwana →
FlorenceHomes around $526K
Housing$526K typical home63% above the SD typical home SchoolsBetter than 31%of SD districts All about Florence →
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.

Jobs per worker2.5×
Florence is more of a job hub
Florence 0.33Pukwana 0.13
Property tax bill+45%
Tax bills are bigger in Florence
Florence $1,708Pukwana $1,175
Conserved land+21.3 pts
Pukwana has more conserved land
Pukwana 21.3%Florence 0%
Average commute10 min
Pukwana has the shorter commute
Florence 25 minPukwana 15 min
Street grid+78%
Florence has the more walkable street grid
Florence 60.5Pukwana 33.9
Typical home built14 yrs
Pukwana’s homes are older
Florence 1982Pukwana 1968
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $2,610 more a month in Florence

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.

Pukwana$620/mo
Typical home $100K (Census) · tax rate 1.18% · or rent about $1,063/mo · Housing →
Florence$3,230/mo
Typical home $526K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.08% · or rent about $817/mo · Housing →

The difference: $2,610 a month, about $31,300 a year, between Florence and Pukwana.

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
–PukwanaNot graded CFlorenceBetter 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
PukwanaFlorence
Snow a year43″32″
January low9°F2°F
July high87°F82°F
Growing season (days)156d143d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)65th46th
Outdoors & history
PukwanaFlorence
Trails0 mi—
Conserved land21.3%—
Settled1881—
National Register places11
Archive photos—2
Famous people born here—1
Community
PukwanaFlorence
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

127 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

PukwanaSDFlorenceSD
Pukwana ↔ Florence127 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.

PukwanaFlorence
People
Population 300Lowest 317Highest
Median age 52.3±14.7Highest 38% above SD 51.3±16Lowest 35% above SD
Pukwana and Florence are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 17.3%±9.4Lowest SD: 24.2% 23.3%±2.8Highest SD: 24.2%
Florence and Pukwana are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 19.7%±9.7Lowest SD: 18% 22.1%±4.7Highest SD: 18%
Florence and Pukwana are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 13.4%Highest SD: 31.9% 8%Lowest SD: 31.9%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 0%±4.7 SD: 5% 0%±4.5 SD: 5%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $63,750±$28kLowest 15% below SD $75,909±$9kHighest about the SD average
Florence and Pukwana are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $100,000±$71kLowest 61% below SD $158,700±$14kHighest 38% below SD
Florence and Pukwana are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,063±$126Highest 12% above SD $817±$186Lowest 14% below SD
Pukwana and Florence are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $1,175Lowest 57% below SD $1,708Highest 37% below SD
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 52.2%±65.4Highest SD: 39.8% 5.9%±100Lowest SD: 39.8%
Pukwana and Florence are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 2.3%Lowest SD: 11.9% 9.8%Highest SD: 11.9%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 81.9%Lowest SD: 68.6% 85.5%Highest SD: 68.6%
Typical home builtmedian year 1968Lowest 12 yrs older than SD 1982Highest 2 yrs newer than SD
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 15 minLowest 16% below SD 25 minHighest 41% above SD
Work from home 5.8%±6.6Highest SD: 9.7% 4%±3.7Lowest SD: 9.7%
Pukwana and Florence are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 1.8%Highest 1.7%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 11.8 miLowest 15.3 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.13Lowest 0.33Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Kimball (23%)Watertown (52%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in FlorenceFew work in Pukwana
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 21.3%Highest 0%Lowest
Trailsmapped miles 0.4 miHighest 0.0 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.5 miHighest 0.0 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 1Highest 0Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 33.9Lowest 60.5Highest
Schools
School district —Florence School District 14-1
High school in town —Florence High School - 01
Students per teacherat that high school — 10.9
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.

Pukwana neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Pukwana’s Town Square.

Florence neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Florence’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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