Guest, Sign inJoin
Compare towns

Rusk Township vs Garfield Township

27 miles apart. The biggest differences: property tax bill (6.9× in Rusk Township) and trails (12× in Garfield Township).

R ×
Rusk Township, SDA small town of 65Day County · 65 people
G ×
Garfield Township, SDAn outdoors townClark County · 37 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.

Rusk TownshipA small town of 65
Quiet strengthsRusk Township doesn’t stand out on the data we haveNeighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.
All about Rusk Township →
Garfield TownshipAn outdoors town
Outdoors24.4% conserved land4.8 miles of trails across 0 parks and preserves All about Garfield Township →
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.

Property tax bill6.9×
Tax bills are bigger in Rusk Township
Rusk Township $1,389Garfield Township $200
Trails12×
Garfield Township has more miles of trail
Garfield Township 4.8 miRusk Township 0.4 mi
Typical home built40 yrs
Garfield Township’s homes are older
Rusk Township 1978Garfield Township 1938
Conserved land+26.3 pts
Rusk Township has more conserved land
Rusk Township 50.7%Garfield Township 24.4%
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
Rusk TownshipGarfield Township
Snow a year43″22″
January low2°F—
July high81°F—
Growing season (days)156d—
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)41st39th
Outdoors & history
Rusk TownshipGarfield Township
Trails—5 mi
Conserved land—24.4%
National Register places—1
Community
Rusk TownshipGarfield Township
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

27 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Rusk TownshipGarfield TownshipRusk TownshipGarfield Township
Rusk Township ↔ Garfield Township27 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.

Rusk TownshipGarfield Township
People
Population 65Highest 37Lowest
Median age 66.6±6.4Lowest 75% above SD 73.8±19.7Highest 94% above SD
Garfield Township and Rusk Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 12.3%±44Highest SD: 24.2% 0%±76.4Lowest SD: 24.2%
Rusk Township and Garfield Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 69.2%±36.5Lowest SD: 18% 89.2%±94.4Highest SD: 18%
Garfield Township and Rusk Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 43.9%Lowest SD: 31.9% 48.6%Highest SD: 31.9%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 0%±21.8 SD: 5% 0%±38.2 SD: 5%
Cost of living
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $260,000±$117k about the SD average —
Property taxmedian, yearly $1,389Highest 49% below SD $200Lowest 93% below SD
Below poverty line 0% SD: 11.9% 0% SD: 11.9%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 100% SD: 68.6% 100% SD: 68.6%
Typical home builtmedian year 1978Highest 2 yrs older than SD 1938Lowest 42 yrs older than SD
Getting to work
Work from home 0%±47.6Lowest SD: 9.7% 75%±100Highest SD: 9.7%
Garfield Township and Rusk Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 0% 0%
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 18.3 miLowest 31.8 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.10Highest 0.00Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Webster (20%)Watertown (20%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Garfield TownshipFew work in Rusk Township
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 50.7%Highest 24.4%Lowest
Trailsmapped miles 0.4 miLowest 4.8 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 miLowest 0.1 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0 0
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 0.8Highest 0.7Lowest
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.

Rusk Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Rusk Township’s Town Square.

Garfield Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Garfield Township’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Rusk Township and Garfield Township

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

Bordering Rusk Township

M
+ Compare
Morton Township28 people · $217K homes
+ Compare
Webster Township280 people · $241K homes
B
+ Compare
Butler Township
W
+ Compare
Webster1,896 people · $154K homes

Towns like Rusk Township

S
+ Compare
Susquehanna Township57 people · $413K homes
F
+ Compare
Fair Township45 people
F
+ Compare
Floyd Township61 people · $336K homes
L
+ Compare
Lake Township83 people · $411K homes
Not sure which town to add? Find your place ranks South Dakota towns on what matters to you.Find your place →

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 Rusk Township

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