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%

Sinai$570/mo

Typical home $89K (Census) · tax rate 1.37% · Housing →

Ethan$1,890/mo

Typical home $306K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.11% · or rent about $878/mo · Housing →

The difference: $1,320 a month, about $15,800 a year, between Ethan and Sinai.

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

–SinaiNot graded A+EthanBetter than 97% 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

SinaiEthan

Snow a year36″36″

January low4°F 6°F

July high81°F 84°F

Growing season (days)145d 143d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)57th 49th

Outdoors & history

SinaiEthan

Settled1907 —

Archive photos1 —

Famous people born here1 —

Community

SinaiEthan

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

67 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

SinaiSD EthanSD

Sinai ↔ Ethan67 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.

Only big differences vs South Dakota average

SinaiEthan

People

Population 215Lowest 346Highest

Median age 24.9±22.6Lowest 34% below SD 26.3±5.9Highest 31% below SD

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

Kids under 18 43.7%±20Highest SD: 24.2% 37%±8.3Lowest SD: 24.2%

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

Age 65+ 3.3%±13.4Lowest SD: 18% 7.2%±5.8Highest SD: 18%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 22.6%Highest SD: 31.9% 17.1%Lowest SD: 31.9%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 0%±6.6Lowest SD: 5% 4%±4Highest SD: 5%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $56,875±$27kLowest 24% below SD $60,417±$11kHighest 20% below SD

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $89,300±$19kLowest 65% below SD $152,300±$33kHighest 41% below SD

Rentmedian gross, monthly — $878±$200 7% below SD

Property taxmedian, yearly $1,222Lowest 55% below SD $1,688Highest 38% below SD

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 32%±80.5Lowest SD: 39.8% 35.7%±38.6Highest SD: 39.8%

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

Below poverty line 1.9%Lowest SD: 11.9% 12.1%Highest SD: 11.9%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 66.7%Highest SD: 68.6% 65.6%Lowest SD: 68.6%

Typical home builtmedian year 1938Lowest 42 yrs older than SD 1962Highest 18 yrs older than SD

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 29 minHighest 65% above SD 28 minLowest 59% above SD

Work from home 0%±11.4Lowest SD: 9.7% 18%±10Highest SD: 9.7%

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

Work in townworking residents 2%Lowest 2.1%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 15.8 miHighest 12.8 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.92Highest 0.70Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Brookings (41%)Mitchell (44%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in EthanFew work in Sinai

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 15.2%Highest 0%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 0.1 miHighest 0.0 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.3 miHighest 0.0 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0 0

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 43.3Lowest 146Highest

Schools

School district —Ethan School District 17-1

High school in town —Ethan High School - 01

Students per teacherat that high school — 11.3

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.

Sinai neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Sinai’s Town Square.

Ethan neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Ethan’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Sinai and Ethan

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

Towns like Sinai

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Oslo Township246 people

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Norris Township172 people · $95K homes

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Milltown Township202 people · $166K homes

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Long Hollow Township291 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.

Sinai vs Ethan

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they differ most

A typical home costs $1,320 more a month in Ethan

Grades and rankings, side by side

What daily life feels like in each

67 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Sinai and Ethan

Towns like Sinai

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